We take our hats off this week to an often uncelebrated crew: your local Newspaper carriers.
Carrier appreciation day falls on Oct. 8 this year.
One of our pastimes includes watching documentaries and reading books on successful people. Many times we have been surprised to learn their first job was delivering Newspapers, whether that was their local daily or community Newspaper.
It takes someone with drive to make the commitment required. The delivery – that last crucial step in putting out a quality publication – resides with our carriers. Without good carriers, all the hard work and investment on the part of advertisers is for naught. People want their paper and our team strives to deliver.
At the recent IPM near Harriston a woman presented herself at our booth and had a great story to tell. One Christmas she left a note for her carrier and addressed it to “the little lady who delivers our Wellington Advertiser.” It wasn’t much later the carrier stopped to say hello, introduce herself and thank the homeowner for the kind message. A few weeks later the homeowner went south for holidays and made an arrangement to stop delivery during that time. She was most happy that it resumed as soon as they returned home.
While we prefer to handle stops and starts through our circulation department, it was great to hear of a relationship started on the basis of mutual respect and a good understanding of customer service.
Currently we have over 150 carriers delivering the Advertiser. Cheque signing time each month tells quite a tale – of families who have made delivery somewhat of a family business. Perhaps an older sister started and as she grew up and moved on to other things, a sibling took the route over. It’s great to watch and we sure appreciate parents that see the value in instilling a healthy work ethic at a young age.
Something we are quite proud about and celebrate is the number of youngsters and teenagers that have used the paper route as a way to gain other life skills. Some youths on the autism spectrum or with other challenges, build confidence through the routine of delivery. It’s an opportunity to grow and it is more than heartening when a homeowner recognizes their hard work and diligence. A genuine thanks for a job well done goes a long way.
Delivering Newspapers isn’t all glory, all the time. The weather, particularly in winter, can make it a tough haul. There will be times that mistakes are made, but in our experience the homeowner who makes the effort to correct the situation is far more helpful than those who resort to scolding or worse.
Being a Newspaper carrier teaches great life lessons like perseverance, commitment to both the company and customers, and lessons in the human condition. There are a lot of great people out there and once in a while you need to deal with some not-so-nice people. But that’s life.
We have a substantial number of adult carriers too. Some deliver for some extra spending money and others use it as a good reason to get exercise at least one night a week. And likely, there are a good number of parents that pitch in when their youngster’s schedule makes it tough to deliver that week.
We would be remiss not to include the motor-route drivers who too take on a challenge each week getting Newspaper packages delivered. Through thick and thin, these dedicated people make their way to our warehouse or pre-determined pickup point to start delivery. Very often they are on the road for hours at a time, traversing every condition from gravel roads to busy highways and roads full of snow and ice in the winter. Every route is different, as are most mailboxes. That has improved since Canada Post introduced standard heights and setbacks but there was a time when it was quite a chore reaching up and out to place the paper inside.
As we head into the fall season and darkness descends far sooner, please keep your eyes out for our committed little business people. A yard light is a big help, as is keeping the driveway clear and mailbox easily accessible. Our carriers aim to please. Thank you kids, teenagers, adults, families and motor route drivers. Yours is a job we respect and appreciate.
