[carpetclean]

i agree with the last post even from my own experience looking in y/p for what ever i need doing i would not ring free numbers as i think big company! no personal care , i want someone local who's friendly not some tw-t sat in an office earning money off sub contractors.

[Scott Martin]

Carpetclean-

who are you calling a twat....................................i work the tools everyday so watch the cheek.

[conallon]

Red its probably not that your  ugly, husbands ect do not want you alone with there woman 

Conrad

p.s catch 22

[Mike Halliday]

I criticised red carpets Ad so I think its only fair to post my rough copy of what I'm planning this year.
this what I've done on my computor, the Y/P will do it better, 

 

[homenclean]

Why not show your free phone and your local number, people know your local and they dont have to pay for the call. i do this in all my adds and get a reasonable response. also over the years i have found that it is not always the size of your add it is the content keep it short and too the point people dont want to read a short story. the position of the add within the book makes a big differance to respose, people read from left to right so an add on the left hand side of the left page is better than one in the crease of the book.

Yours
John

[the red carpet]

Thanks mike,
That ad will definatly pull more customers because of all the offers, i use most of those offers on my leaflets and they work well.
Dont know why but i was under the impression you couldnt use offers in the y/p
I was thinking of doing it but after looking through my local y/p not one person is doing it in any catagory, havent done for the last 3 years i just checked in my old books for my area and surronding areas.

Are you sure they allow it?

[carpetclean]

reply to scott just noticed your reply to me !!!??? i was not being personal in any way and no offence meant i was just  stating my own prefrence and possibly others when searching yellow pages for any kind of trade and no way i would call you a thingy im far too respectful to other members so i apologise if it read that way

[Phil Marlor]

The YP rep told me this year that it will soon be acceptable to add your prices to your advert.

This is a big mistake in my opinion as it will just become a price War, biggest advert with the best price will be bombarded with calls.

Phil

[Scott Martin]

carpetclean - no offence taken mate.

[cleaning co]

i know with the tompson book if u put prices in u hav to sign  papers saying u will  keep to them prices for the year that book is printed,if u dont a punter has a right to report u to trading standerds

[mark_roberts]

Hi Mike

Just curious but if i go for the 3 for 2 offer then I get them protected for free?? and if Im an OAP I get 10% off on top of that??  How did you do your sums?

and whats that machine you got??  are you buffing carpets instead of your TM.

thanks
Mark

[Mike Halliday]

Mark they can only chose one of the offers, if they go for 3 for 2 then they can't also ask for free stain guard

they get  the through lounge (£70ish) & Hall,stairs landing (£50ish) then they will get a bedroom or dining room done for free, this will take an extra 15mins I still walk out of the house with £120 if they are oaps then I will knock of £12 but I find OAPs don't have dirty carpets so are quicker.

I've done these specail offers last jan & this month it does'nt make any differance to my earnings they just get more rooms cleaned.

the free stainguard cost me £5 a room not a great deal.

Mike

[ABLECLEAN]

Hi Red

Your ad is similar to mine. I have a photo of myself cleaning with the machine and wand in full view.  I have done a lot of research with my customers and they all said the ads with all the Joe Polish type text was too small to read. They look for 1) A Local firm.
     2) A professional looking photo
     3) A few lines of text which tells them the basics.
     4) a large phone number.

I never get asked if I am in the NCCA or similar.
I very rarely get asked if I am insured.
In fact I book almost all of my jobs on the phone (and I am not cheap).

The trick is to sell yourself!!. Come across as the professional that you are and you will do well.

My ad returned 17K last year.

Good luck

[the red carpet]

As i thought a lot of mixed opinions.

Mike thinks its rubbish

Neil thinks it needs more info

scott martin thinks keep it short and sweet

Mark reckons dump the pics

Alan reckons you need full coulor photos

Cleaning co likes it

Homenclean reckons keep it short

Ableclean thinks its fine, and had a simualer ad that pulled £17000

And iv been advised to keep it full colour, go two colour, and keep it black on white
 

Anyway i apreciate all your advice but obviously couldnt follow it all.
I am having a few changes done at the minute and will post the final copy back on hear for you all to see.

I will then let you all know how it works for me, so anyone thinking of using somthing simualer will have a idea how much and what sort of work this type of ad will attract.

[cleaning co]

lol

[Scott Martin]

bet you wont ask for advice in a hurry again.

ha ha

[Alan Brooker. Aqualink Carpet Care]

Ok now I'm really wound up
Just been posted latest Yellow Pages directory for new area.
My company is Aqualink... First letter in the alphabet, you'd think I'd be somewhere near the front of the classification.
FOUR PAGES OF SCABBY LITTLE AD'S WITH   ...........................0.0.0.0.0.1.1.1.1.A.A.AAAA...Zebra carpet cleaners
I'm seven pages back!
AAAAARRRGGHHHHHHH!
Yellow Pages rep specifically told me that this  dot dot dot rubbish had now been stopped.
I probably spend more on advertising than these idiots turn over in six months or more.

[Neil Grainger]

Alan

if your rep told you that go to them and complain, they will give you upto 50% of if you do it.

Happens over here to but rep has said nothing about this being cancelled.

Neil

[mark_lane]

Hi Alan
I was also told that they were stopping all that  AA rubbish.

[craigp]

tell them you been mis-sold