Thursday, March 18, 2010

Attention Newspapers: This is Why You are Going to Die

So....why would a relative of mine, who has a grown child in the newspaper industry, cancel her subscription to the paper her child works for?

I imagine, too, that this relative has had this subscription for....oh, maybe 40 or 45 years?

Now why would a loving mother do that to the employer of her child?  Because....

Said relative, an elderly stroke survivor, got tired of fishing her paper out of snowdrifts, hiking to the far end of a very long driveway, or not finding it at all.  She called the paper and said she was going to cancel.  The paper asked why, and she told them.  The customer service rep said something like "well, if that was taken care of, would you continue your subscription?"

Relative said yes.  Subscription continued.

Relative kept fishing her paper out of snowdrifts or (if lucky) finding it at the far end of her long driveway.  It's long for her; she can't walk long distances due to said stroke.  And she's not exaggerating this to us either; we visited her recently and found, sticking out of the melting snow, a paper dated from almost 30 days before.  But look on the bright side; it was in a plastic bag.

Relative told us never mind, throw it out.

Anyway, she's canceling her subscription soon.

Yes, that is how to reward a long standing customer.  Alienate them!  Don't keep your promises either.  But who cares about old people?
Maybe an industry that depends on them should care.

Because I can tell you (from knowing my son and others his age) the young people aren't reading the paper any more. 

I guess, newspaper industry, you are just going through the motions.  Too bad.  You are needed.  But you've lost the will to live.

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