Comments on: Idearc Media Leaves Fake Blog Comments – Lies About It http://www.thedeets.com/2009/02/15/idearc-media-leaves-fake-blog-comments-lies-about-it/ Consistently against torture. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ed Kohler http://www.thedeets.com/2009/02/15/idearc-media-leaves-fake-blog-comments-lies-about-it/#comment-19027 Ed Kohler Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:39:45 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3060#comment-19027 @Kelli, I have no doubt that YP companies audit the deliveries of contractors. In fact, I've done the job. At the time, one tactic used was putting fake addresses on the routes. To get paid, you needed to note the fake addresses when you returned to pick up your check. As I see it, the emphasis in auditing routes to date has been heavily focused on saturation delivery over accuracy. The downside of delivering to every home was nearly nothing before people starting burning out on print books due to increased accesss other sources of business information and over-delivery (3 companies a year dump books at my house). I have no doubt that many great people are employed within the YP industry. However, it seems pretty clear that some areas are broken. And it also seems like there are quite a few people in leadership positions with resistance to change. While many people do still use the yellow pages, it's pretty darn clear that local businesses' money is wasted when YP companies use it to print and distribute books to households that no longer use the books, vacant properties, etc. @Kelli, I have no doubt that YP companies audit the deliveries of contractors. In fact, I’ve done the job. At the time, one tactic used was putting fake addresses on the routes. To get paid, you needed to note the fake addresses when you returned to pick up your check. As I see it, the emphasis in auditing routes to date has been heavily focused on saturation delivery over accuracy. The downside of delivering to every home was nearly nothing before people starting burning out on print books due to increased accesss other sources of business information and over-delivery (3 companies a year dump books at my house).

I have no doubt that many great people are employed within the YP industry. However, it seems pretty clear that some areas are broken. And it also seems like there are quite a few people in leadership positions with resistance to change. While many people do still use the yellow pages, it’s pretty darn clear that local businesses’ money is wasted when YP companies use it to print and distribute books to households that no longer use the books, vacant properties, etc.

]]> By: KELLI http://www.thedeets.com/2009/02/15/idearc-media-leaves-fake-blog-comments-lies-about-it/#comment-19026 KELLI Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:51:39 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3060#comment-19026 Actually I am aware that Idearc had instituted alot of new techniques as of the time that I was let go (due to reduction in force, which was over 8 months ago and haven't worked since, so you can see I am not "making an excuse for them", just telling it like it is). I don't know about the other companies but Idearc had hired new contractors to distribute and had instituted in several markets a testing of GPS on delivery vehicles to keep track of EXACTLY where distribution was and was not happening. They also were doing test calls to delivery addresses to find out if indeed they had received a directory (instead of them being dropped in a landfill). Maybe a little research in what IS TRYING TO BE DONE for the future and has been done (don't know how the test markets went and if it was instituted in all markets or not) instead of what hasn't been done in past (with all companies) could make for all to be a little happier with facts and not just rumor. SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE TRYING AT LEAST TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM...AND AS FOR THE POOR TRACK RECORD OF SERVICE!!!??? I took great pride in my job and the clients that I helped to build their businessess. I take great offense to the fact that somehow along the line we have been all included together as a terrible thing! There are plenty of clients that I had that were extremely sad to see me go due to the fact that there business had grown with my help (with print products and online and direct mail). NO EXCUSES JUST FACTS....PEOPLE DO STILL USE THE YELLOW PAGES ALONG WITH OTHER FORMS OF ADVERTISING (my parents dont even own a computer and I'm only 37). Take a look at the Gallup polls that have been done and you might find them interesting. Actually I am aware that Idearc had instituted alot of new techniques as of the time that I was let go (due to reduction in force, which was over 8 months ago and haven’t worked since, so you can see I am not “making an excuse for them”, just telling it like it is). I don’t know about the other companies but Idearc had hired new contractors to distribute and had instituted in several markets a testing of GPS on delivery vehicles to keep track of EXACTLY where distribution was and was not happening. They also were doing test calls to delivery addresses to find out if indeed they had received a directory (instead of them being dropped in a landfill). Maybe a little research in what IS TRYING TO BE DONE for the future and has been done (don’t know how the test markets went and if it was instituted in all markets or not) instead of what hasn’t been done in past (with all companies) could make for all to be a little happier with facts and not just rumor.
SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE TRYING AT LEAST TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM…AND AS FOR THE POOR TRACK RECORD OF SERVICE!!!??? I took great pride in my job and the clients that I helped to build their businessess. I take great offense to the fact that somehow along the line we have been all included together as a terrible thing! There are plenty of clients that I had that were extremely sad to see me go due to the fact that there business had grown with my help (with print products and online and direct mail). NO EXCUSES JUST FACTS….PEOPLE DO STILL USE THE YELLOW PAGES ALONG WITH OTHER FORMS OF ADVERTISING (my parents dont even own a computer and I’m only 37). Take a look at the Gallup polls that have been done and you might find them interesting.

]]> By: Ed Kohler http://www.thedeets.com/2009/02/15/idearc-media-leaves-fake-blog-comments-lies-about-it/#comment-19018 Ed Kohler Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:31:49 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3060#comment-19018 Kelli, thanks for explaining that YP companies tend to outsource their distribution. However, it sounds like you're using that as an excuse for poor delivery, which is something that falls to YP companies as much as it does to the contractors. If the yellow pages industry cared to get deliveries right, it certainly seems like they could make that a priority for their contractors. In fact, they could probably help design incentives that reward accuracy rather than generate this printed form of spam. Why do you think yellow pages companies continue to use contractors with such poor track records of service? Is this a case of similar corporate cultures attracting each other? Kelli, thanks for explaining that YP companies tend to outsource their distribution. However, it sounds like you’re using that as an excuse for poor delivery, which is something that falls to YP companies as much as it does to the contractors. If the yellow pages industry cared to get deliveries right, it certainly seems like they could make that a priority for their contractors. In fact, they could probably help design incentives that reward accuracy rather than generate this printed form of spam.

Why do you think yellow pages companies continue to use contractors with such poor track records of service? Is this a case of similar corporate cultures attracting each other?

]]> By: KELLI http://www.thedeets.com/2009/02/15/idearc-media-leaves-fake-blog-comments-lies-about-it/#comment-19017 KELLI Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:00:15 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3060#comment-19017 I would like to point out (as a previous Idearc Media employee), that the problem with distribution is exactly that. Idearc Media, Dex, YellowBook, etc, do not go out and distribute their books. Companies are contracted with to distribute the directories (which I have also done) and are paid very little for alot of hard work and unfortunately there are alot of people out there that just don't care to do their job correctly. These people are paid to distribute the books to those who have not opted-out. Unfortunately for the environment and those who do not wish to receive a directory it's alot easier to just dump them off and go pick up a paycheck. I know of several instances with different companies where 1,000's of directories were found in the dump (quick way to may a check). I would like to point out (as a previous Idearc Media employee), that the problem with distribution is exactly that. Idearc Media, Dex, YellowBook, etc, do not go out and distribute their books. Companies are contracted with to distribute the directories (which I have also done) and are paid very little for alot of hard work and unfortunately there are alot of people out there that just don’t care to do their job correctly. These people are paid to distribute the books to those who have not opted-out. Unfortunately for the environment and those who do not wish to receive a directory it’s alot easier to just dump them off and go pick up a paycheck. I know of several instances with different companies where 1,000′s of directories were found in the dump (quick way to may a check).

]]> By: A Social Media Lesson from Idearc Media? | The Deets http://www.thedeets.com/2009/02/15/idearc-media-leaves-fake-blog-comments-lies-about-it/#comment-12150 A Social Media Lesson from Idearc Media? | The Deets Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:50:17 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3060#comment-12150 [...] yellow pages topics Deets commenter (check back to Feb. 2009), Mike Stewart, appears to have lost his job over his unauthorized online [...] [...] yellow pages topics Deets commenter (check back to Feb. 2009), Mike Stewart, appears to have lost his job over his unauthorized online [...]

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