Helping people – why do I bother?

May 25, 2010 in Waffle
Tags: readers, Sunderland Echo

I’m usually pretty good at helping people. I go out of my way to, say, direct readers to a relevant contact or to get a hold of past issues of the Sunderland Echo. It’s nice to be nice, and one more reader on our side in an era of dwindling print sales and an uncertain digital future doesn’t go amiss.

But sometimes – as I was reminded this morning – being nice isn’t always appreciated…

1. Reader email:

I would like to vote on the Internet Poll but where and how do I find it please?

2. My polite response:

Dear Mrs Xxxxxx,
 
Our internet vote is quite tricky to find as it does not appear on the main page of our website.
 
However, if you visit www.sunderlandecho.com and click on any of the individual articles it appears in the bottom right of the page.
 
All the best,
 
Lee

3. Reader’s delightful comeback

I’m afraid I do not have time to spend hunting the internet poll all day.
 
Who in the hell designed this awful web site–a drunk????
Xxxxxx X