If a newspaper publisher asks you for a digital copy of all home delivery customers receiving their titles, so they can promote subscriptions to them, do you provide it?
they have their list of subscribers – they don’t need mine
3 likes
Dean O'Bree
I know of a distribution agent who did this, and the publisher promoted digital subscriptions to the customers, costing the distribution agent thousands in lost commissions per year.
I would not provide the list if possible, having said that you may be contractually obliged to send the list.
2 likes
Jeff
Thanks Mark for asking this. Hell no!
5 likes
colin
No way commerce in confidence, also privacy act is a issue. Would you provide a list of your regular unregistered customers to Tatts?
2 likes
Ian
You sign a contract with the newspaper publisher when you purchased and unless it has changed in the last few years, we are now out of our newsagency, you were required to give that info.
2 likes
Graeme
I think there are many issues here. For one, what is the real purpose for the requested information ?
hardly direct marketing as they have already given notice that they can and will give newsagents 6 months notice to take over deliveries in certain areas.
Now it seems that they want to canvas the unknown.
Could it be that they have doubts that the direct accounts that they have are not a financially viable alternate delivery system? So let’s see what else is out there. They have already taken the best profit subagents away with offering direct accounts and crediting RCTI invoices to agent accounts. Who’s customer is it now, theirs.
This is where H.D distribution is headed.
It’s only a matter of time yet there is so much you can do in that time to make sure you are not the victim.
Think outside of the system and therefore don’t be a victim of it
1 likes
Jenny
Maybe.
I push subscriptions to new customers.
Suits me to have customers with prepaid subscriptions, definitely saves time processing accounts and payments.
Customers contact the publisher not us for stop/starts so less interruption to retail business.
I don’t feel online is a big threat to our business, many of our customers now have both print and digital.
3 likes
John
Why wouldn’t you?
Paid every week, No accounts.
As a fully migrated home delivery business, we would never go back to charging readers.
2 likes
colin
Over the years I have seen my customers who have gone to direct subscriptions with the publishers lost. They no longer have to call me for stops and starts or make payments to me. Their loyalty is no longer there we become a not important destination they think that their dealings is with the publisher at a reduced cost and feel that we have overcharged them, so they do the usual one stop shop at the supermarkets.
1 likes
Graeme
The comments I read here re Home Delivery and customer loyalty reminds me of the time when the customer was totally ours. They paid weekly -never poorly and were revered, looked after in every way. Loyalty was everything. Over 1,000 papers per day and 3,000 on weekends when weekend (Sunday)prices double deliveries halved. circa.1970
The World has changed. We need to get over the past Jenny and her husband currently run a huge (country based) Distribution over are very large area.There is no illusion with them re retail and Delivery separate issues kept separately. Subscription payment direct to publisher means orderly payment, time saving and they do the canvassing. I get the newspapers home delivered daily as well as on line. A lot of people do.
We can’t cling to the past we can however use what is the future or what we perceive is left of it, to our advantage whether it is delivery or retail.
Ignore it
NO
they have their list of subscribers – they don’t need mine
I know of a distribution agent who did this, and the publisher promoted digital subscriptions to the customers, costing the distribution agent thousands in lost commissions per year.
I would not provide the list if possible, having said that you may be contractually obliged to send the list.
Thanks Mark for asking this. Hell no!
No way commerce in confidence, also privacy act is a issue. Would you provide a list of your regular unregistered customers to Tatts?
You sign a contract with the newspaper publisher when you purchased and unless it has changed in the last few years, we are now out of our newsagency, you were required to give that info.
I think there are many issues here. For one, what is the real purpose for the requested information ?
hardly direct marketing as they have already given notice that they can and will give newsagents 6 months notice to take over deliveries in certain areas.
Now it seems that they want to canvas the unknown.
Could it be that they have doubts that the direct accounts that they have are not a financially viable alternate delivery system? So let’s see what else is out there. They have already taken the best profit subagents away with offering direct accounts and crediting RCTI invoices to agent accounts. Who’s customer is it now, theirs.
This is where H.D distribution is headed.
It’s only a matter of time yet there is so much you can do in that time to make sure you are not the victim.
Think outside of the system and therefore don’t be a victim of it
Maybe.
I push subscriptions to new customers.
Suits me to have customers with prepaid subscriptions, definitely saves time processing accounts and payments.
Customers contact the publisher not us for stop/starts so less interruption to retail business.
I don’t feel online is a big threat to our business, many of our customers now have both print and digital.
Why wouldn’t you?
Paid every week, No accounts.
As a fully migrated home delivery business, we would never go back to charging readers.
Over the years I have seen my customers who have gone to direct subscriptions with the publishers lost. They no longer have to call me for stops and starts or make payments to me. Their loyalty is no longer there we become a not important destination they think that their dealings is with the publisher at a reduced cost and feel that we have overcharged them, so they do the usual one stop shop at the supermarkets.
The comments I read here re Home Delivery and customer loyalty reminds me of the time when the customer was totally ours. They paid weekly -never poorly and were revered, looked after in every way. Loyalty was everything. Over 1,000 papers per day and 3,000 on weekends when weekend (Sunday)prices double deliveries halved. circa.1970
The World has changed. We need to get over the past Jenny and her husband currently run a huge (country based) Distribution over are very large area.There is no illusion with them re retail and Delivery separate issues kept separately. Subscription payment direct to publisher means orderly payment, time saving and they do the canvassing. I get the newspapers home delivered daily as well as on line. A lot of people do.
We can’t cling to the past we can however use what is the future or what we perceive is left of it, to our advantage whether it is delivery or retail.