Superiority of product;

              ATLANTA
BALTIMORE HASKINS & SELLS PHILADELPHIA
PITTSBURGH
BOSTON CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS PORTLAND
BUFFALO PROVIDENCE
CHICAGO SAINT LOUIS
CINCINNATI SALT LAKE CITY
CLEVELAND BULLETIN SAN FRANCISCO
DALLAS SEATTLE
DENVER TULSA
DETROIT WATERTOWN
KANSAS CITY LOS ANGELES
MINNEAPOLIS
NEWARK HAVANA
LONDON
PARIS
NEW ORLEANS E X E C U T I V E OFFICES SHANGHAI
NEW YORK HASKINS & SELLS BUILDING
37 WEST 39TH ST., NEW YORK
VOL. VI NEW YORK, AUGUST, 1923 No. 8
Superiority of Product
THE salesman who bases his efforts
on sound doctrines insists on goods,
terms, deliveries, and policies which will
satisfy customers. Fantastic advertising
and forceful selling talk will often dispose
of goods, but the loyal customer who sticks
is the one who is satisfied with what he
receives. And the satisfaction usually
has to do with the quality of the goods,
price in its relation to quality, prompt
compliance with arrangements as to deliv­ery,
and expectation of fair treatment in
case of dispute.
But fundamental to all is quality. Test
one by one the other elements of satis­faction.
What good are price and terms
if they are not backed up by quality?
What is to be gained by promptness in
the matter of delivery if the goods have
to be rejected because they are deficient
in quality? Is a customer with a demand
for certain goods interested in an adjust­ment
of any kind if the quality is such
as to prevent the sale of the goods? One
by one other considerations fade into the
background, leaving quality as the chief
element of satisfaction.
So in accountancy, while fairness of
compensation, prompt execution of work,
and square treatment of the client in
every respect are important, they become
faded and dim in comparison with good
work. Other elements of satisfaction are
incidents to goodwill; good work is vital.
Ethical publicity, designed social inter­course,
studied geniality, or even com­mercial
advertising and open solicitation
may be the means of obtaining engage­ments
for an accountant. Only good
work will hold a desirable clientele.
Accountancy is a profession, and ob­servance
of ethics prevents the accountant
from doing many things which commerce
accepts without question. There are cer­tain
principles, though, which apply to
professional practice as much as to selling
coal or iron. At the foundation of all
business relations involving the exchange
of goods or services lies one unassailable
truth—quality will tell.
Quality in coal is expressed in terms
of thermal units. Quality in iron is
measured by strength and durability.
Quality in accountancy should exemplify