Life, 1924-10-30 · page 2 of 36
Life — October 30, 1924 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **primarily an advertisement**, not satire or political commentary. It's a paid promotion for Statler Hotels (a major American hotel chain) from 1924. The headline "What Is Statler Trying To Do?" is rhetorical advertising copy explaining the company's service philosophy. E.M. Statler (founder) uses the piece to outline his business model: eliminating poor service and training employees to prioritize guest satisfaction. The "Guarantee of Statler Service" is a corporate promise printed over Statler's signature, emphasizing personal accountability for customer experience. The bottom section lists various Statler hotel locations (Buffalo, Detroit, St. Louis, New York) and highlights amenities like private baths and posted room rates—standard luxury hotel marketing for the era. This is **brand-building advertising**, not editorial satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nii, Octebay 20: DL Rotered an Second Cass Matter, ene 8. 80, of ne er Catada: ‘Coprrt, 12ts LIVEs a the Us Bs Howland tins Prtiah Penceasnans What Is Statler Trying To Do? He is trying, in his five hotels, to make hotel serv- ice better and better, and always better. That is what he has been doing for eighteen years. He is trying to eliminate perfunctory service, un- gracious service, every kind of unsatisfactory or non-satisfactory service, from any Statler employee to any Statler guest. He is trying to build up, in all Statler employees, a realization of the literal fact that good service to guests is the one and only way to success for any- body in this organization. He has made progress, year by year, along these lines. He never expects to make humanly-rendered service 100% perfect, 100% of the time. But he does guarantee ‘your satisfaction, in these terms: Guarantee of Statler Service: We guarantee courteous, interested and helpful service from every Statler employee to every Statler guest; but should you, at any time, fail to get such service, and should the local man- agement fail to satisfy you, I myself will under- take to do so. P70 Lm Executive Offices, Hotels Statler Co., Inc., Buffalo, N. Y. HOTELS STATLER Hotel Baie Ange sare Acro Pennsylvania Ging we very faeity for ity for . New York ‘The largest hotel m the world Seatler (at Washin, med Seah 3250 some, 2309 betha, Swan) is. pow ca Bufo. d S tl ted On Seventh Avence, 324 to 54 ai and Statler~opera pone are yooo baths. Buch, at B. 13th. ‘Sa |, with DETROIT: 1000 rooms, 1000 forts and com baths. Grand Circus Park. 8 of cout’ ST. LOUIS: 670 room, 630 oe wee ad heal baths. Ninth and Washington. service by all Every room in these hotels has private bath and running ice-water; in every room is posted its rate, printed in plain figures. comicbooks.com