I had contact with IPS management yesterday about why they were closed after 3pm. Looking at a year of call data they found that less than five calls a week come in after 3pm. They decided to cut hours and thereby reduce labour costs.
The only reason I discovered this is because a newsagent complained to me. While I understand labour is a high cost to any business, customer service is important, especially when it comes to niche magazine titles only available in newsagencies.
One way any company can reduce labour hours is to improve online services, to enable those who might call to resolve any issue online through a smart website. This is something IPS ought to act on.
I closed my account with IPS a couple of month’s ago for a lot of reason’s but lack of communication was one of them,I’ll be returning mags till August before I’m truly shot of them. It always seemed to take a couple of weeks to get an answer to an email so closing the call centre at 3pm (that’s midday in the west) isn’t going to improve thing’s.
To anyone at IPS reading this I’ve been waiting 2 month’s for a reply to my email asking what is going to happen to any credit’s you owe me on my account, if you’d like to get of your ass and do your job it would be appreciated!
That’s why you never pay your account in full while there are outstanding returns
Shauns, I haven’t payed my account since I closed it and it will be in credit as of this month, thing is I’m holding IPS titles with a wk30 return date and it’s now wk04 so I’ve got 6 month’s before everthings finalised. The fact IPS can force magazines on us with a 9 month onsale period and then contractually obligate us to keep it on display for the entire 9 months is another good reason to be shot of them.
Steve I am sure they are reading this.
IPS WILL listen if more Newsagents close their accounts well done Steve