Retail only newsagents expressed frustration and anger yesterday at the lack of notice on the price change to the Herald Sun and the Daily Telegraph. I heard from half a dozen retail only agents who had not been told.
At one of my shops one customer said this was the last time they’s buy the Herald Sun on a Saturday because of the price rise. It won’t be. This is the same customer who complains if they have to wait behind even one customer to pay for the paper and says they’ll never be back.
Mark, we recieved notification but the frustrating part was we put up notices above the papers and at the counter Monday night, yet those who seem to think it is devine right to push through and dump their money on the counter where the same ones paying the incorrect amount.
I had great delight in informing these rude people politily of their error. Other customers gave them the death stare.
One customer even asked a lady was she in such a hurry to go to her grave.
Funny thing here is that not one customer complained.
I was upset about not receiving notification because this meant that none of my sub agents were informed of the increase, and as distributors it is our responsibility to notify them beforehand of any price changes.
Gregg, we scan every paper mainly to prevent theft by other items being inserted in the the paper but the second benefit is we don’t let customers dump the coin and run which even without a price rise often leads to short payment. Make them queue as they seem to think that the least profitable transaction makes them the most urgent customer who has a right to queue jumps. Love scanning those papers. Oh, and with the Age and Sun looking so similar sometimes scanning is becoming essential in my mind.
Couldn’t agree more Brendan. We’ve scanned all newspapers here for over 5 years now and it is very rare for someone to try and just put their money on the counter and leave. No downside at all.
Just a bit off topic – are others having trouble with change of address notifications for News subscribers?
For a while now we have been given the same address for where they are moving to as the address that they currently get their papers delivered to.