Many, many years ago I went out for lunch with a New York friend. She ordered the soup and when it came, took a sip, made a face, and beckoned the waitress over. Take it back, she said, it's cold and salty. I was appalled. You can't make a scene like that, I said. Why not? she countered. I'm paying for the soup; I should get the soup I want, the way I like it.
All these years on, Torontonians are still putting up with cold, salty soup. But I for one am sick of it. I want my soup hot and nicely seasoned. I want businesses to serve my needs, the needs I paid for. So this week I'm cancelling my subscription to the Toronto Star. I never thought this day would come. I've been a diehard reader and subscriber for decades, but how much abuse should I take from my carrier?! I complain and complain, then take a break because I'm so fed up with no permanent change and tired of complaining. Then inevitably one day the carrier's service becomes particularly egregious, and I get livid and start complaining again...ultimately to no avail. It seems that the carrier doesn't want me to subscribe to the Star, so why not give him what he wants? I've long since stopped reading the Saturday comics because of the poor redesign, and I recently discovered you can get your comics either in your e-mail box (not free) or get a comic alert service (free), so why put up with really really bad service which only puts me in a bad mood for the day, when I can still get my comic fix in other ways?
It seems silly for The Star to lose a customer -- actually since I started talking about my decision, I've learnt bad delivery happens all over the city and I'm not the only one cancelling because of it -- over poor delivery. Yet they've contracted delivery out and apparently cannot effect improvements themselves. In essence, they are powerless to change things in order to either keep customers or entice them back. That move to "privatization" was a big mistake -- I wouldn't be surprised if they don't pay dearly for it.
As for me, cancellation, here I come. Man, I feel liberated already!
All these years on, Torontonians are still putting up with cold, salty soup. But I for one am sick of it. I want my soup hot and nicely seasoned. I want businesses to serve my needs, the needs I paid for. So this week I'm cancelling my subscription to the Toronto Star. I never thought this day would come. I've been a diehard reader and subscriber for decades, but how much abuse should I take from my carrier?! I complain and complain, then take a break because I'm so fed up with no permanent change and tired of complaining. Then inevitably one day the carrier's service becomes particularly egregious, and I get livid and start complaining again...ultimately to no avail. It seems that the carrier doesn't want me to subscribe to the Star, so why not give him what he wants? I've long since stopped reading the Saturday comics because of the poor redesign, and I recently discovered you can get your comics either in your e-mail box (not free) or get a comic alert service (free), so why put up with really really bad service which only puts me in a bad mood for the day, when I can still get my comic fix in other ways?
It seems silly for The Star to lose a customer -- actually since I started talking about my decision, I've learnt bad delivery happens all over the city and I'm not the only one cancelling because of it -- over poor delivery. Yet they've contracted delivery out and apparently cannot effect improvements themselves. In essence, they are powerless to change things in order to either keep customers or entice them back. That move to "privatization" was a big mistake -- I wouldn't be surprised if they don't pay dearly for it.
As for me, cancellation, here I come. Man, I feel liberated already!
Comments
It's amazing how the stories are coming out of the woodwork now that I've vented, and it's nice to know the Star isn't the only one gone nutty. I just heard The Globe hired a contractor whose carrier smashed the glass on my friend's screen door. At least my door is still intact!
Bill, I got your original comment by e-mail...TODAY...TWO days later...but not because of blogger, it was sitting in my SPAM box, which seems to scoop up your comments! Go figure.
You had a dreadful experience. Call the place that pays the biller and let them know.
I'm getting savvier with Bell (see http://pario.blogspot.com/2006/05/bell-wire-woes.html).
Take a solid phone, plug it into the NID box on the outside of your house, call 611, ask the guy if he can hear the static (should've asked him if he could hear the birds to prove I was outside), tell him you're calling from the NID box and to record he can hear the static. End of discussion about my inside gizmos causing problems....HA! Well, I shouldn't be so cynical. I'll wait to see what the tech guy says. Only 6 or 7 days wait this time.