EDITORIAL

"You Can't Miss lt"

lt't SAFE ENOUGH to venture that if the Icustomer can't find your place of business, he can't buy from you. So with that a given, why do so many firms make it less than easy to find them?

This happens on both a written and verbal level. We object to retail ads that list branch stores in surrounding towns, but omit the street address and telephone. If the company thinks it's saving space in the ad for something more important, will you please tell me what's more important than telling the buyer where you can be found? With at least a telephone number in the ad you can call and get directions. But even that doesn't always work, as we shall see.

Tbo many times we'veencountered sometwit on the telephone switchboard who doesn't seem to know where she works. In some cas€s the hapless caller is put aside while a shrill background voice yells across the store seeking information for directions. Unfortunately, even when they don't know, directions sometimes are offered anyway. "You can't miss it," she says reassuringly. Believe me, you can miss it. lmprecise directions can be a related disaster. For instance, instead of telling the caller that you must make a short left and a quick right on the frontage road before turning left (or was it right?) onto Main Street, these little particulars are forgotten. When I've questioned direction givers on why all the twists and turns are left out, I've sometimes received a withering glare and the remark that "everybdy knows where we are."

It can't be too tough a task to prepare a standard set of directions from a half dozen probable starting poina. A copy should be posted by every phone in the store, warehouse and offices.

Even more important is the need to keep the company dingbat off the phone, giving directions (and other stupid answers) to customer questions. After all, one of the oldest rules in selling is to make it easy for the customer to buy.

Treated Wood Limits Ok'd

Representatives of the wood treating industry and the Environmental Protection Agency have reached a settlement which will allow restrictions on wood preservatives announced in July 1984 to be implemented.

Restrictions will still limit over the counter sales and consumer use of nearly all products used to prevent decay or insect damage to wood. There will be no restrictions on the sale of wood treated with restricted products, but retailers will not be able to sell creosote, pentachlorophenol and certain arsenic-based chemicals.

Creosote applications will be permitted to some extent by persons trained in an unspecified EPA approved progr€lm set up by the manufacturers. George Eliades, Society of the American Wood Preservers president, says consumers generally don't attempt these kirrds of projects.

The settlement will still require protective clothing for workers handling the chemicals. Stringent packaging and label restrictions were agreed to by the industry. Industry trade associations including the American Wood Preservers Institute, the National Forest Products Association and the Society of American Wood Preservers have also agreed to a program which will inform the public of the proper use, handling and disposal of treated wood.

NAWLA Membership Directory

The 1985 North American Wholesale Lumber Association directory of membership, a 92-page directory of over 540 companies directly and indirectly involved in forest products distribution is now available.

Both a buyers guide and a who's who in lumber wholesaling, the directory provides a roster of wholesalerdistributors who marketed over 7.2 billion dollars worth of forest products in 1984. Retail and industrial users of wood products may use it as sources of supply and services. Each listing carries a firm's address, telephone and telex numbers, personnel, species and products distributed, and market regions served.

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