European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Tofek sales atthe by George Eberl staff writer of can t Tell a Book sales Man by his cover particularly if his cover is cafes. Behind the cafes we care Nam tags an Ever changing cast of salespeople daily ply the pm Trade. It is big business. Cafes reported 1976 sales of $2.4 million in Europe by the three firms contracted to sell in the exchanges Field enterprises world Book Grolier interstate americana International and Book of knowledge and Britannica inc. Major products of the three pm Compa Nies Are highly rated according to Ken Neth Kister s encyclopedia buying guide published by . Bowkor co. But problems Center less on products than on sales practices and meth ods Peculiar to direct sales businesses. Grolier inc. Board chairman William j. Murphy neatly summed up the essence of direct sales merchandise he said is sold not Rush european division manager for world Book used another favorite phrase in direct sales a need implying the need does not exist until the agent creates it. Many salespeople in the exchanges arc honest and Low key even becoming part of the local Community in which they sell. Others Are gypsies changing locales companies and even their names As readily As most people change concessionaire list published in late february included 113 Book Selling holders of cafes letters of introduction. Within 10 weeks 51 of these 113 had either changed companies or dropped out of the transience contrasts with the encyclopedia Industry s self image As a stable business dedicated to education. The name of the game is sell and a sub Stantial amount of the Sale Price is layers of commission paid to salespeople to their managers and to cafes. Customer experience and a wealth of other reports show that Federal Trade commission Laws and cafes own sales rules Are often ignored inside Exchange doors. This is ironic As one of the reasons for marketing encyclopedias in exchanges is to Stem abusive off Post according to it. Col. Nohl d. Petersen. Cafes Europe procurement management director. Evidence gathered indicates that some off Post practices As Well As off Post paddlers have simply been transferred inside the exchanges trapping the unwary situation is not new. As far Back As 1974 a scheme was reported that would misuse cafes system of issuing letters of introduction which Are granted to identify personnel and products for the three pm companies. Harry Tucker former Susareu regal assistance officer now a civilian attorney in Colorado received a report on the scheme when be first arrived in Heidelberg in january 1174. Tucker wrote that the chief for one of the authorized companies was obtaining let ters of introduction from Munich for agents Selling the new age encyclopedia for trans Atlantic latter firm headed by Eddie Rose later was placed off limits by the armed forces disciplinary control Board Al though it has once again emerged under the name books inc. In Light of this past it was t surprising that a Soldier stationed in Liesheim wrote a letter to the Stan and Stripe reporting that he signed a books inc. Contract Early this year in the Exchange at Storek bar Racks. La reviewing put activities Tucker noted that the cafes Fetter of introduction Are not very Well Cool rolled and no checking on the individual salesmen if Tucker wrote that if a company with an cafes contract requested a letter of introduction for a Salesman the letter was apparently just made interviews with cafes officials and company chiefs confirmed this is still the pointed out that issuance of a Usa eur commercial solicitation permit was preceded by an investigation of the applicant although this practice has since been discontinued for . Citizens according to present commercial solicitation spokesman capt. Joseph former Usa eur Legal assistance officer recalling his investigations of com plaints by soldiers said he and then com Mercial solicitations chief Cape. James Pepper cooperated very Tucker added cooperation with cafes was almost despite criticisms aimed at the cafes program by customers and competitors several advantages Are passed along to Exchange patrons. Petersen and his civilian contracting officer. Dale Woodward pointed out that cafes negotiates Price discounts on sets of books for example cafes Points out that encyclopaedia Britannica Sells in the exchanges for 25 per cent below the Standard . Retail Price and work Book is 12.$ per cent cheaper than in the . In addition customers May buy one Brand Britannica through the cafes patrons Are spared getting pitched by salespeople buying from the Catalon does t spare customers from paying the sales commission although no salesperson is involved. Cafes complaint system and satisfaction guarantee Are other Bene fits although the complaint system is rarely used Woodward s office re ported Only four complaints were received in 1978. But if a customer is dissatisfied there is a recourse assured which in t shared by Clint Swift cafes Europe How much care in policing of Book salespersons the stars and stripes tuesday june 14, 1977
