KATHY POSNER GET'S RESULTS IN CHICAGO

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THE CHICAGO GOSSIP

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 Smug Kathy Posner

Sue Kupcinet, president of the Kathy Posner Fan Club and loyal, daily blog reader, asked me to do a follow up on some stories I wrote about. Because she performs many tasks as President of the Club, how could I turn down this simple request? If I did, she might stop answering all the fan mail! So this blog is for Sue.

LISA AND THE SALON

On Wednesday, March 28th, I wrote about how my friend Lisa was having a problem redeeming a gift certificate at a beauty salon. This seemingly innocent posting had nothing to do with important worldly issues of the day, yet it received 42 comments-- more comments than any other posting in the three year history of the blog.

It was a simple story. Lisa had received a $200 gift certificate as a present but when she tried to make an appointment at the salon, they would not make one without her giving a credit card number over the phone. Lisa did not want to do that and came to me for help. She wanted me to “trash” the salon.

I could not turn Lisa down because she is the friend who has accompanied me to the hospital at check-in every one of the twelve times I have had a surgical procedure. Since I have checked-out all twelve of those times, I feel Lisa is my good luck charm so I could not turn her down.

The posting had very successful results. By the afternoon of March 28th, the salon owner had called Lisa and begged her to “call off the dogs.” So many people had posted complaints on the salon’s web site it had crashed and their Facebook page was littered with nasty remarks. The owner agreed to let Lisa make an appointment without giving her credit card number.

Lisa has not gone to the salon yet because she is worried that they might do the equivalent of “spitting” in her food. She thinks she will spend the gift money on products instead.

SUN-TIMES SUBSCRIPTION PRICE

On April 18th, I wrote three stories about money.One of them had to do with my being upset that the Sun-Times had raised its home delivery subscription price from $107 to $169 a year or 57%. They also wanted payment a year in advance and who knew if the newspaper would still exist in a year!

I went on-line and discovered I could buy a yearly subscription for only $91 if I were not already a subscriber. The only catch for me was that I would have to cancel my home delivery for three months to be able to take advantage of the offer.

I called the Sun-Times subscription department and gave them two options. They could either give me the $91 price now or I would cancel. They turned me down. This made no sense to me because newspapers are desperate for subscribers and each one is golden. But I was going to stick with what I wrote and cancel the paper when my current subscription expired in May.

Last week I received a call from the Sun-Times subscription department saying they heard I was upset and they were willing to give me a year’s subscription for the $91 price. I accepted the offer.

I was feeling very smug thinking some high executive at the paper had heard about my blog but then I learned the truth.

Loyal blog reader Cheryl Lewin had passed my posting on to an advertising executive at the paper who wrote her. 

“Hi Cheryl, It was good to hear from you, but only until I got to the part where we pissed off a loyal reader; thank you SO MUCH for calling this situation to my attention. “ I am not going to share the name of the ad exec because I don’t think it would be fair for everyone to start bothering him about their subscription pricing. I have to protect my sources!

PLASTIC BAGS

On March 27th I wrote about my fear that the State of Illinois was looking into legislation that would outlaw plastic bag. I love plastic bags and did not want to see this happen. Instead it looks like Senate Bill 3442 would create a recycling act and the bags will be not be banned.

Synopsis As Introduced:

"Creates the Plastic Bag and Film Recycling Act. Requires manufacturers of plastic carryout bags to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and pay to the Agency an initial registration fee and annual registration renewal fee. Prohibits a manufacturer from selling or offering to sell plastic carryout bag in the State unless the manufacturer is registered with the Agency and its name is printed on the plastic carryout bags it manufactures. Requires each manufacturer to develop, and submit to the Agency, a plan to support the collection and recycling of plastic carryout bags and plastic film product wrap. Prohibits retailers from purchasing plastic carryout bags from manufacturers under certain circumstances. Sets forth duties of the Agency. Creates penalties for violations of the Act. Encourages manufacturers to include recycled content in the plastic carryout bags that they produce."

CONCLUSION

Lisa will be able to carry home her salon products in a plastic bag, the Sun-Times will be delivered in a plastic bag and I will have a convenient way to suffocate the next person who makes me mad!