Sunday, May 13, 2012

Louisville | Press '1' for annoying customer service

Three days ago, recently named Publisher Wesley Jackson told Courier-Journal readers in a Page One column about the paper's new subscription model, one that would be accompanied by an increase in topics "you've told us you're passionate about." Among them: tips on how to better manage their spending.

But it wasn't until the 11th paragraph that Jackson mentioned that "some subscribers will see a modest increase in price."

There were no further details. Current subscribers were told they'd be getting a letter with that information. Readers who didn't want to wait, he said, could call an 800-number for customer service.

And call they did.

Unfortunately, Jackson revealed in an apologetic follow-up column today, "our Customer Service Center’s phone system had technical problems, and many of you had long wait times or could not get through to get your questions answered. That, I know, was frustrating."

Today's column included a sidebar that would have been helpful earlier in the week, with the new subscription price details.

This time, readers were given a different customer-service number to call.

But they better have dialed quickly, given shortened customer service hours on the weekend: "Our customer service hours are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday," he wrote, "and 7 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday." 

6 comments:

  1. I suspect than many readers will take the increased volume of money-management tips to heart and eliminate their C-J subscriptions. I certainly would.

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  2. Our paper let readers know of the new pricing structure last week and it's going over like a lead balloon. With a large senior citizen community, access to the website is a not a benefit. So all the readers are getting is a huge price increase for a paper that continues to have less local news and is much smaller in size.

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. That first column by Jackson asks readers to click to page three of Gannettized blather before they discover mention of the price increase. Nothing like being up front with the customers.

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  5. What any Gannett paper wants is direct access to your bank account so price increases are less noticable.

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  6. Wes Jackson is WAY over his head. Who is the idiot that hired him with no experience to run a major daily?
    There were typos in his columns...how fast and far can the C-J fall?

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