A Day in the Life: Denise Jones

This account was written for the MidAtlantic News Research Conference on July 18-19, 1997.


I manage the public research service/information store for The News &
Observer.

I usually come in around 8am.  I check phone messages and usually
forward my phones til 9am.  This is best time of day to work
uninterrupted. 
Depending on what I am working on I read email either before or after
9am.  There are usually several requests that are forwarded from the
online editors about reusing articles from our web site or asking for
information from our archives.  I refer them to our Reprint Permission
Policy which is on the web or explain that PiSYS IQ can do the research
for them -- for a fee.  I also let them know what resources are
available for free locally.  I have several "canned" responses that I
can easily edit to fit most requests.

Today I am working on a project for a client in Washington DC.  It
involves searching newspapers and business sources in the greater
Washington DC area.  After doing the online searching, this project
requires a lot of post processing.  Much of what my client is wanting is
found in business briefs.  Because briefs can run really long in some
publications and the infomation the client needs may be only a couple of
lines in the article I delete all the extraneous information from the
articles and bold portions of articles that contain significant
information for the client.  After a final read I print the the file and
fax it to the client.  A few clients can be sent research by email but
for the most part clients still prefer fax.  For projects too large to
fax we use Fed Ex and Priority Mail.  We always follow up a fax or email
with a hard copy and invoice (or receipt if they charged to a credit
card).  Then I prepare and print an invoice for the client and put the
hard copy and invoice in the mail.  I update our database of client
requests.  I have already started an electronic file for this project
but I need to finish it with the amount of the charge, what online
sources were used, when the project was faxed and mailed, etc.

Except for when I am doing online searching, I take phone calls from the
public.  These calls come to us directly because people have used our
services before or; they come from the operators, reporters, editors and
other departments forwarding calls to us.  Depending on the what the
people are asking for I explain what IQ can do for the them and
approximately how much the request would cost.  I also explain how
people can do the research themselves with local resources.  I have a
voice tree that has the same information also but I don't forward people
from a live person to a voice tree.  The operators are encouraged to
forward people to the voice tree ane there is an option from the voice
tree to talk with someone in IQ. Though many people prefer to spend
their time instead of their money, often business would rather pay the
$20.00+ to get the article(s).

Today a CPA firm wants an article that they remember being in the biz
section a month or two ago.  While I talk to them I search for them in
the client database to determine if IQ has ever done research for them
before.  I find that we have worked for another person in the CPA office
but not for the person making the call.  I double check the fax number
that we have on file with the CPA firm. Because I am trying to wrap up
the Washington DC project I ask "How quick do you need this article?" 
He responds "Can I have it by the end of day today?"  I reply that he
should have the article by fax by mid-afternoon.  Less than two hours
later I am searching for the biz article.  It was an easy find that I
print and fax to the client.  

Today I'm eating a late lunch in the office.  It's a good time to read
over the Searcher magazine that came in the this week's mail.  After
lunch I prepare an invoice for the CPA.  Since this is the first time we
have provided research to this particular person before, when I mail the
article and the invoice I include a letter thanking the client for
letting us provide him with research. The letter also explains our
research service and the array of resources we can provide.  This type
of personal letter has proved to be one of IQ's best marketing stategies
for getting repeat clients. Along with the letter I send a IQ brochure
also.

Today I have had three phone calls before lunch from people wanting to
reprint something from the paper.  One was for a cartoon so I refer that
person to the syndicate.  For the other two I get their fax number and
explain that all requests must be submitted in writing and that I am
faxing them a copy of the N&O's repring permission policy that explains
how to submit a request.

Another person who works in my office is Karen Hughes.  Her main
responsibility is the N&O Bookstore.  This is the other component of the
research service.  The N&O Bookstore sells books and posters.  All of th
products we sell either are produced by the N&O or have a tie with the
N&O.  We run numerous house ads for our products.  People can order by
mail and send a check.  They may also purchase the products at the
Customer Service desk.  In addition they can place orders over the phone
with credit cards.  IQ runs Karen's phone number as the order line. 
Karen and I both answer that number as needed to take orders and answer
questions about the products.  We also have a message on the line that
explains how people can leave their order information on the phone.

By mid-afternoon I have everything completed with both the projects and
begin working on the lastest recipe book.  I have downloaded some recipe
columns from 1996 and I am making them into a recipe book.  Occasionly
there is a nonsense character in the file that will require me checking
the microfilm to find exactly how the column ran the the paper.  We sure
don't want to confuse 1/4 t. with 4 T!!!  I pring out the pages that I
have questions about and set them aside to check against microfilm
later.

Late in the afternoon I get a call from a writer in features.  He has a
idea he wants to talk about this afternoon.  He is proposing a new
series and wants talk about potential products we might develop from the
series.
He comes over to my office so we can talk without the interruptions of
the features dept.  We brainstorm some and come up with some ideas he
can put in a proposal.

Although my days can vary a lot -- this was a typical day I suppose. 
Research and answering the phone and working on new projects make up
many of my days -- its the mixture of those that changes from day to
day. I think I would be very bored if my days were too much alike.

-- 
Denise J. Jones
PiSYS IQ Information Quest Manager
The News & Observer
voice: (919) 829-8918
fax: (919) 829-8968


A Day in the Life
SLA News Division Home

Last Updated: 09/16/02
Amy Disch
Send comments or suggestions to newsdivisionweb@yahoo.com