Sep 17, 2014

The Phone Book -- Yellow Pages: online or offline - anyone still using it??

Yellow Pages.  When you get your phone books delivered each year, have you noticed they get smaller and smaller every year.  They try to spin it as the new and improved "compact version", but most think it's because their advertising base is drying up.  Fast.

Upon delivery to our office, the phone books go directly into my RECYCLE BIN.

Regarding Yellow Pages online, I noticed our company phone number was not correct.  Not that we care that much about the phone book or even YP online.

Why? Because why would a prospective customer go to Google or another major search engine, search for "website design company" or something similar, and then click on ANOTHER search directory such as YellowPages.com and start searching all over again?

However, we like ALL our online listings to be correct, so I attempted to register for a FREE Yellow Pages account. After providing my full name, email address, etc., (get ready for spam!) the website said "we'll now call your business phone number to confirm.....yada yada".

Well, ya see...that's the problem with their listing - it's not current, it's not correct, it's out of date.  They can NOT call the OLD business phone number for my company to confirm yada yada, because we haven't had that number for years.

So....I called the Yellow Pages "Customer Service" line - I'm high tech but a bit old school - I like to talk to a human when there is a problem.  I never got in touch with a human though.  However...the automated message told me I'd WON A FREE CRUISE.  I only have to pay this fee, and that fee and yada yada.

I don't want a cruise or a 3-D TV or a new electric car or even a baby's arm holding an apple...I just want my listing correct online (and offline I guess in case there is someone that still uses the Yellow Page books to find stuff).

The message went on to say if I want to claim my cruise, press any key.

NO.  I don't want a cruise that costs me money...I just want my FREE Listing updated with accurate information (phone number).

No option for this option.   The message went on and on about getting my cruise tickets.

Then -  the automated message said GOODBYE.  And then I got a really annoying tone in my ear....like fingernails on a chalkboard.  Then I got a dial tone - disconnected!

So much for CUSTOMER SERVICE from Yellow Pages.  So much for the Yellow Pages.  Period.

Anyone wonder why the PHONE BOOK is dead?

Perhaps a major factor is because Google made almost $16 BILLION during the 2nd Quarter of 2014 - up 22% from the same period in 2013.

Google Rocks!  The Phone Book (offline and online) is Dead.