Something for nothing, anybody?
To say my newspaper delivery has been irregular at best would be charitable.
I’ve been keeping the phone numbers to the customer service departments of both the Kansas City Star and USA Today handy because I know I’ll be needing them again and again and again in coming days and weeks.
And no, I don’t live in the boonies, I live in mainstream Overland Park.
However a recent policy by the Star to no longer give a credit for newspapers not delivered during a vacation hold really ticked me off. I was told that all papers held while on vacation would be delivered in one large bundle upon my return.
But I didn’t want those old papers and truth be told, I wasn’t shopping for another vacation either.
The Star told me that I could also contribute the cost of my vacation held newspapers to some charity.
Hey, let ME decide who to include in my charity giving.
I don’t need the Kansas City Star‘s advice on that.
So – quite reluctantly – I opted for the big bundle throw on my recent return from Germany.
But guess what?
When the daily service resumed there was neither a backup bundle of papers left nor a credit on my billing, a tax deduction, whatever.
(So if any acquaintances of mine died while I was out of the country and their family didn’t receive my condolences, blame the Kansas City Star for not providing me with the daily obits that I missed.
That brings me to my latest gripe.
After once again missing the Sunday newspapers for two weeks in a row, I again called the Star’s automated customer service line.
Well, you can imagine my surprise when instead of getting the usual, “We’re Sorry” song and dance, instead I was advised I’d been selected to win a cruise—after taking a brief survey, that is.
WOW! No newspaper but a cruise! Not a bad schmooze.
Soon I was connected to a live operator who congratulated me on my good fortune and said that the two day getaway to the Bahamas would be free—except for port fees, etc. Airfare, of course, would not be included.
The other stipulation: I would have to commit immediately.
Well, I wasn’t quite ready to do that. “But why not?,” the operator asked.
Hey, it was Sunday morning, 8:40 a.m. and all I really wanted was the Sunday newspaper. Calculating a two day vacation on a moment’s notice just wasn’t in the cards. Hell, I hadn’t even had my first cup of coffee yet!
When the operator/seller couldn’t convince me about this being my lucky day and all, she gave up. No second chances for me, I guess.
The bottom line:
Once again I was pissed off for not receiving my subscribed to Sunday Kansas City Star.
And instead of again trying to pacify me, the newspaper chose to use its customer service line as a bottom feeder revenue source.
That’s a new low in customer retention in my book.
Oh, and about that missing paper?
I had to call back a second time since my nixing the free cruise vacation triggered a dead phone line.
And my Sunday newspaper finally showed up at 11:00 a.m.
What was that old Perry Como song? “Catch a Falling Star.”
Jacky, dump it.
The Sunday ads are not worth all that abuse.
I subscribed back when you could still just get the sat and sun editions. then they added thurs and fri to the mix and raised the price. then there were the billing issues and harassing phone calls. the missed deliveries. etc. I finally gave up. if I want a sunday paper that bad, I go down to the gas station three blocks away and buy one.
I’m glad I kept the numbers close to the phone. Why? Because no papers AGAIN this Monday morning.
Jack, email them. I’ve got Connie Cooper’s (“Audience Delivery and Distribution Director”) and Mi-Ai Parrish’s addy’s if you want them.
Thanks but no thanks. I think I’ll just drop the subscription.
Circling the drain …
When I am on vacation, I have a neighbor watching my home and they get to keep the rag! Might be a solution.
The Star is having major problems finding carriers to deliver the paper. They have about 15 routes that do not have carriers. The warehouse staff has to do the delivery. Connie Cooper is a waste. She does not care about fixing the problems at all. They keep cutting the pay. Ask Connie for the carriers phone number. Talk to them. When I was a carrier, I had people go on Vacation. They said they told the Star, but it never got on my list. So they called me when they went on Vacation. Also tell the Carrier where you want it thrown. I always asked people that when they said they did not get it. Also told them what time I would throw the paper. That kept my complaints to about 1 to 3 per Week. The star does not communicate with the carrier hardly at all, except to charge them $20 for a missed paper.
$20 a missed paper? WOW!
Wonder what USAToday charges that same carrier for missed papers.
So whenever he misses me for both papers he’s really out of quite a bit of cash.
One morning earlier this year right after getting my papers I drove down three blocks on my street. Wanted to see how many other neighbors took the paper.
I was shocked to find that I seemed to be the only one.
No at good sign for a neighborhood in mid-town OP.
Yes, it is $20 per paper. Doesn’t matter what it is. Star, USAToday, WalStreet. Most of the people who stop getting the star say it is too liberal. Seriously. If the Star just reported the news, the subscription would go up.
AMEN.
Geez, I figured they were a right wing paper because Charles Krauthamer usually is ragging in editorials about something liberal.
🙂 🙂 Just kidding my conservative friends.
the charge for a miss paper is $1.00 daily and $2.00 for sunday
it is easy to avoid the charge by not missing the customers
many carriers do a great job and hardly have any charges against them
the star does this to guarantee good service to the customers
mcb