I Feel So Dirty...

[Dave0523]

...or How I Managed to Get my Newspaper Delivered Properly.

I have a subscription to our local paper. Because we have some neighbors who refuse to tie up their dogs, we had to get a special box to set up next to our mailbox to ensure that we got the paper instead of the dogs shredding it. This arrangement worked fine until 2 weeks ago, when we got a new delivery guy.

The new guy, for some reason, refuses to put the paper in the box, instead tossing it on the ground at the first corner of our lot that he gets to. So, for 14 days in a row, I had to call the paper to complain about it (about half of the time, the dogs got the paper before I did, and they had to run a new one out). I was always pleasant and nice about it, and the CSR said they would talk to the delivery manager about it. Nothing ever came of it.

Until yesterday. We've had quite a bit of rain recently (6.5 inches yesterday alone), and I went out to find the paper in a nice deep puddle. Now, the paper WAS in a plastic bag, but a bag thrown into a deep puddle == a bag full of water. So when I called (for the 15th time in a row), I turned on the SC. I raised my voice, asked why they 'refused' to deliver properly, threatened to cancel my subscription, etc. etc. Guess what? Paper was in the box this morning.

Now, I ask this. WHY was this necessary? I spend 14 calls being the nicest guy in the world, trying to get my problem resolved, and nothing happens. But one call being an [censored] is all it took. That actually made me mad, seeing as how I was trying to avoid becoming an SC while still getting my paper delivered properly.

--Dave

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I've often wondered this myself. Being nice sadly does not get a lot of results in far too many instances.

That's probably why we have so many SCs. Some people are just plain sucky. Some of them are otherwise nice people who have just decided to cut to the chase and save the extra, and useless, step of being nice.

[ReverendBSB]

You were not sucky. You were nice and gave them two weeks to resolve the problem, they did not do so. So you did what you had to do.

[draftermatt]

I know it. My mother always told me I can catch more flies with honey, and I try. 9 times out of 10 I'll be nice. I may have a tone in my voice or be aggitated, but sorry if I can't fart butterflies.

But when I (or my wife) have called like 6 times about the same problem, and it's still not solved, I may be just a tad more short tempered. And then I hang-up and feel like an ass. Almost instantly, I'll get that feeling. I hate "going off" on people. But if you would just do what you promised the first time I called, we wouldn't have this issue.

[MadRocketScientist]

Now, I ask this. WHY was this necessary? I spend 14 calls being the nicest guy in the world, trying to get my problem resolved, and nothing happens. But one call being an [censored] is all it took. That actually made me mad, seeing as how I was trying to avoid becoming an SC while still getting my paper delivered properly.

--Dave

Write a letter to the Paper's Editor about this, ask why you must resort to being rude to get a problem corrected.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I used to deliver newspapers as a second job. A lot of people who deliver newspapers do it because they don't like dealing with people. They can drive in their car, alone, late at night, and not have to see or speak to anybody. People like that are more likely to be assholes---I encountered lots of them doing that job. It also pays crapola, BTW.

That delivery guy got little notes every time you called in nicely, asking him to please put the paper in the box at your address. He chose to ignore them, probably because he's an asshole and decided that since it takes him an extra 5 seconds of effort to get it into the box, he wasn't gonna do it.

When you called in angry, his superior probably got an earful from the phone supervisor, stating that they've been sending him notes for weeks and the customer has been calling continuously, and finally got mad. His supervisor then turned around and gave him an earful, perhaps writing him up for it or threatening to move him to a much more sucky route. After that, guy then starts (grudgingly) putting your paper in its box.

I would say this is the most likely scenario.

[sms001]

You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar, but if ya swat 'em, they're dead.

When you called in angry,... got an earful from the phone supervisor, ... then turned around and gave him an earful,...After that, guy then starts (grudgingly) putting your paper in its box.

ah yes. the ever popular "Shit flows down hill."

[Pagan]

I had kind of the same problem when we got a new carrier in August. See, I prefer having my paper dropped on my patio and not my front stoop. (Mainly so that if I go out of town for a couple of days, people don't see 2-3 papers in front of the door and know there's nobody there). I have to call and tell them this every time carriers are changed.

Well, when this new carrier started the day after I left this time (I was in Santa Fe for 4 days). So I call when I get back to have them send a note to the carrier where I want the paper dropped. Wound up have to call 6 days in a row. I suspect it was due some to them being an asshole, like PG said. But probably more that they didn't want to get their feet wet. And you can't get to my patio without walking through the grass that got watered around 3am....

[Rahmota]

Yeah pretty much the way it goes is companies dont care enough about people until things get heated then the shit goes downhill effect kicks in.

Dont feel too bad you tried to do it the nice right way and it didnt work so you did what you had to do to get the job done right. You aint the one who dropped the ball on that one.

And believe me I know what you mean about the driver's just not caring. We get a weekly ad circular/paper for free that the local newspaper puts out. The circular is paid for by classified ads and store ads and stuff like that and I think the driver gets 15.5 cents a house as I looked into it. That paper can wind up anywhere within 5' of my driveway. I have seen the delivery driver go by at speed and toss the thing out like it was a beer can. Its been in the ditch, in the yard, in the ditch on the otherside of the driveway, I think though it has been acouple times actually in the driveway though. He must have gotten the throw timed right on that one.

[Dave0523]

Update: Paper was again on the ground in the (thankfully) dried up puddle. Called to complain; they claim the district manager will call me, since it is the paper's policy to use the box if the customer requests it. We'll see.

--Dave

[MystyGlyttyr]

Judging from the occasional weirdos we get in the delivery department here, it's very possible that the person you have is in fact, a mutant hairless ape who managed to escape the zoo, stumble through a clothesline full of clothes and seem dressed, follow a trail of Cheerios into the hiring office, and smear poo on an application in roughly the shape of a taco, which is apparently all you need to do to get that job.

Once animal control finds him, then you should get a new, sane deliveryperson.

Seriously, it's not at all unheard of for us to have a deliveryperson who just randomly skips entire streets for no apparent reason. But thankfully, they don't last long, because as crappy as the job is, there's still a waiting list for it. One of the plus sides of a crap job market, I guess.

[Banrion]

But probably more that they didn't want to get their feet wet. And you can't get to my patio without walking through the grass that got watered around 3am....

Why don't you just have the paper stopped if you will be out of town. I personally feel that asking a paper delivery person to walk around your house through wet and muddy grass everyday is going a bit far on the demands. Or get a closed box put next to your mailbox that will hold more than one paper, that way the neighbors can't see the multiple papers and the delivery guy doesn't have to trudge through the mud everyday.

[tollbaby]

Pagan, I agree with Banrion... that's a bit demanding, considering you don't pay much more for delivered papers than you would to go out and get it yourself. Delivering the paper anywhere other than the front door or mailbox is a favor they do for you, and you shouldn't expect it.

[Pagan]

Banrion and Tollbaby, thanks for calling me lazy!

You should be aware from other posts on CS that not everyone lives in a house. I live in an apartment. I am not asking too much from the paper carrier, nor am I asking them to do something I don't do many times a day. Simply put, there is no way to get to my patio (Maybe in some parts of the country, it's called a porch, but here, we call 'em patios) without going through the grass unless you want to walk around the entire building (16 750 sq ft apartments on two floors). Plus, my patio is more the front than my door is. It's around the corner, which means the carrier would still be going through the grass! Believe me, I'm not happy about the wet grass, either. There's moss growing in some places, a lot of standing water, and very boggy in some places, which is great since we have West Nile around here. The complex waters the grass upwards of an hour a day, everyday. I've tried to get them to stop. I've called the wasted water hotline, the city, Bernalillo Co., and Sandoval Co., nobody can/will do anything.

And there aren't mailboxes at each individual apartment. All of our mailboxes are in the same place up by the office. There's no place for a paper box to be put!

Stopping my paper for 2-3 days is more trouble than it's worth. I did have it stopped when we went to the UK for two weeks last year, but they restarted delivery 3 days before we got back.

So, no, I don't think I'm asking too much.

[Banrion]

Banrion and Tollbaby, thanks for calling me lazy!

I apologize, it was a miscommunication due to regional dialect differences. My understanding of a patio, is a cemented area off the back of a house, usually used for keeping grills and outdoor furniture. The only difference between a patio and a deck, is that a deck is raised off the ground in some manner. The difference between a deck and a porch is front vs back of house. Typically outdoor areas attached to apartments are called verandas.