Page 251 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

During the 1907 panic, Mr. Sears showed his real mettle. Sales had dropped
off on account of money being tight. However, he reasoned that people still
wanted things even though they had no ready cash to buy them or feared to
spend what money they did have. In order to overcome this attitude, Mr.
Sears wrote on a slip of paper the following: “If you haven’t the ready money
to send us with your order, send us anything that looks like money. Your
personal check or your clearing-house certificate will do, and will be
accepted as cash.” This advertisement was broadcast through the entire
country. Millions of these slips of paper were printed and mailed each week.
With every letter or package sent to a customer, one of these slips was
enclosed.

The entire plan was startling, to say the least. When others were retrenching,
Mr. Sears boosted and the result was such a flood of orders, resources of the
company were taxed to the limit. By doing the unusual, Mr. Sears reaped
unusual results.

Because he believed that merchandise should be thoroughly described in the
advertisements, Mr. Sears went the limit on description. He wanted to be
certain that the prospective buyer would know from the advertising just what
he would receive for his money. In an advertisement for suits, for example,
he would even go so far as to describe the linings of the coats and the buttons
—even the buttonholes were mentioned.

One of his policies was that merchandise must be guaranteed. It was his
contention that the customer was always right and no matter what it might
cost to satisfy a customer that satisfaction had to be made. When a customer
complained that the merchandise he received was not right, he was told to
return the goods, even if he had used them, and his money would be
refunded. There was never any backing out on this position—the money was
instantly returned without question.

He insisted that his goods must always be as represented and he backed up
this policy by offering to send goods C.O.D. Mr. Sears was probably the first
merchant to send his goods subject to approval with transportation charges
guaranteed both ways. He was always willing to take every risk himself—the