The Art of Money Getting · Chapter
Be Polite and Kind to Your Customers explained
This chapter emphasizes the importance of politeness and civility in business, arguing that treating customers with kindness and respect is more valuable than any advertisement.
What happens
This chapter emphasizes the importance of politeness and civility in business, arguing that treating customers with kindness and respect is more valuable than any advertisement. It illustrates this with an anecdote about an usher who wanted to whip an insulting customer, but the author explains that losing a customer costs more than enduring rudeness.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Climax.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because it presents the story’s central emotional and psychological peak: the ushe…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Honesty and Integrity
The chapter advocates for treating customers with fairness and respect, aligning with the golden rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Characters to notice
- Usher
The usher in the author's Museum wanted to whip a customer who insulted him, but the author advised against it to avoid losing business.
Key passages
“Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business.”
Being polite and civil is the most valuable investment you can make in your business.
Highlights the core message that good manners yield better returns than any financial investment.
“Men who drive sharp bargains with their customers, acting as if they never expected to see them again, will not be mistaken. They will never see them again as customers.”
Businessmen who try to cheat their customers, as if they don't care about repeat business, will indeed never see those customers again.
Emphasizes the long-term cost of treating customers poorly.
