All the news

Here’s a prize example of delighting the customer. Not.

I’ve had a Sunday-only home delivery subscription to the Washington Post for more than four years. That subscription comes with full digital access to WaPo (including archives).

I finally decided I don’t want the physical paper because I get all my news online and I see no reason to just send it straight to the shredder and then to the composter. So I called WaPo’s subscription line (you can sign up online, but to unsubscribe, you have to call), which—from the accents—is somewhere in the Philippines. When I explained what I wanted, the guy (I forget his nom-de-contact-center, but the woman I first got was Shirley) told me that my options are: basic digital (“complete” access, except no archives; so, not complete), at $100 per year; premium digital (“complete” access plus archives), at $150 per year.

However, because I’ve been such a great customer, he could give me a promotional rate of premium access for $101.60 per year; that rate stays the same forever. But I have to keep Sunday delivery.

I’m not going to make you go through the entire surreal conversation; I’ll just say that I’m getting the promo rate, and I have to remember to call in once a quarter to put the Sunday delivery on a “temporary” three-month vacation stop.

Gawd.