As magazines continue to struggle, some are treating subscribers the way Tommy Boy does biscuits that represent Callahan brake pad sales contacts. Take Rick, who was good enough to pay upfront for two years of Reader’s Digest, and now must field offers from the company to renew the four-month-old subscription: [More]
reader’s digest
Reader's Digest Wants My Grandma To Pay For Gift Subscription
By 8.18.10
Amy tried to buy her grandma a present that would show up regularly in her mailbox and keep her occupied. The Reader’s Digest subscription she bought her fit the bill, but not the way Amy hoped because the magazine kept insisting that Granny owed $20. [More]
5 Pieces Of Info To Keep Sacred, Or Lose Your Shirt
By 7.16.09
Pretty basic stuff but sometimes people need a reminder. Check page 92 in the latest RD issue for more on what the dangers are and how to protect from them. I had a great interview with badass Avivah Litan, VP and distinguished analyst at Gartner research, that we only got to use one line from. I hope to publish it on Consumerist soon.
20 Tips To Eating Healthy When Dining Out
By 7.23.08
Eating healthy and dining out may be two unrelated concepts in your world. But with the help of Debra L. Gordon and David L Katz, M.D., authors of “Stealth Health,” these two concepts can work together in harmony. Readers Digest has assembled 20 tips to eating smart when dining out which are excerpts from the aforementioned book. See some of our favorite tips, inside…
Looking For Scam Victims
By 7.21.08
Have you been the victim of a scam? Or had someone try to scam you? I’m working on a Reader’s Digest article scams and am looking for some anecdotes about specific “ripped from the headline” type scams. The scams and national trends I’m looking at are posted inside. If your story fits the trend but not necessarily the exact scam, I want to hear from you too. If you have a good story and are willing to have your picture published, please send a note with your contact info to ben@consumerist.com, subject: Scam Tales.
13 Confessions Of A Waiter
By 7.15.08
Except for those who actually work in the food service industry, the general public is largely unaware of restaurants’ inner-workings, and after you read the following article you may concede that ignorance is bliss. Reader’s Digest has complied a list of 13 confessions of a waiter which are excerpts from a book called “Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip–Confessions of a Cynical Waiter” by an author who simply goes by “The Waiter.” See some of our favorites, inside…
Ben Popken's Consumer Satisfaction Reader's Digest Article Online
By 4.21.08
My Reader’s Digest article on getting consumer satisfaction is up online. It’s chock-full of tips for being a savvy consumer, illustrated with real world success stories you first read on this site, stories like Mona “Hammer Granny” Shaw, Lona “I have a situation that you are going to fix for me today” Nicholle, Anne “Give me a reason to stick around” Braswell, and the little old lady WaMu hit with 20 overdraft fees. I break down techniques like Town Crier, Executive Email Carpet Bomb, Threaten to cancel, Dictate the Options, and Calling the Executive Suite as escalated customer service problem solving options when traditional methods fail. Check it out!
My Article In Reader’s Digest, Interview In GOOD Magazine
By 4.3.08 — Updated: 10.25.12
I have a ~2,300 word article in the May issue of Reader’s Digest called, “Consumer Relief: How To Get What You Pay For.” It’s all about kicking butt as a consumer and getting what you deserve from customer service. You may recognize several of the anecdotes as many of them came directly from reader stories originally posted on The Consumerist. I haven’t seen it myself yet and it doesn’t seem to be online yet but people tell me it came out nicely. And if you just can’t get enough Consumerist.com appearing-in-print action, there’s also an interview with me in GOOD magazine out this month as well.
Consumerist in Readers Digest
By 9.28.06
Turn to page 19 on the October issue of Reader’s Digest, easily found in your doctor’s waiting room.
Best Shop Clerks of 1965
By 3.1.06
Obsessive Consumption points us to a fantastic vid by Reader’s Digest presenting the very best check out gals of 1965. Note the intelligence in their eyes far greater than their menial task. Note the copies of Reader’s Digest in the background. A classy effort.
