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Deliver us from indifference
We have just cancelled our subscription to the Redding Record Searchlight.
Our cancellation had nothing to do with editorial or content issues.
We cancelled because they cannot or will not deliver a paper.
For the last several months we have experienced a near-daily occurrence of late or failed delivery. We have marched up the chain from the circulation robo-answer to the first and second-line human operators to letters to the editor, publisher and everyone in between. We have been promised call backs from mid-level employees and had no calls at all. We have been promised delivery of missed papers and gotten neither the missed paper nor the next paper.
Customer service is non-existent. This morning when my wife asked that the employee suspend our subscription until they could find a route driver that would deliver in a timely fashion. The response was we’ll try to get back to you after we find a driver and try him/her out for a couple of weeks. Due to the vagueness of that “promise” my wife instead asked for a refund of our pre-paid subscription. That was granted immediately and without even a “we’re sorry to lose you as a customer.” Is that the corporate image Scripps wants to project?
Nothing has changed for the better. It got worse. Late deliveries became no deliveries at all on a regular basis. By “late” I refer to the R-S’s published goal of a paper delivered by 7 A.M. Today, at 7:52 AM, there is no paper for the second time this business week. Last week the goal was met on a single occasion. The Record Searchlight is supposed to be a morning paper.
My wife is a former Scripps employee and we maintain warm social relations with many of the few left on staff at the R-S. Our primary feeling is one of disappointment that this market is so poorly served by the R-S’s current management staff. Ms. Cannon and Mr. Lyons are not running a good ship. Again, I speak not to editorial policy but to the business and administrative side of the operation. They are running this paper into the ground in apparent pursuit of the bottom-line. That bottom-line now includes two fewer readers and one less paid subscription.
How do you expect your advertisers to get their money’s worth if no one reads the ads because the paper goes undelivered?
I will not be so foolish as to do battle with a firm that buys ink by the barrel but this smaller city is being ill-served by your local managers and you need to either change employees or sell off this paper.
Gregory Winters is a Redding attorney.
215 views
We do have excellent delivery service out here in the tall and uncut. But so what? The paper’s content more and more resembles that of the high school newspaper I edited nearly 50 years ago. The R/S becomes skimpier as each week passes, and as far as I can tell, the new and improved format has removed James Derk’s column. Perhaps he was just on vacation this week, and I didn’t see the notification, but his column is one of the few high points in the otherwise mediocre paper (Steve Brewer excepted!). Thank goodness for Doni’s site or we wouldn’t know what’s happening in and around Redding.
Very well written, Mr. Winters, and ALL TOO TRUE!
I am house sitting right now for a couple who own a well known local business. As I was speaking with them before they left, they let me know I did not have to pick up the paper for them at the end of their road because they had canceled their subscription. They were also tired of late delivery or even stolen papers. (They live in the country, but seems to me the folks around here are not the type to steal papers).
I personally canceled my subscription years ago. Do delivery folks not realize that I got a big, orange box that says “Record Searchlight” because that’s where I want my paper to be placed? Apparently not… mine was always on the front lawn and just in time for the sprinklers to come on. That’s when I said, “Phooey on this!” and decided to read online for free.
I’m sorry for your frustrations and I agree with your observations regarding the RS.
PS - That couple I’m house sitting for? Well, they have about 3 papers crammed in the box which I have not bothered to pick up. Great money and subscription management, eh?
I expect next to hear that papers don’t make their way out to the newspaper stands - which has already happened to other papers (see: http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=8625797)
Kudos to all the above posts! I too have experienced the same level of “lack of customer service” and cancelled my subscription over 2 years ago. I also was very frustrated when the service desk would not return my calls or e-mails regarding delivery. Then to make matters worse the Record Searchlight has the gall to call and ask if I want to renew my subscription after I have cancelled. They even made an offer at one time to deliver at a savings and we agreed to a trial period only if the paper would be delivered on a timely and dry basis. Well, after 2 weeks of the same old stuff we cancelled again. They continued to call our home and we continued to request they delete us from their phone bank. Didn’t happen! We actually made a trip up to the office and personally asked to have them STOP calling us. This even turned into a chore since nobody knew who we needed to speak with. Sheesh, what a joke! We are happy to report at this time they are no longer phoning us so someone somewhere (whatever country they are in) got the message. Too bad our small town paper has taken such a dive
Linda (et al) -
I feel your pain, chickie momma.
I’ve been down that road (or in that line?) of “customer service” as well. Oh, excuse me… I meant to say “the lack thereof line of customer service”.
The carrier who does my neighborhood in Enterprise must be a very busy person. I say this because I have seen him/her flying up and down my tiny cul-de-sac in the wee hours of the morning, flinging papers into driveways. (Driveways that had a big, orange box nailed to the mailbox post, mind you).
Granted, not too many folks are up and out at that time, but sometimes I was and I noticed this was a routine. There is no reason to hit 40mph on a cul-de-sac which only has 10 houses per side! I worried about kitty cats and other neighborhood critters. Thus, I sent an email to the RS explaining where I lived and what I had observed. No response. However, the driver did slow down (and then hit the gas when he was around the corner!), thus I know they must have talked to him/her. But why not get back to me?
I still read the paper every day online. I enjoy it for the most part, even if I don’t agree with their actions (like letting Doni go) or their reporting. It’s a local paper and I’m a local gal. Still, as my dressage buddy tells me, “there is always room for improvement”.
Comical. So, some people with paid subscriptions are not receiving their paper. Meanwhile, I cancelled my subscription close to a year ago and the paper continued to be delivered to my doorstep every morning. I called again to notify the RS of my cancellation. The paper continued to be delivered. I moved…and the paper continues to be delivered…
I too live in the Enterprise area and have seen the carrier whip around our small cul-de-sac fast and furiously. My opinion on this is that the RS cannot afford to pay wages to keep drivers and with the price of gasoline the drivers have no option but to toss the papers instead of slowing down and idling while they cram the paper into the orange boxes. I think it is sad that we no longer have the bike carriers for numerous reasons: give kids a job, save our natural resources, get great delivery service, on and on. Anyone out there agree? Maybe the RS would reconsider and give it a try. But oops… how can they deliver from abroad????? So much is outsourced from them now days.
Ren I’m glad you are not house sitting for us. The purpose of having a house sitter is to make the place look lived in, and 3 newspapers crammed into a box does not do that.
We cancelled when Doni left and told them so. We live in Igo and for the next month plus we would not only receive a paper sporatically but we got bills. The folks I talked to were nice but apparently had heard it all before. My almost daily calls became more social over time as I became familiar with the staff ;^) They had no ability to help me but were pleasant. We are very thankful for Doni and Bruce and their efforts.
I still subscribe to the paper, as I want to support those friends I have that work there, although they are disappearing. My complaint is that the paper is so small. Today’s “A” section has 6 pages, but the 6th page is an ad. I used to love to read the paper with my coffee in the morning but now I can read it in a few minutes. I do feel sorry for the carriers because I’ll bet their instructions aren’t always given to them correctly, but know it is annoying to keep checking the window to see if the paper has come.
Pat J -
Please allow me to elaborate.
I met with these folks (who are regular clients, by the way) the morning they left I noticed that the paper was still in the box. This was around 8am, so out of politeness I stopped to grab their paper on my way to their house.
As I said, they live in the “country”. When I handed my client the paper she laughed and told me that they had canceled their subscription and the story behind why they canceled. She said, “Check the date. That must be old!” Sure enough, it was from June. We both laughed.
After pulling that paper, I saw that the next morning another paper was in the box. Thus, I left it there - just as they had left the previous paper from June - hoping the paper carrier would get the idea. I was doing EXACTLY what my clients had done in the past. You can’t imagine my shock to see that the carrier was still stuffing papers in their box.
Their box is 1/2 mile from their home. It is with a line of 10 other paper boxes. I can assure you that if any of my clients request me to pick up mail, papers, take down trash cans, etc… that these things are done. I was only following their lead to leave the papers in the box. Also, I stay here every day and night so the house is nearly always occupied. That’s part of what I get paid for - not only do I care for my client’s animals (I was a vet tech) but I also care for their home.
I’m a damn good house/pet sitter who always places my client’s wishes first. I treat their house and their animals as if they were my own. Although I understand your concerns, I hope you now see the full story and would even consider hiring me to watch your own house in the future. I can assure you these clients I’m house/pet sitting for right now would give me a glowing recommendation.
Respectfully,
Renee (aka “Ren”)
PS to the rest of you folks - Sorry to be so off topic, but I felt the need to explain myself.
Ah, all these stories are SO familiar. I think I’ve posted before that after calling several times over a few weeks to cancel the RS (which was only being delivered about 4 days out of 7 anyway) I was finally told that “cancellations have to be done in Oregon”. What the @#%$@ does that mean? So, the delivery finally dribbles down to once or twice a week and then stops altogether after about three months of not paying them a cent. Then I start to miss the weekend ads. So, fool that I am, I call up and restart for weekends (Fri., Sat., & Sun.). The first Friday rolls around, we get a paper, great! Maybe they’re finally getting their act together. Saturday, yup, there’s a paper. Sunday, the big ad day, no paper! Dang. Call the R.S. We have a “substitute” carrier…O.K. They’ll get the Sunday paper to us “as soon as possible”. Sunday goes by, no paper. Monday morning there is a paper in the box, but it’s the Monday edition, which we are not supposed to be getting at all. Call the R.S. Our “regular” carrier calls and we have a long talk. She claims she was “confused” about which box was ours (we live in a rural area and the next closest box is a quarter mile away). How she got confused about which days we were supposed to get the paper was never explained. So weeks have gone by now. Sometimes we get the paper on the weekend (but not all three days), sometimes we get papers during the week…you just never know. Did I mention that I have yet to receive any kind of bill for my new “weekend” subscription? Hell of a way to run a business!
my mother had subscribed for years, griped about the cost, i finally cancelled it. they continued to deliver, although not every day. then a bill came. i told them it had been cancelled. sorry, forget the bill. then the papers stopped coming. she called and started it up a couple months later, but no deliveries, just bills. i called to cancel. the paper started up. delivery was one of our five days, not five days. i called to tell them it was cancelled, and yes indeed, in their books, it showed cancelled. now it shows up every day without fail. i throw it away. if they can’t get their records straight, then forget it. i stopped mine when doni left. i can read her blog and get everything i need to know. i don’t need to paper.
Doni…My good friend and yours, Nancy, told me that they’re having a hard time keeping good delivery people these days and she’s their senior driver of 38 years. Her dad, Clark, before her also delivered papers. Nancy says she’s going to retire next year. She said it’s hard to find someone to truge up Buckhorn Summit to deliver those papers and says she has one of the largest routes of some 400 papers.
I too, didn’t get the little skinny Monday paper, but someone got me one when I called.
If Scripps-Howard wants to unload our Redding Paper, why are they allowing a former online editor-rook like Silas to run it in to the ground first?
Paul Bodenhammer and all those good journalists who went after him would be ashamed.
So my neighbor, a long time subscriber, has had a recent change of delivery person. The guy has a good aim. First shot he knocked a flower pot off the front patio wall and shattered it, but the paper made it into the yard. Next day, he got the paper over the wall and hit the water faucet on the front of the house, managed to turn it on and of course the paper was soaked. So neighbor called carrier, who said, oh, yeah, I remember hitting the flower pot. Sorry about the faucet.
I’m still a little slack jawed.
centrum72: Yeah, but I think if they actually hit YOU with the paper you get to take first base on a walk…
Because my R-S carrier is so great, I feel the necessity of letting her excellence be known. She is Billie Hendrix. She has been my carrier for all the years I’ve lived in Redding, and she always “porches” my paper. I really DO appreciate that kind of service. Best newspaper delivery I’ve ever had — anywhere.
Two comments:
The best way to sell a paper is to have the overhead costs down, which they have down by downsizing and outsourcing.
Second…it was not that long ago that you couldn’t seem to stop a subscription, delivery wise. I knew of a couple that had subscribed for years, decided to stop, kept calling to say they canceled, never paid, and yet their carrier, through force of habit or not paying attention, still delivered a paper for months.
I just read most of the posts above and I just wanted to comment on the variations of customer service. First, there’s the service that you receive on the phone with a representative in the Circulation Department. Please be assured that these people are sick and tired of talking to the same customers, just as much as you are sick and tired of calling about the same issue day after day. It really makes them feel as though they are lying the people when they are told to explain that there’s a substitute or new driver or whatever and the delivery issues still don’t stop. Second, there’s the service from the carrier, who unfortunately is an independent contractor (always has, this is not an “outsourcing issue”) and as independent contractors the company cannot tell them how fast they can drive, that they have to use a tube or paper recepticle, or even that they have to deliver to specific customers. I’ve even seen customers who call in 5 mins after the delivery deadline every day been shut off and denied service by the carrier, the company cannot override this. They can cancel the contract of the carrier, but with 120 carriers and 4 managers, it’s only a matter of time before the decision is made to let the customer go to save the route from coming down and possibly losing many more while a sub delivers the route or a new contractor gets used to delivering. The third, there’s the service derrived from content of the paper. As I am friends with many of the newsroom staff, Silas Lyons included, I know that they are constantly looking for local interesting stories, stories that will get people talking, keeping the community informed. The gay marriage story was a great example. Did you know that after those two stories ran, one on 6/9 (right after a production problem that delayed delivery by 4-6 hours the day before) and again on 6/18, only about 45 customers quit because they didn’t care for the content. When Doni left they had only about 80 customers quit. And about a third of those came back within six months.
Finally, let me say that Record Searchlight is owned by a corporation… As in, there are NO decisions that are made within the local company that doesn’t have a number attached to it. Realignment in the paper = 100 or less customers quit, scathing story = 50 customers quit, crappy delivery person in a rural area = overtime, extra mileage payout for district manager, or 30 customers quit. It’s all a balance system that is attached to numbers and costs. The reason that I know so much about this is that I worked in customer service at the Record Searchlight, managed it in fact. Until today. So, I ask you, from one disgruntled customer to another, please be nice to my girls. They are the stressed out ones answering the phones when you call about your subscription. They are local. They are human. They are just as frustrated, if not more so.
Michelle
No matter how many time I request it, the delivery person in my area, Old Shasta, will not stop throwing that rag in my driveway. I have been bending over, picking it up and throwing it in the trash, every Thrusday for 10 years. But, when I was told about the outsourcing and Doni, I decided I didn’t want that piece of trash in my driveway at all. I have called each and every Thursday morning, for the past 6 weeks (at least) and those idiots won’t stop throwing it. I am sure I spoke with or at least left a messege with someone named “Michelle.” So, Michelle, what’s up with that? What is the chain of command? How hard is it to get the messege to the dork who throws that trash in a driveway? I have worked for a corporation before. We always received instruction through the chain of command. It’s not that hard.
Herbie -
I tried to post a response earlier, but my internet was acting up.
You are talking about the Shopper Spotlight. You need to contact Rocci Milligan in Circulation. She’s the Operations Manager for that department and is in charge of all of Home Delivery (regardless of product). Unfortunately, the same carrier delivers the shopper and the daily paper. You’ll want to by-pass the CSRs and speak directly to her. She has the ability to terminate a carrier’s contract if the service issues in a specifc area become rediculous.
She’d kill me for putting her name out there, but hey, like I care now. If you’re problem is not resolved with Rocci, the next in the chain is the Circulation Director. They will have a new one as of 7/24 so feel free to call her. The “chain of command” is this:
Carrier - District Manager - Operations Manager - Circ Director - Publisher
For customer service, its:
CSR - CSR Supervisor - Audience Development Mgr - Circ Director - Publisher
Hope this helps.
Michelle