Yellow Pages company screwed up. What are your thoughts on how to make it right?

[P&R Fan]

I have been in business since 1985. I have always had an ad in the Yellow Pages of the local phone book. Actually two ads, one under Security Guard and Patrol Service and one under Private Investigations. Paid about $250 a month for the privilege.
Last Spring I opened up the book in June to inspect my ads......they weren't there! Called Dex, who I pay for the ads and they had no idea why. I have dealt with the same rep for years, and she emailed me copies of the ads, which I approved. They apparently just screwed up.
This has had a seriously negative effect on business. I rarely get calls from local people, unless I have dealt with them before. I do have an on-line ad, and it has brought in a few calls but not many.
I had a conversation with an attorney friend of mine and I told him I think I am entitled to free ads this year. He agreed. I said maybe a strongly worded letter to that effect from him might help too. Hope I don't have to do that.
Anyway, I will be talking to the rep soon. Probably will have to speak to her supervisor. Any thoughts on what my approach should be?
Jim

 

[SgtLumpy]

Wow!

I can't imagine paying $250 a month for a yellow pages ad.

Apparently, you do indeed generate business from those books. I haven't used a phone book in decades. They get recycled into painting stands and other uses in the shop. I guess I just assumed that phone books, yellow pages and residential listings, were an outdated thing of the past.

$250 a month? Wow and Re-Wow!


Sgt Lumpy

 

[Rule3]

I remember when running a company dealing with the damn Yellow Page Ads. Around here there was three of them. One was the actual major phone company. The others private companies. They were very expensive back then! I hated dealing with them.

If you have the signed/approved proofs then you are at least entitled to free next year (JMO) as to what can be done now? Probably nothing.
You probably signed a "exemption" type thing . Kinda like having surgery in the Hospital (nobody is at fault)

 

[arjay]

Those idiots can kill a business.I had friend whose ad left off the phone # for his shop...

 

[coltle6920]

Do you really only get the books on a yearly basis? Here in Denver it seems like every time I turn around there is a bag of new Yellow books on my doorstep.It has to be at least twice a year.

 

[Arik]

Yes. They owe you $250. Money or ad space. Just ask

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Comrad]

Holy smokes, people still let their fingers do the walking through the yellow pages in Iowa. Phone Books used to have the Yellow Pages in the back, I haven't seen a phone book in years around here. Wow, for $250, there's got to be a better way to get your name out there. Have you looked at cable TV advertisement, maybe a billboard on a good street or direct mail?

 

[zzzippper]

Is there a measurable decline in business from previous trends? Lost wages might be in play. But like posted earlier, they are probably smart enough to protect themselves.

 

[old bear]

Folks, the O/P is not talking about a total of $250.00 here. The fee is $250.00 a month. The total annual fees should be $3,000.00.

 

[Doug M.]

Consulting local legal counsel who practices in that field of the law is the right idea. There are cases around the country dealing with the measure of damages for such, but it's not my area of the law at all (not to mention I am not licensed in IA).

 

[Comrad]

They did you a favor, find another method of advertising.

 

[bgrone]

YELLOW PAGES

Jim,

I had problems also with Yellow pages way back before cell phones, I approved an ad and when book came out the ad was headlined in red and I was told I owed more than I was quoted.
I had the original order I signed, the rep had added the red headline after the fact and they said his copy was legal, they even said they would disconnect my phone if I didn't pat the extra. I told them to go somewhere warmer than Iowa
They finally gave in.

Although Yellow pages usage is down in this day in age I can see where potential clients for your services may look there first.

Good luck

Jim in Iowa

 

[ladyT]

Yellow Pages. Who uses yellow pages anymore in this day and age of gps,smart phones,tablets and Siri.

 

[G-Mac]

I used to have an ad in the Yellow Pages or Yellow Book or whatever they call it. It was a huge waste of money. I got more work by word of mouth.

 

[Mydogmax]

Yellow pages ?? I haven't used them in years. If they give you free ad space for your next contract year or however long your contract is, fine, take it, but I would no longer spend money on a 20th century advertising system. Take that $3000 per year and find a good web site designer. By good I mean not only the site design itself but someone who continues to monitor and maximize your search engine optimization.

 

[george minze]

I am afraid Yellow Page adds are a thing of the late great past.....Try to find an add that you know is in the Yellow's anymore...Print is small when you find it and so many folks are using cell phones these days, they forget about the Yellow's anymore.....Their goof get you dough back and advertise in another form....MOO

 

[H Richard]

If you check, TV advertising rates could be better and give you a heck of a lot more exposure.

 

[mtgianni]

I think that you will be reimbursed for a free ad next year but not for any lost business. MaBell messed up Dad's ad in the late 70's and refused to correct or mail a sticker out to every subscriber. I would push for 2 years free minimum. Good luck with it, IIRC Dad was paying $200 a month in 78 for an 1/8 page ad. I would also make sure that you were listed correctly in the online version of the yellow pages this year and ASAP.

 

[P&R Fan]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, I will certainly be nice. I'm not gonna start shouting at them. I called my rep a few days ago. She sounded terrible, said she was on vacation (what's that?) and "Had a few too many beers last night". She said she would get back to me. Still haven't heard anything after 48 hours. Guess I will have to call her back.
We only get the phone book once a year. We have two of them, the Dex one and another one that nobody uses. That one always just lists my name in the Yellow Pages for no charge. Dex didn't even do that this year.
I am still in their on-line listing, with the ads I approved. I get a few calls, but nowhere near as many as I used to. A few companies I have done business with in the past have called, and some companies and clients that are from out of state have called. They obviously looked me up on-line. I will be honest, prior to this I also felt most people don't use the phone book anymore. This changed my mind about that.

Well, I guess I'll just have to see what they offer.
I ain't gonna give up without a fight though.
Jim

 

[don5]

I have got pop up ads from a local attorney on my cellphone lately. He is really taking advantage of electronics! That may be a way to go to increase business.