With Dealer and Customer

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 25, 6 January 1928, Page 3

With Dealer and Customer

Getting Together To Solve Radio Selling Problems

POOR CRITICISM. No experienced or discrvet radio dealer ever criticises other tradzr’s goods. | Such criticism never convinces a prospective buyer and is apt to influence him against the critic. , | ! POOR QUALITY GOODS. Those who are new in the radio business will soon discover that "cheap and nasty" radio goods are not desirable. Buyers who are let down do not forget to tell their friends, and the trader quickly gets a bad name. Radio currents are exceedingly weak. until amplified, and poor quality parts spoil reception, , TESTING VALVES. A customer should, in every possible, ease, sée every valve tested before taking delivery of it. It is not to be expected that the trader will enter-_ tain a claim for a new valve if the purchaser brings back a valye in a damaged condition. . CONVERT YOUR SET. Those who still operate the old threecoil regenerative set should not delay in haying it brought up to date. The most economic method is to convert the old set into a Browning-Drake, At-. other valve is inserted in front of the detector, and Browning-Drake coils take the place of she ol1 tuning system, A PROPER AERIAL, A buyer cannot expect a radio set to rake in the long-distance stations when the set is hooked on to a "elothes-line’" aerial. A good set de serves a good aerial. The latter should not be less than 30 fect in height above

all obstacles over which it passes. At least three good insulators at each end of the aerial are desirable. THE SCHOOLS FIELD. When the New Zealand Iducation Department commences regular broad. casts for the State schools a good field will be opened up-for the sale of firstelass receiving sets and equipment for the schools. Some of the ‘live’ school conmnittees could be approached even now, for a receiving set is always ‘an acceptable acquisition to au up-country school. , NO RADICAL ALTERATIONS. Some customers harbour the illusion that some radical improvements in radio sets are imminent, and that an up-to-date set: to-day will be obsolete in a year or two. ‘The leading radio authorities throughout the world agree that there is little hope of any revolutionary intprovement in receiving sets for many years to come. Attention, instead, is heing concetitrated on improving trauswiission where there is room for further progress. , WHEN STATIC 1S BAD. If a prospective purchaser and trader experiences the bad luck to strike static on the occasion of a demonstration of a receiving set it is wiser to close down and postpone the demonnstration until Letter conditions obtain, ‘This would be fairer to both parties, thatt to persist in trying to bring in long-distance stations through a fusilade of static. ITEMISING ACCOUNTS. ‘Some New Zealand radio traders should take a hint from the following "tip" given by an American radio concern i-

In presenting bills to customers we always itemise everything very careiully. " Lhis applies to repair work and cleaning as well as to the sale of new sets. We find that customers like ‘to see just what they are paying for and we find that when bills are fully itemised the customers seldom make any kicks about paying the full amounts, ATTRACTING CUSTOM. It is common practice now for radio traders in New Zealand to have a set in operation while’ broadcasting is in progress. It acts as att attraction to passersby and brings custom, ‘The trad. er, however, is not always particular as to the quality of reproduction, and a novice in that case is not likely to be favourably impressed wtih radio, ‘Traders should take care to have a C battery inserted in the audio amplifying circuit, and not overload the valves. TOO MUCH NOISE. It is a mistake for a city trader to turn on a five-valve set at [ull blast to bring in the local broadcast station. The valves become overloaded, and the music comes out of the speaker with a jarring harshness. Volume can he reduced by many methods, such as lowering the plate voltage on the valves, turning out some of the valves, slightly detuning the set, ete. : CLEANING SETS. Dust will find its way into any receiving set in time, and it has a harmful effect on reception owing to the leakage of high-frequency currents it causes. An Americas radio house stated recently: ‘We advertised in the local newspapers that sometimes old radio sets do not giye as good results as form-

erly because they need cleaning. ‘Then we said we would clean any average set for about 8s. This brought us a splendid lot of business. PUBLIC CONFIDENCE. William $. Hedges, radio editor,.the Chicago "Daily News,"’ lately announeed: ‘Tiyery analytical test applied to the radio industry gives a positive reaction, The radio industry is no longer treading wucertain ground, but has reached the stage of stability. The buying public now has confidence that sets may be purchased to-day which will not become obsolete to-morrow," EXTENDING CREDIT. In all trade even the most cautious dealer will sometimes be caught by, "bad marks." Some New Zealand traders, liowever, are not over-particular in gratting credit. Don’t extend credit first and then investigate afterwards, If you have alrcady extended credit, what earthly good will it do you to make an investigation and find out you’ve made a mistake? ‘the time for all investigations is before credit is extended. That’s when investigations do you some real good. LOUDSPEAKERS. Don’t sell a poor, loudspeaker with a high-class receiving set. Because 4 great deal of the trouble experienced in radio in the past has been due to poor or indifferent speakers, a great deal of misconception exists as to the exact function of a speaker. ‘This is at once apparent when a _ fine speaker (not necessarily built for any particular sct) is connected to a good set after a poor speaker has been used previously.

There will be a noticeable improvement; in the quality of reception. STRANGE BUT TRUE. ‘ Don’t neglect the ‘location factor.™ f Bill Jones may have a much cheaper, " simpler sett than you, but because he! is in a better radio location he'll beat! you every time on distance reception, ° You cau thank Dame Nature, also, for! the phenometion. The quecrest part of: this location freak is that sometimes the same sect, proven to be a distance getter, when moved next door will turm » out to be "dead as a door nail." : UNITED STATES STOCKS, : Indications from a recent survey of* radio dealers by the electrical equips’ ment division of the United States Dex ;¢ partment of Commerce ate that there are in stock 282,965 radio recciving gets. Out of a total of 81,465 dealers, 7842. replied to the questionnaire of the elecs' trical equipment division, The replies |, indicate that there were nine receiving sets and loudspeakers in the stock of ' each dealer on October 1, 1927. B and: C battery stocks showed an avetage of thirty-one per dealer, in units of 467 volts, aud 7 storage batteries for A. power, whereas climinaters averaged, five per dealer. Receiving tubes, not’ A. C. averaged sixty-three per dealer, , whereas A. C. ones averaged four, Al, total of 936 jobbers was circularised, | of whom 236 replied. The number of , recciving sets per reporting jobber was 873, loudspeakers 385, B and C batters, ies 1220, 45 yolt units, storage batters iis 105, eliminators 254, tubes — other than A. C. 8140, A. C. tubes 97, and rectifying tubes 171.