so angry that he does not give the other a chance to explain his
side of it, at least not until he has said all that he has to say, and
even then he not infrequently slams the receiver down on the hook as
soon as he has finished!

Listening on a wire passes over from the field of courtesy into that of
ethics. On party lines in the country it is not considered a heinous
offense to eavesdrop over the telephone, but the conversation there is
for the most part harmless neighborhood gossip and it does not matter
greatly who hears it. In business it is different. But it is practically
impossible for any one except the operator to overhear a conversation
except by accident, and it is a misdemeanor punishable by law for her to
give a message to any one other than the person for whom it was
intended.

In every office there should be a large enough mechanical equipment
manned by an efficient staff to take care of the telephone traffic
without delay. "The line is busy" given in answer to a call three or
four times will send the person who is calling to some other place to
have his wants looked after.

Few places appreciate the tremendous volume of business that comes in by
way of telephone or the possibilities which it offers to increase
business opportunities. They are as short-sighted as the department
store which, a good many years ago, when telephones were new, had them
installed but took them out after a few weeks because the clerks were
kept so busy taking orders over them that they did not have time to
attend to the customers who came into the store!

Another important vantage point which, like the telephone, suffers from
neglect is the reception desk. Millions of dollars' worth of business is
lost every year and perfect sandstorms and cyclones of animosity are
generated because business men have not yet learned the great value of
having the right kind of person to receive visitors. To the strangers
who come--and among the idlers and swindlers and beggars who assail
every successful business house are potential good friends and
customers--this person represents the firm,--is, for the time being, the
firm itself.

It is very childish for a man to turn away from a reception desk because
he does not like the manner of the person behind it, but business men,
sensible ones at that, do it every day. Pleasant connections of years'
standing are sometimes broken off and valuable business propositions are
carried to rival conc