For a long time (I've forgotten how long, exactly) we've subscribed to the Northwest Herald, which is the local newspaper in our neck of the woods. It's been a fine newspaper. You could tell they were cutting back on costs over the years, like when they switched to a smaller paper size, and when they stopped producing a Sunday newspaper, opting for a Saturday paper instead. We subscribed to the Saturday-only paper.
Last summer, when we took a trip to Kentucky, I put a hold on our newspaper delivery as usual. After our vacation, our newspaper didn't start delivery again. I didn't take any action at first, thinking it was a fluke and delivery would start again soon. But it didn't start again. So I called customer service and was told they would "send an email to upper management" about the problem, and credit my account for the missed delivery. That seemed fine and dandy.
Except the paper still didn't get delivered. So I called again, and they said the same thing about upper management.
But the paper still didn't get delivered. So I called again, and was told the same thing about upper management. Surely, this time would fix it, I thought.
I was wrong. The paper still didn't get delivered.
I don't know how many times we went back and forth like that, but none of it helped. At one point I got an email from them asking me to fill out a survey. I did. And l gave them negative ratings and left them a nasty note explaining my problem. I didn't hear anything back immediately.
At this point I devised a new strategy. I decided to stop calling and complaining, so they would stop crediting my account for missed deliveries, so they would charge my credit card again. Then I would file a dispute with my credit card company, hoping they would get involved and finally get the attention of the paper's "upper management". It took about a month for all of that to play out (can I play the long game or what?). And I never got a newspaper during that time. When I filed a dispute with my credit card company, they instantly refunded the charge from the newspaper, but that was it. I was disappointed; I was hoping for more fireworks.
A few days later, though, I was contacted by the newspaper. They were finally following up on my negative survey response. (Did my dispute with the credit card company actually help? The timing makes me think it did, but I don't know for sure.) They put me in contact with one of their customer advocates. This was a friendly man who apologized for the issue, and explained they recently switched to a 3rd-party contractor for deliveries in my area, and they were having a lot of problems with that contractor, he said. A lot of problems.
Since I hadn't called to complain in a while (due to my credit card strategy), he wanted me to start calling him directly when I didn't get a delivery, so he could have evidence that would "hold the contractor's feet to the fire", so to speak.
At this point, I should mention that what started as failed deliveries over the summer had now dragged on into the fall.
So I started a new cat-and-mouse game, following his suggestion. Every Saturday morning when I didn't have a paper, I would leave him a voice mail stating that fact, and then I would call customer support to request redelivery. They would routinely say the paper would be redelivered by 1pm. AND IT NEVER WAS! So I would call the man back after 1pm and leave him another voice mail saying I never got a redelivery. Then he would call me back Monday morning, confirm I never got a paper, express dismay and disappointment, and then credit my account.
THIS. WENT. ON. FOR. WEEKS.
Finally, one week I got a newspaper delivered. Unbelievable! Finally, the problem was solved. Except the next week it wasn't delivered. And not the next week, either. Or the next week.
I forget how many weeks it went on like that, but finally in mid-November I reached my limit. I'd gotten precisely one paper delivered in over 4 and a half months. I called customer support to cancel. When they asked why, I explained I hadn't gotten a newspaper in months.
They replied that they could "send an email to upper management".
I don't remember if I laughed or scoffed or threw the phone out the window. It probably wasn't the last one because I still have my phone.
But, anyway, I canceled, and decided to try a subscription to the Chicago Tribune instead. So far they have delivered my newspaper every day it's supposed to be delivered, and it's wonderful. I love it.
This afternoon I got a phone call from the Northwest Herald retention department. They stated right up front they wanted to win me back, and asked why I canceled. I said because they didn't deliver my paper for 4 and a half months no matter how many times I called to complain. The woman was stunned, quietly exclaiming "4 and a half months?! That's a long time." Yes. Yes, it was, I said. And then I added, with a fair amount of frustration: "I'm not coming back." She said she understood and thanked me for being honest.
I hung up the phone and now I've written this blog post and my rant is over.