Suggestions to Improve Lagging Customer Service Performance
     The MDDC Circulation Committee recently researched national averages for customer service standards relating to newspaper crculation.
      The picture is not pretty.
     According to the Newspaper Association of America the number of home-delivery complaints has doubled in the last four years. Statistics from VER-A-FAST corporation, which measures start verification, shows the national average for prompt starts is 66%, while early 10% of all new starts never get started.
     American Opinion Research, Inc. measures service levels by asking newspaper readers to rate their delivery service. It found that 65% of the respondents claim their service is excellent, while 24% rate the service as good and the other 11% rate it as fair or poor.
     To help newspapers improve on these percentages, the Circulation Committee has developed a list of tips and suggestions.
     Customer service is measured not by the giver but by the receiver. The receiver (customer) will measure us on all levels of service from delivery, time and placement, to billing and even telephone courtesy. In all we do, preparation and continued training is a must.
     The following are some "to do’s:"

· Field Checks – Circulation employees check on time and placement of paper deliveries for each carrier. Focus on carrier’s with the most complaints.
· New start verification – The cost of acquiring and retaining new customers is expensive. All new starts should be called to insure they are happy with the paper and their delivery service.
· Recovery – Anytime a customer calls in for missed papers a recovery paper should be delivered as soon as possible. We do not want our customers to think they can go even one day without our paper.
· Service Ratio – We should measure the number of complaints we receive from our customers down to the carrier level. This provides us with a valuable tool to analyze our delivery and make the necessary changes to improve our service.
· Customer Surveys – Random surveys on all areas allows for finding problems before it is too late.
· Service Contest – Build a contest that revolves around service. This will show your staff the importance you place on good service.
· Follow up phone calls – Call customers back that have called into the customer service department to see if their problem has been resolved. Just because they have not called back does not mean the problem has been corrected.
· Empower phone clerks – The people that talk to the customers are the people that are representing your company. Customers do not want to talk to a lot of people to get one problem resolved.
· Good communication – The most important factor when it comes to improving customer service.

     To obtain customer service excellence we need to exceed all of the above.
     Customer service extends to our internal customers as well; we need to be responsive to other departments within the newspaper as well as our carrier force. We set the example for all by our own example.
     More information on this topic will be presented during the circulation session at the Summer Convention at Rocky Gap.

Linn, circulation & packaging director for The Baltimore Sun Community Newspapers, is a member of the MDDC Circulation Committee and chair of the Service Subcommittee. Schwind, a circulation manager for the same company, serves on the Service Subcommitee.