Saturday, July 13, 2013

Is there nothing Gannett can't screw up?

I'm old fashioned in some ways. I still like to read a newspaper.
I read more than a few newspapers online but on weekends, I still like that print edition in my hands.  So I finally subscribe to the Wall Street Journal weekend edition.  $52 a year. Not a bad deal. Just one problem.  Gannett is responsible for local delivery.  The carrier has managed to deliver exactly three issues out of nine weekends and one of those was because I was out early walking the dogs and managed to catch her going down the street.  Last week was good. Instead of the WSJ, I got the New York Times.  No doubt some will say my reading immediately improved.  Same crap apparently as when Gannett took over retail deliveries of the Journal.  Deliveries were repeatedly missed as it took them several months to figure it out.  Apparently Gannett had the lowest bid.

Well, Newscorp, you got what you paid for. If you had asked us, we could have told you what Gannett stands for: Great at taking money, lousy at execution and accepting responsibility.   I can't recommend anyone subscribe to local delivery of the Journal.  After a while, one gets tired of credits and speaking to someone in another country who actually speaks perfect English.  Just give me the damn paper. Hell, I'd be happy if a local supervisor would just call me but customer service is lost on Gannett.  Oh well, it is Gannett.  I guess that says it all.

19 comments:

Burke said...

I get the WSJ at the house, and every now and then they miss a day. Usually the problem occurs wherever the paper is printed. In all cases I have gotten the missing edition the next delivery day. It's the world's greatest newspaper, especially the Weekend Edition, though the editorials tend always to take an "end of the world" stance. I hope you can work things out.

Kingfish said...

I'd be happy with now and then. Problem here is they only deliver every now and then.

Anonymous said...

I get the WSJ 6 days a week in Madison. They might miss 2 days a year. I guess everything just works better out here.

clintonrebel said...

This happened a year ago....I was a WSJ subscriber and I got an email "we are changing carriers, you might experience temporary issues, please call us if you do". What they meant was, we are letting Gannett delivery your paper and you will get it once every 7 days if you are lucky. No amount of calling ever helped and I cancelled. I miss the WSJ, but occasionally drop by a hotel and pick one up

Anonymous said...

I miss the old days in Jackson, when some JA moms actually delivered the paper. Always dependable, and it was so early, no one knew they did it.

Anonymous said...

I,too, have had so many issues with the Clarion Ledger (delivery, billing, etc.) that I cancelled. For the last three weeks on Thursday or Friday they have started throwing a packet consisting of a 3/4 day old Madison County Herald, a number of sale papers and CL subscription materials in my driveway. I called yesterday to tell them to stop! You can no longer contact anyone at the CL in Jackson - it is an out-of-state toll free number. When I finally reached a very nice young lady - I began by telling her I realized this was not her fault, but to please pass along to her manager that I had cancelled my CL subscription for a reason (reason being that I no longer wanted to receive it because it had turned into a crappy paper that was an embarrassment to the State of Mississippi). Then pray tell, why would I want a 3/4 day old paper along with sale papers and subscription ads thrown in my driveway to have to pick-up and throw in the trash? Again, she was very nice and said she would have it stopped and pass my information along to the manager! Rant over!!!!

Pacing The Driveway said...

We have frequent carrier turnover. When that happens, even though my mailbox is marked with blue dots, white dots and red dots, they miss several days a month. It's literally impossible to get in touch with customer service at the Clarion. The number rings in another state and will NOT be answered no matter how long you let it ring or how often you call. You cannot call customer service in Jackson at the CL.

Anonymous said...

That's standard fare for the Clarion-Liar. They won't deliver and won't talk to you unless you quit paying or cancel. I said, quit paying or cancel. Besides, their content is indescribable in polite language. They may have to sell papers, but I don't have to buy 'em.

Anonymous said...

KF, you are right low bid wins, then they turn around and low ball the carrier. Win-Win for them everybody else looses.

As far as the yellow bags are concerned I have been told the carrier gets paid by how many he tosses. That is why they pile up at empty houses, foreclosures and vacation homes.

Seems to me the proper action would be to follow other communities around the country and ban free paper delivery in neighborhoods.

Sling Me A Free One said...

8:18 has an unbelievably odd theory. If a carrier got paid by the number of papers he tosses, he'd toss them in a dumpster instead of burning his gas bothering to toss them near empty houses and foreclosures.

Phil Hardwick said...

I live in Jackson. Have not had any problems with daily delivery of the Wall Street Journal. Seems to depend on carrier. Still, Gannett is responsible. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant thought there, Phil. "Receiving the paper depends on the carrier throwing the paper". What a concept.

I got one of those white plastic Clarion boxes on an iron stake for a family member recently. Installed it myself after requesting it six times. Had to pay for it of course.

The carrier who actually dropped it off in the driveway didn't use it for another three weeks but continued to sling the paper wherever she wanted to. After five or six complaints to the office, she finally quit. Never did put the damned paper in the box I paid for. Like Phil suggests, 'depends on the carrier'.

But, doesn't the performance of most employees reflect the expectations of the employer and work ethic of the employee?

Anonymous said...

To 8:55 district mgrs. follow up on neighborhood deliveries on a random basis to prevent that.

To 1:16 honest when I worked there I ask about the tubes for papers and this is what I was told; to stop and put papers in boxes it put to much wear and tear on car brakes. Since most carriers drive old cars and don't make much it to costly. It did not however stop the C-L from selling them. They now have stopped I am told.

Swimming Laps in Lake Hico said...

I live in the King Edward and receive home delivery of the Clarion Ledger, the New York Times, the Jackson Free Press, BOOM! Jackson, and the Whole Foods Shopper's Gazette. I never miss an issue because I live in downtown Jackson, where the living is easy and the sun always shines.

I sit here, craft beer in hand, laughing at you suburbanites with your first world problems. We have no such delivery issues in the hip, urban cool of downtown Jackson, where the millennials run freely and the water tastes like craft beer.

If you people were to give up your sprawling McMansions and move downtown, for the same price you pay monthly for 4000 sq ft, you could have a hip pad with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a doorman, cool millennial neighbors, a view of the railroad tracks, and on time, daily delivery of your favorite periodicals, but it's only here in downtown Jackson, where traffic signal boxes are works of guerrilla art and the potholes are citizen filled.

I don't expect you RACISTS in Madison to move back, but your kids will because times are changing and you're not keeping up. Once the new Hyatt is built there will be more festivals, more hip music clubs, more craft beer parlors, and more on-time periodical delivery. That's the future of downtown Jackson, where the water fountains dispense espresso and the pigeons fart rainbows.

Mahatma Kane Jeeves said...

Ah, yes indeed, my little chickadee - craft beer flowing on your estate over your grandmother's paisley shawl......

Anonymous said...

WSJ is worst customer service I have ever encountered. They've only thrown about 10 papers since January. Lost count of the phone calls I have made. Like Gannett, they just don't care. They were very prompt and efficient in cashing my check for a two-tear subscription, however. Beginning to think WSJ subscriptions are just a scam.

Anonymous said...

8:40- *two-year*

Anonymous said...

KF,

I had the same experience last year when we started the WSJ weekend edition. Finally had it delivered by mail instead and it's only NOT arrived on Saturday maybe twice. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

After dozens of calls over several months and the last three weeks without a single WSJ delivery, I have given up and cancelled. Not even a personal visit from the delivery manager had any effect. Didn't know what else to do but cut my losses.



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