[Inside Out]

Here goes my first topic post, and first rant!?

How much work does anybody get from yellow pages? For 2011 i took out a yell.com and yellow pages advert that cost me just over £200.00. I can count on abu hamzas right hand how many jobs this brought in - i always ask!

So last wednesday i get a call from yell 'to confirm 2011 listing', to which i explain all of the above. 'I am sorry to hear that sir, perhaps you might like to take out a bigger advert!?' ie, waste even more money.

 After laughing, i say no thankyou. Low and behold, the very next day i get a phone call from south wales, saying that they have found my details in yellow pages, and would like me to quote for inside and out at their home!

Sound fishy? Any one have any knowledge of these fixed tactics?

Rant over - you cant beat word of mouth work!

[AshWhite]

I've heard a few people mention this sort of tactic, normally ends in cancelled appointments, never in actual sales - but you'd have to follow it through just to be certain I suppose

[AS Window Cleaning]

Not heard anything like this, follow it up and see if you get the job!!  I cant imagine that its fake.....

I have single line advert, and in drips and drabs seem to get a fair bit of interest, tho sadly often not in my area!

[Pope vader]

try phoning yellow pages and asking for wc in your area, and see if they recommend you

[stuart mc]

The fact they said yellow pages and not yell.com for the quote would make me think it is genuine enough, as far as yell.com are concerned I wouldn't put it past them to shove you to the top to make the sell, I was coming out higher when I first did a free line ad than the paid ads, of course followed by the sales calls.

last time they phoned me I told them I used a different number on all advertising so I could track what works and what doesn't(I don't but they don't know that) and I said it brought nothing at all.

they could not argue and left me alone  

[stuart mc]

try phoning yellow pages and asking for wc in your area, and see if they recommend you

I did that when I had the free ad one liner and came out top, that annoyed my dad who was paying a small fortune, and it shows the tactics for new accounts, they boost it then try the big sell

[Inside Out]

I Passed it on to someone who actually advertised cleaning in Wales, on the same page! Tho I never got a thankyou  

I was offered all the, we ll move you up the listing etc.

Thing was, I was higher when I had free listing! I rung to complain, but they always have their 'computer says no' answers.

Decided to spend the money on fowc membership instead this year.

[rosskesava]

Got exactly the same type of thing from a local phone book called 'Thompson Local'. I don't know if they're country wide though.

Paid £160 for an advert which to begin with was supposed to be £45 but somehow the price went up and up and then VAT on top.

Anyway, after vowing never to do that again and a year later, I get several 'inquiries' from people wanting a window cleaning way outside my area and many miles away.

A few days later, I get a call from Thompson Local about renewing my advert or possibly spending more which was presented as spending less. What a coincidence but I didn't twig at the time. I still told them to go f... themselves as I hadn't got a single phone call all year.

Yellow Pages, Thompson Local, etc, all a waste of money. I get more business through referals and having a sign written van than anything else.

[bobby p]

 

i  find a good way to get rid of them without being rude is to ask them to join me on the round as im so busy im snowed under with the work . they usually laugh and back off and it ends friendly.

[DavePBS]

"I had a yell.com ad a few years back when I used to do drain jetting so one day i thought i would give it a try so i phoned yell and said I had a blocked drain in sidmouth which is my home town I was given a phone number of a company in bridgewater about 40 miles away and when I said hang on why wasn't i given a more local company like me and i was told that the listing is done on a rota basis so regarding yell i think it is like a lottery unless they have made changes to improve the way companies are listed."

From a friends blog.

[Mike_G]

I used them once and did pick up a big school which I still do, good money too. Dont bother with them now as most leads were for one off cleans which were a waste of time. I agree with you about "word of mouth" its by far the best work I get