By David Stanczak
A local newspaper, which shall remain nameless, is working really hard to get people to use its online edition. I know because it is making satisfactory delivery of its print edition so cumbersome.
Last Thursday, the paper hadn’t arrived by the time I left the house, so when I got to work, I called.The electronic voice that answered invited me to go on the paper’s website. After declining that option in favor of the “quicker” phone call and followed the instructions given me. I:
-pressed 1 for circulation
-pressed 2 for existing customers’ delivery issues
-pressed 1 to indicate that it was indeed the local paper I was calling about
-pressed 2 to indicate that the number I was calling from was not the number associated with my account
-entered the phone number that was associated with my account
-pressed 1 to indicate that the number I had entered was correct
-pressed 1 to indicate that I wanted to enter my house number
-entered my house number
-pressed 1 to indicate that the house number I had entered was correct
-pressed 1 to indicate that the problem was non-delivery (as opposed to a wet paper)
-pressed 2 to indicate that I wanted my paper “re-delivered” (as if it had already been delivered once), instead of a credit on my account
-then hung up after the electronic voice assured me that my call had been successful.
It should have said “eventually successful” because two hours after I talked to the “voice”, my wife called to inquire whether there was some reason we didn’t get a paper. I wondered: if I called again, would the “voice” offer me the option of having my paper re-re-delivered?It arrived some time between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.
I’m so old that I remember when a delivery issue was solved by calling the newspaper’s phone number. After I told the real person who answered the phone which department I wanted, another real person would come on the line in circulation,apologize and promise a paper, which would arrive promptly. Problem solved (really!), and in less time than it takes to record a Forum.
I don’t mean to beat up on the paper. I understand that in a period of drastically declining enrollment, it’s in a tough spot. But so are its remaining subscribers.
David Stanczak, a Forum commentator since 1995, came to Bloomington in 1971. He served as the City of Bloomington’s first full-time legal counsel for over 18 years, before entering private practice. He is currently employed by the Snyder Companies and continues to reside in Bloomington with his family.
The opinions expressed within WJBC’s Forum are solely those of the Forum’s author, and are not necessarily those of WJBC or Cumulus Media Inc.
