Originally Posted by
mightymax
snip...The things I learned while a DM.
1. A route was a whole family commitment not just for the kid.
2. Some kids were awful or lazy carriers and would lie to my face when confronted about problems on their routes.
3. There was no time off for a carrier.
4. People would screw over a kid on collections. I guess they figured they were cheating the paper not knowing the kid had to pay for their paper up front....
5. The Circulation Director I worked for was a dirtbag and would do things to make his circulation numbers look good but ultimately balance the books on the backs of teenage kids. I quit because of this!!!
Max Bryant
Truer words were never spoken, If my dad hadn't helped me get started on my routes each time, I doubt that I would have lasted the many years I did throw for the Pensacola News-Journal. When I started we still threw papers 6 afternoon of the week along with every morning. Its rain or shine, cold or hot and muggy, even during hurricanes, you showed up and you made your deliveries. I was lucky that most of my customers were good about paying me each week, several were good tippers, also. I worked at giving good service, timely delivery and dry/clean news papers. It paid off in customer loyalty.
I too truly despised soliciting, and I refused to do it on another paper boys' route, period. My last, large route had nearly 98% subscription, and the few that didn't subscribe were hard core non PNJ folks. It was useless to even knock on their doors, so I never bothered them.
I had an arrangement with the complaints department for them to call me at home if I got a complaint. I tool the subscriber a paper on the way to school, and it avoided the cost of the complaint being added to the weeks bill for my papers.
I threw right up until leaving for the Marines, my route had some great folks living there, I have kept track of many of them, sadly, the older people are dying off and that hits home for me. When my dad passed away while helping me deliver a huge Sunday edition, they took up a collection and presented it to me during a collection evening, that was amazing to experience.
Best tip I ever received from the years of delivering was a certain beautiful,black haired, brown eyed, olive complected girl becoming my wife. I learned organization, responsibility, and to get to bed early, 0400 comes really early and if you were out with the partyers(sp?), you paid for it. Funny thing was, when I got to PI, revile didn't seem early to me, that was close to my normal wake up.
Bill