November 6, 2018 – Newspaper delivery service

         Flipping through my bills, I noticed I forgot to pay the 12 week newspaper subscription to The Daily Courier.  I write the check and immediately drive to the newspaper office.  The gal at the front desk is friendly – every 12 weeks I drop in to pay my bill and it seems I rarely have the same gal. 

         “I am late on my payment, but the carrier is still delivering.  Make sure my carrier knows I’ve paid.”

         The gal is looking at her computer screen and taking my payment and possibly making some sort of note – I am not sure what her bill receipt software can or can’t do.

         I don’t ask for special customer care very often, but I’d been getting the paper for over 20 years at this residence and the blue newspaper box is faded, cracked, and now lurching back to one side. 

         “Could you mention to the delivery person if they could fix the paper box upright. It is sort of leaning back and catching the rain.  The last few weeks I’ve had wet papers when it rains.”

         “The carrier is not putting your paper in a plastic sleeve?” The gal asked concerned.

         “No.”

         “They are supposed to, when it is raining,” she said with a frown.

         “Yeah, I know the rules; I actually delivered The Courier for a very short time, years ago.”

         “I’ll make a note for them to fix that.”  She clicked some more keys and I said,  

         “Thanks.”

         “No, we thank you - you’ve been a valued customer for many years,” was her highly professional customer service answer.

         As I left I wondered if my customer file indicated how long I’d had uninterrupted service with The Daily Courier, as I mentally calculated, 20 years at this house and 11 at the last house - that is a long time to be a continuous customer.

         Later that night stretched out on my bed watching TV late into the rainy night, I notice lights swing around the corner and stop near my mail box.  I look up, thinking, it’s the newspaper carrier delivering tomorrow morning’s paper.  But, then I hear a vehicle door open and close and then a second one open and close.  I hear a metal pounding sound.  Oh, they are fixing my paper box.  How nice.  The project completed I hear one vehicle door slam and then another door slam and the lights disappear.  How comforting, The Daily Courier must have a wonderful message system with the carriers – same day fix after a request. I wonder if it has anything to do with the tip I add into my bill payment.

         I think nothing of it the next morning when my husband comes in from walking the dog; he has retrieved the paper and drops it in my lap. 

         “We have a new paper box. I wonder why.”

         “New?”  I lean over, pull back my lace curtain, and see a white paper tube now close to the mailbox.

         “How about that.”  I smile knowingly. How nice, a new box after all these years.

If you want a laugh:  Visit my December 23, 2017 blog entitled: Newspaper Boy for a cute story on how I ended up delivering newspapers for a short period.