Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503140002
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
OK, it probably does have something to do with hearing ``Ace is the Place'' every time Virginia Tech's Ace Custis goes up for a dunk.
But it's more than that.
Slowly, so you'd hardly even notice, the store had changed its advertising campaign.
Ace is no longer the place ``with the helpful hardware man.''
Ace has helpful hardware ``folks'' now.
It's been a gradual change and a good one, says Jeannie Weddle, who works as controller in the Ace Hardware store in Radford where her husband, Bill, is president and general manager.
After Suzanne Somers' contract ended and she stopped singing about hardware men, women started appearing in Ace's commercials, adding ``and women'' to the end of the traditional slogan. Eventually, men and women became plain old folks.
No customers have commented on the change, but Jeannie and Bill noticed it right away. ``I wasn't offended before, because it was mostly men in the hardware store,'' Jeannie said. ``But I agreed with the change. We have more women employees and women shopping in the store now. When times changed, it was time to change.''
John Cameron, director of corporate relations for Ace, thinks so, too. ``We were trying to protect the family atmosphere.''
Incidentally, no one's mentioned it to him, either.
``In today's society, nobody calls up and says you did a good job,'' he said. ``You call up if you have a complaint.''
I wonder if people called Star Trek when the newer generation began to ``boldly go where no one had gone before.'' And I wonder, too: Could this be the last frontier?
Probably not.
But it's progress. And sometimes, that's just as refreshing.
As I prepare to get married this fall, people ask me that inevitable question: Will I keep my last name?
I always figured I'd split the difference between business and home.
``You should definitely do that,'' said a friend who kept her maiden name for business. ``You'll get on two separate mailing lists.''
Which prompted me to consider the next daunting question: What name should I have when I'm confronted with those pesky telemarketers?
My old name, of course.
I've worked too hard learning just how to dodge their calls. Suppose, alphabetically speaking, with my new name they tried to reach me when I was actually home - during dinner even. Besides, some of them have already learned to fear the name ``Rosenberg.'' And an old roommate told a pretty good number of them that I passed away last year.
A recent phone conversation allowed me to glimpse my future with even more clarity.
``Is William Li-Zor-chick there?'' a telemarketer asked.
``LAZ-or-CHAK,'' I told her, caught a little off guard. ``No he's not. Can I help you?''
``Is this his wife?'' she asked.
``No ...'' I said, then used the ``f'' word for the first time. ``But I'm his fiancee.''
``Well then,'' she said, and launched into her spiel, trying to talk me into a new something-or-other for our computer. I couldn't stop her, confused with this new role and haunted, perhaps, by the image of my future mother-in-law, who is so polite she could give Miss Manners a run for her money.
The telemarketer concluded her lecture and came to that part of her cue card that must've said ``insert-name-here.'' Only she didn't know my name. ``And so remember ... future ... Mrs. Li-Zor-Chick,'' she continued. ``You only have four days to respond to our offer.''
``Not interested,'' I told her, giving my voice that perfect edge. ``And it's Rosenberg.''
Madelyn Rosenberg is the Roanoke Times & World-News' assistant New River editor.
by CNB