Customer Service - The Newsweek Way

Editor’s Note: I am publishing this same post to all my blogs this week as I feel that it is that important on just how stupid a company can possibly be. Enjoy my frustration:

Imagine the following scenario:

Mom: “Here son, have some more broccoli”

Son: “But mom, I don’t like it.”

Mom: “I will give you even more tomorrow because I know you enjoy it so much.”

Son: “I don’t want any more.”

Mom: “But you really want more.”

This is exactly the type of scenario that has been created over the last couple of weeks with me against Newsweek. Ever since the start of the new digital issue, I have been very disappointed with the new format. Here’s why:

There are 8 different platforms to access Newsweek from. Since I don’t own a Kindle, Nook, iPhone, or Windows 8 computer, I am left with 2 ways to access the magazine. The first way is to use the web browser and view the magazine online. Well, I tried that on the first issue and could not get past the first page ad. To add insult to injury, the small print could not be changed to a larger font. I tried Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox with the same results. I just couldn’t get past the first screen. Given that screen took about 3 minutes to load, I wasn’t going to try to load a different issue to see if it would get any better. Sadly, this approach made my broadband connection look like an old 56k modem connection. And, no other webpages load perfectly so apparently it is something wrong with the Newsweek site.

The other way to get the magazine is to use the Zinio Reader, which I have used in the past. I don’t like this approach because every time I use the program, it wants to download ALL my magazines even though I don’t want to. The size of the magazines are not of small size either as some of them could take up to 100mb per issue. Certainly no compression here and nor economical either. Of course, I decided that this was not the way to go either so I decided to cancel my remaining subscription of 3 months and wanted a different print issue as said on their website.

So I decided to use their email system to request a cancellation. A week went by and I heard nothing at all from them. I then sent out a second request asking again of my alternatives. After a week, I finally got the following response exactly as shown below:

Dear Mr. Brown,

Thank you for your email. We have received an overwhelmingly positive response to the new all-digital Newsweek.

We're sincerely sorry for the wait time, and to make up for any delay in service, we have added two months of free access to your subscription.

In the meanwhile, please try the following help links, which have resolved most of the issues for other subscribers.

Login problems:

Can't login to Newsweek:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/apps-and-mobile-faq.html#login

Don't know my password (or requested new password and didn't get one):

http://www.thedailybeast.com/apps-and-mobile-faq.html#update

Not sure where to read Newsweek? Click for help with your device:

iPad

http://www.thedailybeast.com/apps-and-mobile-faq.html#ipad

Kindle Fire, Fire HD 7", Fire HD 8.9"

http://www.thdailybeast.com/apps-and-mobile-faq.html#kindlefire

Other Kindle

http://www.thedailybeast.com/apps-and-mobilefaq.html#kindle

PC or Mac Computers & Laptops

http://www.thedailybeast.com/apps-and-mobile-faq.html#desktop

Nook

http://www.thedailybeast.com/apps-and-mobile-faq.html#nook

Android Tablets & Phones

http://www.thedailybeast.com/apps-and-mobile-faq.html#android

If you do not want to receive the digital edition, please call us at 1-800-631-1040 to cancel for a refund.

Yours truly,

Newsweek Customer Service

All of the blank spacing above is their doing, not mine. Not only did they not answer me, but also they were giddy over how well they were doing and even extended my subscription by 2 months! How is that for not helping the customer properly? It should be apparent that whoever sent this letter not only didn’t read my letter, but also used a cut-and-paste answer approach to my problem. This is NOT how you do it people!!

You actually read the person’s letter and respond accordingly, not just send out any old canned response just to get rid of the customer. To make matters worse, they want me to CALL and cancel my subscription instead. Anybody who has ever called one of these numbers know that the people who answer the phones are from India and have no real comprehension of the English language whatsoever. I refuse to talk to people who are clueless with what I say given that they are already clueless with what I have written.

Now I have sent out a THIRD request to cancel the subscription and want an email sent back with my alternatives listed. I did that back on Monday, 4 days ago, and have yet to hear back from anybody, not even an acknowledgement that the company received my letter.

Of course, I am writing all this to let everyone know just how stupid a company like Newsweek actually is and how disrespectable they are to their subscribers. I will NEVER renew my subscription with them EVER!! They are just one example of a poor business model. I really wonder if they are really overwhelmed with positive responses or just ashamed to respond to the hundreds of people like me angry at their lousy service model. Web-based magazines will never cut it with me – give me old-fashioned paper anytime.

Shame on Newsweek for their lousy customer service. Let’s all cancel everything from Newsweek and never look back. They deserve to fail once and for all.