The last mile (or at least the last few feet)

I recall an article a while ago describing a situation at a daily newspaper. A reader kept calling to complain that his paper was ending up in a puddle and he couldn't read it. There was much annoyance at the reader in the newsroom until one executive (I think the publisher) finally explained that this matter was as important as all the good work being done writing and editing . Why, because from the reader's perspective all that journalism was worth nothing until the reader could read it. Thus, the newspaper should do everything it could to solve this problem and those in the newsroom have a stake in the matter.

I mention this because I just canceled my sub to a newspaper because of its erratic delivery schedule. I won't mention the paper's name but this has been a constant problem for an entire year. Meanwhile, I've read several trade articles about how this paper is attempting to increase circulation with all sorts of programs, mostly involving content and reader studies. As one who has made his living (sort of) off content I am certainly pleased they see the value in content and commend them. However, until they can understand the importance of getting the product on my doorstep by 7 a.m. all that is worthless.

Granted, the paper has an online edition which I can access but I (and others) still value the paper edition.

Perhaps this is all pointless since the paper version of newspapers is dying anyway. However, I mention this not just to vent (my main purpose) but to illustrate why newspapers (and other manufacturers) never seem to fully understand the customer experience. They spend millions on all sorts of studies, programs, CRM systems, you name it. But the root cause of their problem is they don't understand or experience the interface between the product and the customer.