by Brandon Schatz
After closing on their main offices on Friday, Diamond Comics distributed a message to all of their customers regarding the discontinuation of it’s toll free 1-800 number. The specifics (minus Diamond’s actual phone number) are as follows:
The number is being discontinued due to the many online and email recourses now available to facilitate communication between Diamond’ Home Office and its customers and vendors,” said Diamond Vice President of Retailer Services Chris Powell. “Additionally, many retailers no longer pay long-distance fees as part of their business or cellular telephone plans, so we anticipate that eliminating the toll-free number will create little or no disruption for our customers.”
To assist with the transition, callers to the toll-free number will hear a recording that reminders them of the number’s cessation beginning August 1, and will direct them to call Retailer Services at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
While the PR on this is handled quite well, the fact remains that Diamond is making further cuts to an already threadbare service. I would challenge you to find a retailer who has gone a single week without miss shipped quantities or extensive damages in the past five years, let alone having to deal with the all to frequent practice of missing entire orders of certain titles entirely. Furthermore, while I would admit to communicating with Diamond more through e-mail than any other medium, this is more due to the fact that it takes an infinite less amount of time to type out my shortages and damages each and every week, than waiting for my rep to return my call – if he feels like doing so on any given day. Regardless, this is yet another example of the company foisting costs onto their customers, a business model that will surely yield them positive results as retailers die from the amount of tiny little cuts experienced by the company’s shoddy service.
[The opinions expressed are those of Schatz and do not necessarily reflect those of The Beat]
They’ve been talking about this for like 10 years. Maybe more.
I don’t think this is really any big deal — I haven’t paid for a long distance call in like five years with our calling plans?
I think the bigger loss is the mnemonic of “45-comic”….!
-B
It might be a bigger deal for us in Canada. Our deals are decidedly different.
I’m surprised they aren’t doing what many call centre’s are doing, switching to a VOIP system – which is through the ‘net and significantly cheaper. I suppose there is an upfront cost to set that up that they don’t want to pay for.
I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t have a cell phone, which means free long distance. 800 numbers are a thing of the past in many ways, and the only long distance I EVER pay is when I call overseas.