The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 21

21 lo)UjUDl(SS i THE BOSTON GLOBE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1990 T.G.I.M. The realm of the Sensor Brady seeks to ease oil ain If AST WEEK'S THREE-POINT slide in Gillette Co. stock has prompted some speculation that the company's much-ballyhooed Sensor razor may not be living up to expectations. By Andrew Hurst REUTERS Diana Temple, the Salomon Bros, analyst whose report triggered the tumble she changed Gillete from a "buy" to a "hold" -says she thinks Sensor "is doing better than I expected. The problem is that its gains are coming at the expense of existing Gillette systems," like Atra and Trac II.

i GLOBE STAFF PHOTO SUZANNE KREITER A bidder shows interest in one of 37 condos at 75 Clarendon South End, which were auctioned off yesterday. SOLD: 37 condos at auction Judging Sensor's performance is something less than an exact science because different analysts use different market research firms A.C. Nielsen, Towne-Oller and others to gauge consumer products' success. Gillette's competitor Schick, By Matt Carroll GLOBE STAFF WASHINGTON Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady yesterday urged wealthy and poor nations to pull together to help the world economy weather the Iraqivoil shock, but a united front has proven' eju-sive. r- ni "The worldwide support for a decisive response to aggression in the Persian Gulf is right, and shows what coordinatecLef-fort can achieve," Brady told the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) policymaking Interim Committee.

"Together we must meet the economic challenges, and I am optimistic we can do so," he added. Oil prices have risen more than, 50 percent since Iraq invaded Kuwait Jast month, putting the 8-year-old global Upswing at risk and hitting hard the world's 1 billion poor. Policy makers from the more than 150 nations gathering here for the annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank are having trouble deciding on how to. cope with the crisis and cushion developing, n'a-. tions from the blow.

Washington is more worried than most of its partners about the durability ofthe IMF, Page 23 he was happy with his purchase. "It's a good buy and I like the idea of indoor parking," he said. Mooney wasn't the only person who thought he had a good buy. More than 300 bidders, developers, brokers and the just plain curious crowded the ballroom at the Westin Hotel at Copley Place to watch the sale of all the luxury condominiums up for bid. The one- and two-bedroom units, ranging in size from 610 to 1,000 square feet, sold at between $140,000 and $250,000, which included a mandatory parking space for $30,000.

Before yesterday, only eight units had been sold in the troubled seven-story project, which was completed late last year. The project is near the Back Bay station and a short walk from Copley Place. Most units sold at a discount of between 20 to 40 percent from their original asking price. For example, a two-bedroom, 960-foot condo sold for $172,000, about 35 percent off the original price of $265,000. AUCTION, Page 22 Richard Mooney fidgeted in his seat, shuffled his white sneakers, and raised his bidder's card a little higher.

Mooney, a renter for 13 years, yesterday was an anxious high bidder, hoping to b4 final bidder, on one of 37 condominiums up for auction at 75 Clarendon in Boston's South End. He nervously watched the pacing auctioneer on stage, who was trying to squeeze another few thousand dollars out of the now-silent crowd. After a few more ticks of the clock, the auctioneer pointed to Mooney, shouting in his deep baritone: "SOLD!" The crowd applauded politely, and Mooney found himself owner of a $164,000, one-bedroom condo, with a parking space. "It was the one ij wanted," said a relieved but somewhat shell-shockec! Mooney, who called the auction "nerve wracking." But for instance, notes that while the premium-priced Sensor was supposed to grab market share away from cheapo disposables, that category has grown 1.7 percent in unit sales this year, with Gillette losing share to both Schick and BIC. In the higher-priced shaving systems category, according to Schick's data, Gillette has increased its overall share by a small 0.6 percent, with Sensor ramping up from zero to a 4.4 percent share, and with corresponding drop-offs in sales of Atra and Trac II.

Like Salomon Temple, Schick executive Keith Buchanan believes that "Sensor's share has grown at the expense of other Gillette items." Gillette, which uses the same market research firm as Schick, prefers to measure the blade and razor market in dollars rather than units. According to Gillette, total shaving systems sales are up 3.6 percent this year, and Gillette's systems sales, lumping together Sensor, Atra and Trac II, are also up 3.6 percent "The Sensor rollout is on plan," says company spokesman David Fausch. Don't forget to write Lawyers aren't like you and me but you knew that already. Consider, for instance, the case of Boston lawyer who sent a letter, press release and a ready-for-publication color photo of himself to the managing editor of WFXT-TV putting itself on a fast track 1 Celtics games, Fox programming seen as powerful force I By John H. Stevens SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE EDHAM Larrv Bird and Rart.

5 i in' i i 0 Simpson are moving to Dedham I figuratively at least. The antics of the Celtics' and Simpsons stars will be broad this paper. For good measure, sent along a copy of his complaint filed in Norfolk Superior Court, all to promote his involvement in the rape case of a 25-year-old Quincy woman who is suing the management company of her apartment complex, alleging that "ii K'r i f1 fcunr igj- -i- GLOBE STAFF PHOTO SUZANNE KREITER Gerald Walsh: "I would expect to see double-digit Increases (in ad revenues) from now on." cast from the WFXT-TV (Ch. 25) studios off Route 128 when the station moves from its current quarters in Needham to the new building in December, a fast-track project reflecting WFXT's growing power in the Boston television market The station was bought by the Boston Celtics last year and is now run by Gerald Walsh, the former general manager of WLVI-TV (Ch. 56), whom Boston-area television executives regard as savvy and aggressive.

The combination of Walsh, the broadcast of Celtics games this season, and hot Fox network programming will make WFXT a force to be reckoned with, said advertising and television executives. Walsh said the station is spending $2 million to move from its cramped Need-ham headquarters to the new studios, on Route 1 just off Route 128, at the site of the former Albany International Research Co. He said the new site will give WFXT visibility, and access to highways and Boston via the MBTA system. Work on the building began in June, and the push is on to get the studios up and running before the height of the Celt- hind the city's other two independent stations, WLVI and WSBK-TV (Ch. 38), in advertising revenues, said Walsh, but those revenues are up 50 percent for the station over last year, and Walsh expects he will surpass his independent rivals in just a few months.

These increases are especially Iiigh considering most Boston-area television stations have seen little or no growth in their advertising this year. "I would expect to see double-digit increases (in ad revenues) from now on," Walsh said. "I think people will realize this is a hot station and will want to be part of. it" The partnership that owns WFXT A Boston Celtics Communications Limited Partnership has spent millions for new. equipment and syndicated reruns such'as "The Cosby Show" and "Married With' Children," and is planning to launch a Jv cal 10 p.m.

news broadcast and a publ! affairs show, Walsh said, though he woofd, not give details of the news The Fox network plans to produce national news segments that would be aired on WFXT, Page 23 ics' season. More staff may be added, too, Walsh said. "You have to consider Fox as having arrived," said S. James Coppersmith, vice president and general manager of WCVB-TV (Ch. 5), an ABC affiliate.

"Certainly the other three networks take them seriously, and anyone who doesn't is foolish. "When you add the rights to televise Celtics basketball, I would say IWFXT no longer has to sit at the card table with the kids they can sit at the dining room table with the adults." Thirteen-year-old WFXT is still be because it failed to repair the locks on her windows, an assailant entered her apartment and assaulted her. Isn't this kind of self-promotional hype a little unseemly, even for a lawyer? disagrees, saying women need to know that they may have grounds for civil suits in rape cases. But in fact, such suits generate plenty of publicity. This case was reported in the local paper, and admits that his recent success in a similar case got "a lot of write-ups" in the press, including The Boston Globe.

N's photo appears above. Wowza Random notes from the customer service front: A top executive from McDonald's Corp. dropped by the Globe the other day and left us his business card. Incredibly, every McDonald's business card has a scaled-down customer appreciation form printed on the back, allowing the recipient to evaluate the quality, service and cleanliness at his or her local McD. Somewhat less impressively, this bigwig's card had the wrong area code printed on it, decreasing the likelihood that anyone might reach him by phone This amusing anecdote from the recently published "Customers for a first-person memoir by Carl Sewell, a Dallas Cadillac dealer who sells and services a ton of cars.

In a chapter entitled The Customer Isn Always Right, Sewell recounts how a client left a bag of freshly killed quail in the trunk of a car he handed in for servicing. While the customer was away on vacation, the quail fermented and exploded, leaving an overpowering smell that permeated the entire car. The customer insisted the quail had been a gift for his repairman, and demanded a new car. There was no doubt in my mind that the customer was wrong," Sewell writes but he coughed up the new car. Thai's customer service.

Duplicate-record service can be worth checking 50 Plus Most brokerages will also send copies of confirmation statements after each transaction, in addition to the monthly statement Fazioli says. Having somebody double-check brokerage state- the account is being handled properly. Then, someone" jX OMETIMES, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOU need an accounting degree just to manage can maxe sure uie oroKer isn i mamng unauthorized y-t your own financial records. There are bank udues. ur uiai a new uivesuneni vou were raiitpn mm documents for you.

All you need to do is write a letter of instruction or put that person's name on a new account The duplicate copy could then be sent to an accountant lawyer, financial planner, estate planner or an adult child who has the time, know-how and interest to take on this job. "We need a letter on file so the person can't come back and say, 'Why are you sending out copies of my says Give Fazioli, manager of the Boston office of Tucker Anthony Inc, a brokerage. While the service helps Tucker Anthony's customers, it also helps the brokerage, Fazioli says. "People will call and say theyVe lost something or can't find a monthly statement so we're constantly Xeroxing things," particularly during the tax-filing season, he says. If the accountant, financial planner or family member had a copv, that wouldn't be buying really is right for you.

I statements, brokerage statements, dividend checks, mutual fund statements and income Information on mutual funds sold through brokers. -C. wiD, of course, be included on these duplicate state- tax records. For some, particularly older people, it would 1 1J rr .1 menus uui uuuil uu-iuou luiiua cue uiiciuik urc set viitv too. "We can send out up to six duplicate statements," says James Smith, spokesman for Scudder Funds Dis- be nice if someone had a copy of these records, so tney could keep track, too.

Fortunately, most brokerages, mutual funds and some banks have a service that can help. You can have duplicate copies of many of your monthly statements cnt to "''other theyxar double-cherk th? tributors in Boston. AH the shareholder has do i I 5t-PL Paee. anon.