As you may recall, I have been named a St. Paul Pioneer Press VIP. Because of my VIP status, I was informed via postcard that, for an extra 10 cents a day, my paper would be delivered right to my door (rather than right to my door, as it currently is). Well, a few interesting developments have happened since that postcard.
I fully intended to call and complain (bitch) about the added cost for a mythical service that I already am receiving but then I got my next bill for the paper. I noticed that the additional fee was not yet added. So, I decided to wait before calling and see where the paper ends up. The paper has been within a few feet of my porch door every day, but (oddly enough) not as near as the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune is neatly placed snug against my porch door each day. Now, this is not something that I like to admit. Being a St. Paul guy, I want the Pioneer Press to do well. I want it to do better than the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune even though I subscribe to both. You see, I need my Sid along with Soucheray. But, the Strib is also 50 cents a day so it really should be placed on my kitchen table each morning.
A weird thing happened, however, when I found out my Pioneer Press delivery guy also actually works at THE CHECK. By the way, once he heard that he was my delivery guy, the first thing he said was "I'd like to apologize for anything that has happened." I thought that was funny. Anyway, he's a good guy so I decided to ask him about the "VIP thing." His response was interesting. He had never heard of the "service." He didn't know that some people on his route were paying an extra fee for "delivery right to their door" and some were not. No clue.
So my question to you is: what kind of crazy, bunko scam is this? There is no question that I am cancelling the VIP service the first millisecond that I receive the charge on the bill. The delivery guys don't even know about it! I'm a little embarrassed for my beloved St. Paul Pioneer Press, people. This is the paper I have been reading my entire life, even as a lad in Eau Claire for God sakes. Back to the Don Riley days (The Bushers). If you need the extra dime a day, just ask. I'll pay it. But to mask it as some "service" is kind of sad.
This would be like THE CHECK saying, "Hey we'll sell you some nice laser checks but they are more money if you want a background color like blue or green!" Hey, wait a minute.......
What do you think about this "service?" What would you do?
Jeff
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7 comments:
I had a paper route in eau claire. largest route in the city. I would deliver that paper by myself, using mu mom's yellow bike with big side baskets, stuffed with papers.in the winter, I humped block after block in the bitter cold. I loved it. every week I collected, and actually found if I talked nice to the folks, delivered service with a smile, and handled special requests, I would get a tip. I was making 70 bucks a week, and in 1977, I thought I was The Donald. That pioneer press thing is indicative of where we are as a society, to say the least. what an embarrassment. you need to e-mail them and ask them what the hell that is all about.
Jeff T: probably the only guy in the entire country who subscribes to two(!) daily newspapers and has a blog. Talk about having your feet planted firmly in two different centuries. :o)
Free,
I will have you know that Jeff often reads the paper with the website of that paper up at the same time. It is an addiction. I often catch him whiffing the paper for that new paper smell.
M
tony8489 - talking to the people? Providing service with a smile?? Good service, even in winter??? That is crazy talk. It's all about hidden fees baby!
Free - you know, I never thought of it that way. Now, I have to figure out something from the 19th century that I could do, like riding to work on horseback or something. That would be three centuries.
Yarnery - yes, it's true. There is nothing like that new paper smell. Our computer smell just doesn't cut it.
In this posting you say...
"By the way, once he heard that he was my delivery guy"
Wow, this blog must be huge! People talking everywhere about Jeff's delivery guy to the point where said delivery guy hears about it. You are the MAN!
Yeah...it would be like THE CHECK charging extra for "Handling" your order...oh wait...
dave - no question. It's big.
brian - Hey, somebody's got to handle the order. You know, when you think about it, that is also kind of a scam. Some Marketing genius thought that up, I'm sure.
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