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Globe subscribers held hostage, Day 6
By adamg on Sat, 01/02/2016 - 11:53am
Brendan Myers suggests that until the Globe subscription problems are fixed, "Marty Walsh oughta start reading it on the radio."
Was going to just post more tweets from people still not getting their paper (including WGBH's Emily Rooney, who lives in that remote area known as the Back Bay). But then aggrieved Globe subscriber Sharon Machlis of Framingham pointed me to this LA Times story from 2014 about another time the Globe's new delivery company, ACI Media Group (now known as ACI Last Mile) of Long Beach, CA, took over delivery for a major metropolitan newspaper:
When thousands of Orange County Register readers didn't get their paper on Sunday, the Register offered an alternative: Come pick it up.
In a Facebook post at 3:36 p.m. Sunday, the paper told peeved readers they could get a free copy at the Register's Santa Ana headquarters - if they arrived by 5 p.m.
Now, the situations are not exactly comparable: The Register had to find a new delivery company in a hurry because its old company (none other than the LA Times) was demanding payment on the $3.5 million the Register owed it, while the Globe has no such dire issues (that we know of) and presumably had more time to plan this out.
John Carroll reports the Globe is now up to 108 Zip codes with "delivery delays."
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Comments
I am not a Globe subscriber,
I am not a Globe subscriber, but it was delivered to my house Friday and Saturday!
I am also not a Globe subscriber
Also a non-subscriber but I didn't get a paper. Where do I complain?
East Boston not listed
Paper delivered on Monday, none since. However, East Boston has not been on the Globe's Delivery Delay list all week.
Update, It is listed as 2128 Boston.
I sure hope
Marty Walsh isn't called upon to read the comics. That would suck all the joy out of it.
No Doonesbury
Mahty would object to reading Doonesbury because he was once a drunk and that comic might be a gateway funny.
Live in person might be
Live in person might be amusing:
Finally got my paper in Lincoln
It was sitting on my doorstep, no less. However, at least one of my neighbors in my complex still hasn't received it.
go digital
Glad I have a digital subscription - they haven't managed to screw that up yet
sure they have...
...it's called bostonglobe.com...
Was it something I said?
If you think we subscribers are unhappy, imagine how unhappy the advertisers are.
It could be worse
Delivery via MBTA or bicycle...
though in the old days, distributors used their motor vehicles to drop off bundles of papers to kids who used bikes, back when kids would do that.
Anyone know if Bloomberg
Anyone know if Bloomberg BusinessWeek uses this same company? I have not had an issue delivered to me in about two months now.
I had so many issues with
I had so many issues with front-door delivery, I called the magazine up and had them switch me to postal delivery. No problems in the last year and no extra cost to me.
Globe delivery collapse a news item--why no coveraghe in Globe?
Why hasn't the Globe covered the Globe's delivery black eye in the Business section, if not the front page? I am reminded off the courage and transparency shown when the Las Vegas Review-Journal covered in its own pages the mystery and shenanigans surrounding its recent purchase by the Adelson family. Come on, Brian McGrory. Show some courage! Name names. Who screwed up??
They did have a story
Globe aims to fix delivery problems, 12/31. Note that comments on that article are turned off.
And it was a crappy story
They quoted *ONE* customer, but no experts on logistics, customer service, or the newspaper business who would have said what a screw-up this was. Nor did they offer any sort of explanation of how this could have happened other than it being hard to do.
The January 1 Globe did have a series of letters to the editor complaining (I actually received mine), of which my favorite is this one.
I have a feeling that another billionaire newspaper owner (Jeff Bezos) would have understood the logistics of delivery better.
Other media coverage lacking too
I can see why the Globe isn't covering this. But what about the Herald? Not a peep, what happen to the feisty tabloid we used to have? In the old days this would be front page stuff. I guess they are to much in bed with the Globe to rock the boat. Or maybe they are going to try the same thing with their home deliveries too.
Possibly more important
The Globe now prints the Herald.
"What does it all mean?"
at 1:28 was one of the most sampled soundbytes in 1980s EDM and hip-hop. Whosampled.com lists 39 uses.
(Apropos of nothing.)
Bigger Issue is the Advertisers
The sub 5% delivery failure rate that the Globe admits to is probably a threshold in its advertising contracts. Meaning: if the Globe fails to deliver more than 5% of papers to subscribers, it could owe advertisers their money back.
Now imagine if your business had to hand back one week's worth of revenues to its customers.
I never knew that ...
...Fiorello LaGuardia and Lou Costello were the same person.
Is Globe Direct effected?
...
Suggestion for the Globe
Use the same delivery company that Globe Direct is using. "Readership" will go up immediately!
I'm getting the paper delivered, but not where it belongs
Once again today, they left my apartment building's papers on the walkway outside, instead of bringing them into the foyer like the previous delivery service always did. Today that was only a minor annoyance, but it will be a big problem on rainy and snowy days.
Request where you want the paper
Since you are actually getting the paper, you can go online and tell them where you want it delivered. Delivery requests did not carry over to the new vendor.
"To request a specific location for your paper to be delivered please go to BostonGlobe.com/MyGlobe and click on Update Account under Billing. If your requested location is not available in the Update Account section please contact us at 1-888-MY-GLOBE, or chat with us at here or e-mail [email protected]."
Not saying it will work, just pointing out they have a path for remedy.
this was never a "delivery request" as such
It was just where the previous delivery agent had always left the paper ... for the past 23 years. Not just for me, but for the other tenants in my building.
And I don't see "leave paper indoors in foyer" among the options I can choose on that page. Every day this week, I've used the "report a delivery problem" form to complain about this and request that the paper be placed in the foyer. So far, nobody is listening to those reports.
Changed headline
To "Day 6" from "Day 7," because I can't count.
No Boston Globe, Day 6 in Quincy
I have never seen such a lack of professionalism in my life. If the Globe expected to have difficulty making the transition, why not hire the drivers BEFORE rolling out the new delivery system, rather than making your loyal customers furious for a week? What was the Globe thinking? Whatever happened to making a plan, and minimizing inconvenience to your customer base (and your advertisers too)-- this is utterly amazing to me, and this past week should be taught in business schools as a case study in how NOT to handle a transition. Day 6 in Quincy and still no Globe, with no information about when things will get better. Calling gets us nowhere, nor does emailing. Okay fine, it's not the worst thing that ever happened to me, but it's certainly unnecessary aggravation.
Boston Globe Non Delivery
We received an email from the Boston Globe on Monday 12/28/15 that our paper might be a little late... It's Saturday now, still no paper. Go on the website and they suggest I use the coupon mailed to me to pick up a copy at the store???? I guess they tried to use the same delivery method for the coupon!
Globe
Shirley Leung should write about this fiasco.
Can this fiasco be blamed on
Can this fiasco be blamed on Boston rejecting the Olympics, though?
CNN
Thank you Boston Globe staffers...and it looks like your efforts are being noticed:
http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/02/media/boston-globe-reporters-deliver-sun...
The Back Bay!?
People actually live in that Stygian morass!?
globe direct
I am a letter carrier.The rumor is that the USPS has lost the contract to deliver the Globe Direct advertising circular as of 1-3-2016.We have delivered it for years,lost the contract,then got the contract back when the newly private firm tossed the papers all over people's property.Be prepared for that.I generally don't like the USPS to lose business but people hate this product,we have plenty of other business.We will probably get the contract back when the papers wind up in your bushes instead of your mailbox.(I am in Metrowest)