Calls about circulation issues

I think some people just keep hitting buttons until they find a human to talk to.

I don't mind fielding these calls before 6 or 7. Usually, if the subscriber is in town and hasn't received their paper, I'll drop it off on my way to dinner. Most of them are shocked that I'd do something like that. Feels good to know the paper is still important to people.

 

Well, I work for a small weekly about 20 minutes from the big-city newspaper that owns us.
In February, big-city daily takes over delivery of our paper, promising a once mail-delivered paper will now be in boxes by 6 a.m.
Phone starts ringing off the hook every 5 minutes for the next month.
We are in a 6-person total office and I am the sports writer.
When the receptionist goes to lunch, the editor is working on a story and the photographer is out shooting photos, often I get stuck answering the calls. They don't understand why the sports guy doesn't know anything about circulation. As I was writing this, I was the only person in the office, so I was taking calls, helping people with birth announcements, selling papers and working circulation problems.
Another shop I was at, I was the only sports guy and there was no voice mail, so if the phone rang between 5 and 7, I knew it would be circulation, so I never answered.
I let all coaches know I would call THEM to get info.
They finally hired someone to take circulation calls. That didn't seem so difficult.

 

There is a running joke in our newsroom that the sports department are the night receptionists.I actually got chewed out by our ME for saying so.