Thread: YP pages - getting ready to pull the plug.

I pulled out of two directories already. And one year ago cut my cost on the main (AT&T) directory from $12,000 a year to $4,000 per year. I put that money into community events and sponsorships. I had a good year occupancy, quality of tenant and net income. I have been trying to negotiate with ATT the last week and want to drastically lower my expense with them. They are not budging and the "young beautiful dingy blonde" offered me a deal on the back cover. $20,000 for 75,000 books!!!! I do not like yp.com and the stats say I get maybe 15 clicks per month. Which is down from the previous year. My print ad is bundled with the yp.com listing. I despise AT&T and would be thrilled if I never gave them another penny. So that is where I am at-- to just let them walk and also get a quote from a competitor for my phone service and internet. Any input, encouragement or support is welcome!

I recently pulled my advertisement from YP after 12 years of advertising. In return they pulled me completely out of the book, period. No free alpabetical listing, no nothing. They'll never see another dime from me as long as I live. They're a dinosaur and they know it, so the despiration grab has begun. You have all of the power and they have none and they know it, so they bluff and bluff to see if you'll bight because they've got nothing to lose. They're dead either way.

I've actually done well with my YP ad. I also have a really nice rep who comes by to see me each year. I am in a rural area where folks still use the phone book, so I am OK with YP.

Now... don't get me started on the AT&T phone service... customer service (haha) does not know what tech support is doing, and the techs don't communicate well with customer service. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this all about communication?!?!? I can't even begin to relate all the trouble I have had with them since moving into my new office a couple months ago.

And btw, I do not like talking to tech support in Houston when I am in way northern CA.

Yellow pages ( paper & internet) are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Put the smallest add they permit and use the rest of the money advertising elsewhere!!!!!!! As long as you have a web site people will find your number and more on the internet. Now the young crowd sometimes skips the internet search and goes straight to Youtube.com So make sure you make and post a half dozen videos on yourtube - you can do it yourself. Claim your free site on the search engines & make check the link to make sure no one hijacked your link. Add photos and descriptions on your listing to make them more helpful. Do google first www.google.com/places/ Then you can check all the rest at www.getlisted.org Just enter your zip code and go to "check my listings.

If you need more ideas or if your web site is not coming up on the first page let me know & I can give a few more ideas.

Enjoy, Marc

Originally Posted by geraldine1051

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this all about communication?!?!? .

Young, beautiful blonde calls around February 1. Sets up appointment for 2/8. Never shows up. I make a note to call her soon. She bee bops in my office the afternoon of 2/15 and introduces herself. Said I know I had an appointment set up with but have no idea when it was and sure I missed it. They had changed something in their program/software/server and they lost all of their contacts and calendars. We set up an appointment for this week. She shows up but can't give me any quotes or get any information because she cannot connect to the internet because they use ATT wireless cards and the ATT wireless service in our town is horrible! GEEZ Yes Geraldine -- all about communication!!!

We scaled WAY back on our YP ad and I pulled out of their internet/website service. Cut our costs by about 60% and for the last 3 months we have noticed no difference in call volume or email inquiries. According to the charts they produced when I was telling them to get lost, by Feb. 15th I should have been divorced, broke, indicted, diseased, addicted and unloved.

So far only 4 of those have happened. Liars.

So who has the guts to ask Storman which 4 have happened? I'm not going to bite. Pull the plug Julie, and let the YP money drain back into your bank account.

I went from $12,000 to $4000 a year ago and had a great year! 4 out 6 ain't bad!

What was their line--- Let your fingers doing the walking!!!!

Originally Posted by Gina6k

So who has the guts to ask Storman which 4 have happened? I'm not going to bite. Pull the plug Julie, and let the YP money drain back into your bank account.

Originally Posted by jsparkyii

I recently pulled my advertisement from YP after 12 years of advertising. In return they pulled me completely out of the book, period. No free alpabetical listing, no nothing. They'll never see another dime from me as long as I live. They're a dinosaur and they know it, so the despiration grab has begun. You have all of the power and they have none and they know it, so they bluff and bluff to see if you'll bight because they've got nothing to lose. They're dead either way.

Superp@ges did the same thing to me. When in fact they used to tell me the one line was free. Crooks Stole money from me since 1998 and do that. average of six tenants from them in a year the last six years a a cost of $1000.00 per year. I kept telling rep that referral gets me far more tenants.