The Star Tribune box near our house in Duluth is often empty by eight o'clock or even earlier. Once this week it had three or so copies after eight, but it was back to empty by 7:30 this morning.
Earlier this week I sent email to the customer service department and received no reply. I thought maybe more copies yesterday was the action the Star Tribune took in response to my email. When it was empty today, I sent another email. I received a reply that included:
"Thank you for contacting the Star Tribune. I would be happy to assist you with your inquiry. Please call our single copy department at 612-673-4313."
Excuse me, but shouldn't customer service route complaints to the relevant department rather than ask the customer to call that department.
And people complain about being routed from one government department to another. Bureaucracy is found in all economic models.
Showing posts with label corporate bureaucracy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corporate bureaucracy. Show all posts
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Corporate customer service efficiency?
Why do large corporations continue to disprove the myth of the efficiency of the free market?
Last week I sent feedback to Frontier.com because their login box was below the visible part of the opening page. I got back the usual long-winded, formulaic message of "glad to help me" and detailed instructions on how to log in. Doesn't customer service read the messages? If I said that I found the hidden login box, shouldn't they assume I logged in and thank me for my suggestion? I'm almost ready to give up on sending comments to large corporations. I've had far better luck with companies with one or a handful of employees.
Today I found another seemingly badly designed web site. I'm ready to make a Required Minimum Distribution from my Vanguard IRA. I would like to transfer the RMD into my regular Vanguard account. No can do!! If I try to sell from one IRA fund, it will only let me buy into another of my IRA funds, have a check sent, or have a deposit into my checking account.
If I go to the RMD preference page, it let's me check for two different automatic withdrawals or making a withdrawal by other means. See above for the only other means. Don't they want me to keep my money in Vanguard funds?
Maybe the web site is not ready to accept non-automatic RMD transactions for this year. I was able to do it for the past two years. I'll try again in a week or two.
Market economies over time will be more flexible than other economic systems, but those who "worship" market economies should have the humility to admit that market economies can be inefficient and bureaucratic too. After all, like all economies, they are run by people who make misteaks.
Last week I sent feedback to Frontier.com because their login box was below the visible part of the opening page. I got back the usual long-winded, formulaic message of "glad to help me" and detailed instructions on how to log in. Doesn't customer service read the messages? If I said that I found the hidden login box, shouldn't they assume I logged in and thank me for my suggestion? I'm almost ready to give up on sending comments to large corporations. I've had far better luck with companies with one or a handful of employees.
Today I found another seemingly badly designed web site. I'm ready to make a Required Minimum Distribution from my Vanguard IRA. I would like to transfer the RMD into my regular Vanguard account. No can do!! If I try to sell from one IRA fund, it will only let me buy into another of my IRA funds, have a check sent, or have a deposit into my checking account.
If I go to the RMD preference page, it let's me check for two different automatic withdrawals or making a withdrawal by other means. See above for the only other means. Don't they want me to keep my money in Vanguard funds?
Maybe the web site is not ready to accept non-automatic RMD transactions for this year. I was able to do it for the past two years. I'll try again in a week or two.
Market economies over time will be more flexible than other economic systems, but those who "worship" market economies should have the humility to admit that market economies can be inefficient and bureaucratic too. After all, like all economies, they are run by people who make misteaks.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Socialized or corporatized medicine, which would you prefer?
Serendipity strikes again! I was seeking information about Neuberger Berman High Yield Securities (NHS) and stumbled across a reference to Britain's National Health Service (NHS). Following that reference I found "An Eye Opening Adventure in Socialized Medicine" by Steve Silberman, an investigative reporter for Wired Magazine and others.
He awoke one night in London with eyes full of gunk. He recounts his interactions with his insurer (via a transatlantic one dollar per minute phone call) and with NHS, Britain's National Health Service. I recommend reading the full article.
I will add that there is an interesting comment on when and for whom health care is better - in Britain or the U.S. Hint: one size does not fit all.
He awoke one night in London with eyes full of gunk. He recounts his interactions with his insurer (via a transatlantic one dollar per minute phone call) and with NHS, Britain's National Health Service. I recommend reading the full article.
I will add that there is an interesting comment on when and for whom health care is better - in Britain or the U.S. Hint: one size does not fit all.
Friday, April 01, 2011
More on corporate bureaucracies
I don't write these little nasties because I think all large corporations are bad. I write them because there are too many commentators who think all government is bad and all private enterprise is efficient.
Sorry, folks there are also efficient governments and inefficient corporations. The determinant is not the organizational type, but management. There are plenty of good managers in both government and corporations, and there are plenty of bad managers in both government and corporations.
Anybody who thinks otherwise doesn't read "Dilbert". Scott Adams bases his characters on real-life people in his various corporate jobs. See http://www.dilbert.com/about/. I couldn't find it on his website, but I understand that he gets many contributions from readers about crazy situations that they have encountered. I do know that I've seen Wally, the slacker, as a co-worker many times in large corporations.
Wow, that was a long introduction to a single minor observation.
I just paid my Verizon Wireless bill online. At the top of the page is a weather report for Two Harbors MN. I live in Duluth, a larger city about 25 minutes down the shore with quite different weather. Several months ago I sent a comment to Verizon Wireless about this, and I received some waffling comment that really didn't bring about any change.
Sorry, folks there are also efficient governments and inefficient corporations. The determinant is not the organizational type, but management. There are plenty of good managers in both government and corporations, and there are plenty of bad managers in both government and corporations.
Anybody who thinks otherwise doesn't read "Dilbert". Scott Adams bases his characters on real-life people in his various corporate jobs. See http://www.dilbert.com/about/. I couldn't find it on his website, but I understand that he gets many contributions from readers about crazy situations that they have encountered. I do know that I've seen Wally, the slacker, as a co-worker many times in large corporations.
Wow, that was a long introduction to a single minor observation.
I just paid my Verizon Wireless bill online. At the top of the page is a weather report for Two Harbors MN. I live in Duluth, a larger city about 25 minutes down the shore with quite different weather. Several months ago I sent a comment to Verizon Wireless about this, and I received some waffling comment that really didn't bring about any change.
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