European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cafes layaway take on a Holiday look Eis photo by bin of Hostin at fog Frankfurt fax Tay Awty of Eft Mollwa Cut Chi tit tit Ste. Ony und by with  tort grandchildren. Or Whf uyt if a Miter Fon it it it tit it Ftp Hart to Home. Byl Wayneth consumer editor first minute shoppers have already Mads the Christmas plunge dolls toy trains and the latest games Are stacking up in cafes layaway storerooms. Generally clothing is the big layaway  said Nicole Dudley assistant manager at the main store in the Frankfurt shopping Center. As soon As the exchanges receive their first Holiday toy shipments 1he picture changes she said. The storerooms begin la bulge with items for Santa s pack. Tho cafes layaway program is one of the Best deals around. Dudley said. It helps people budget and it does t add debt. I d say that from 65 percent to 70 percent of our customers make use of  Asol today we have $500,480 Worth of merchandise on layaway said Lavina Underwood customer service supervisor. Around Chrt Htmat i is also a Greal Way of storing toys away from children s eyes said Dudley. Sometimes there in t enough room to hide All the purchases in the  at the layaway to under near the store s main Entrance. Nilva Mroz was Tirol in Tine with a shopping Carl slacked High Wilh toys Tor Christmas. She said she does t limit use of the plan to the Holiday season. When i sea something i need i immediately put it on layaway. Later when i have the Cash the item May not be in  besides Christmas gilts she said she used layaway recently for Winter clothes and school supplies. A colonel s Wile who requested her name not be used was next in line. Her shopping cart was loaded with about $200 Worth of clothing for har children. I spotted these things and Don t Hava enough Money with me to buy them now. They May to snapped up by someone else Iii Don t Reserve  Tho layaway program offered by most medium and Large cafes stores is simple to use All thai is required is a 10 percent Down payment and a $1 service fee. All regular and Sale merchandise with the exception of fabrics perishables cosmetics combustibles including paint varnishes and thinners and merchandise requiring special handling and storage Are covered. There Are to payment plans. One is for 90 Days with three payments. The other is for 180 Days with six payments. This 180-Day plan is Only available for a single item or group of items totalling $�00 or More. There is a 20-Day Grace period for meeting payments. I a due payment is not received by that time the layaway is involuntarily cancelled the goods Are returned to Stock and the customer refunded All but the $1 initiation fee. Layaway cancellations both voluntary and involuntary vary in frequency and amount from Exchange to Exchange. Dudley said that of the approximately 15 percent of layaway cancelled at he Frankfurt store 10 percent Are due to failure to meet the payment deadline and 5 percent Are at customer request. Customers can cancel at any time before final payment but the whole layaway must be cancelled not just one or two items said Underwood. At the Frankfurt store layaway Range from the $25 minimum up to $8.000 for items like Hole watches and Diamond rings. Next to clothing the program is most olten used for gift items. Waterford Crystal is a very popular layaway Hern said Underwood. We sell it for 15 to 25 percent teas than you can Purchase it  generally the Tama on layaway can be picked up As soon As the customer Paya the full bin. We have a storage problem though said Dudley noting thai not everything will Al into the store s attic rooms. Bulky items Are taken to another area. We ask for 48 hours to transport them Back  at the layaway counter Stephanie Jullas had Fust reserved a collection of bedding. I be used layaway for about six months now she said. Her s was Trie same reason Given by most it s a Way to be sure the item will be there when you want  a tip from cafes Headquarters in Munich it you have something on layaway follow the Safe notices. If the identical item goes on Sale you can request the one in layaway o to reduced in Price too. Computer maintenance a booming Field by Leslie wines United press International computers May be getting smaller but the Industry that keeps them running is growing by quantum leaps. During he computer Industry slowdown of 1985 to Early 1987, everyone suddenly realized that maintenance services is a recession proof Industry said George b. Keller executive vice president of the association Olfield service managers International. When things soften people Start to notice which segments Are doing Well. During the recession Many companies decided not o buy new computers but they did t let their maintenance contracts Tor their old computers  he explained. Thl of computer maintenance companies in the United states will generate a Hetty $30 billion in revenues. The told service group said. By 1990, it expects annual Domestic revenues of $46 billion for the Industry. The computer maintenance sector has grown Between 12 percent and 14 percent annually in recent years according to Keller. The association s companies service a variety of computers including automated tellers medical Page 16 the stars and stripes diagnostic equipment desktop publishing units telecommunications machines so called intelligent buildings and photographic equipment. The association founded 11 years ago has members ranging from one Man operations 10 Industry Grants International business machines corp digital equipment corp., Eastman Kodak co and Xerox corp participation by major computer companies has increased considerably since the recent recession. Many of the larger companies provide scholarship funding for the association s educational programs. According to Keller they began paying to educate sen fears when they realized Hal their maintenance divisions represent a Large chunk of their earnings. In digital equipment s Case computer maintenance brings in 30 percent of the company s annual revenues. Keller said. The stability of the Industry also makes it attractive to investors. Keller said. Corporate Raider Asher Ede Man. For example is chairman and owns about 8 percent of int logic Trace inc. Of san Antonio Texas. Intel logic was spun off from Dat Point inc. In 1985, and most of is customers own that company s computers a spokesman said. In february Bel South corp. Of Atlanta bought Dat serve inc. Of Minneapolis and London for about $96.5 million in Stock and is planning to buy u is. Corp. Of Roanoke va., for about $79. T million. Friday october 1987 in 1984, Grumman corp s Grumman systems support bought computer system support corp. From its founder and in March it purchased the Field service department of Arrow electronics inc. Alan Andrus the division s president refused to reveal the Purchase prices but he said his unit which began by offering internal services to its Bethpage.  Parent in 1971. Now serves a Large number of outside customers. In the Pait Many offices just had one Maln Frame computer he pointed out. Now you see More networking of different kinds of computers. This Haa made Many customers look for third party services capable of fixing Many types of  this fall the association is promoting its educational programs. Keller said Many of the technicians Lack raining in inter personal skills and there a programs to help them in that area. These Days services have to Wear a suit and  he explains. Not Allol them had to look Hal Way when they started out in the Industry. In our seminars we spend some time on things like How to dress the association also is working with Syracuse University to offer a Bachelor s degree in business administration with an add on master s. Most maintenance technicians have not been College educated. Kaller said As the Industry increases in importance however Large companies like ism Are willing to pay for the schooling