Dear dimwit on the phone

I know this lady is being all pushy. I'm glad KY told her off exactly as he posted it here because without rude customer service, how else are these people going to learn?

 

We're a small weekly and the first email in my inbox this morning was a forward from my editor complete with subject line of "suggestion for article" saying :
Since you have had nothing about the Small Private College cross country runners yet, how about an overview of the season as it is now ending. I imagine the coach and runners would appreciate it as well as parents and friends.

Concerned Grandparent

I cordially responded with the dates of when we ran said cross country stories in our print edition along with the reasoning why we do not post all of our content online. I also detailed my standing meeting with the coach every Monday at 10:30 a.m. after each race along with the schedule quirks of not having races for almost a month.

My editor also responded with the subscription prices for Small Private College Friends and Family for a 9 month package and to check the upcoming print edition with the results of the Region meet along with the option of coming in and purchasing the back issues of the paper.

Oh yeah, Concerned Grandparent just happens to live six miles from Small Private College and I'm guessing was cruising our website for Small Private College cross country as she isn't a current subscriber.

 

I'm with KY on this one. If your card is full, it's full, and after that you gotta prioritize.

 

I'm concerned about gas prices, about the lack of jobs that aren't low-wage call center positions, and my rising health premiums. Better spend my time bitching to the nearest newspaper about club sports.

 

Especially if Little Johnny Bedwetter happens to be on the team.

 

Least surprising post ever.

I guess you're in the same boat as the lady, expecting us to drop everything we've got going on this weekend? Glad you're not my boss.

 

KY's post mentioned that he's tried to work with the league before, and they're not helping him. Now, all of a sudden, they want him to drop everything for them. Nope.

 

It's either an event worth covering or it isn't. No one would have a problem with not covering a youth football league. Odds are, very few people give a damn.

However, when the reasoning for not covering an event is because they won't send you free content like you've asked, I think you need to take a step back.

 

So trying to get their results in the paper is a bad thing?

I have tried and tried and tried to get something -- anything -- from them for the last two years, and nothing. I can't tell you how many times a parent in this league has seen me at a school in the area and stopped me to ask why their results haven't been in the paper. My answer is always the same when I tell them to talk to the leaders of the league.

But now they want us to cover them? No chance.

 

Wow, if that's not circular reasoning...how long does it take for you to write a post? You really have to dig to find a reason to bitch, don't you?

 

I may hate myself in the morning, but I'm actually with Snark on this one. If the event is worth covering, and you have the people to cover it, then you cover it, regardless of how cooperative or non-cooperative they've been in the past.

If your schedule is too crowded, you tell them, "sorry, but we just don't have the manpower to get out there with everything else that is going on." But you don't punish them for not sending in results. The people who run these leagues usually have jobs and home lives and do the leagues in their spare time. It would be nice if they sent in results, but they have a lot to do with organizing a schedule, managing coaches, prepping for games, raising funds, finding officials, etc.

 

I'd be interested in the tone of the request the lady made to come out and cover the tournament. Was it polite and professional, or did it have a "you guys never cover us" tone to it?

It wouldn't change the answer to the request - with everything else that's going on, it sounds like it's a definite no-go - but just curious.