YellowPages.com - Stop Calling Me, Please?

Guess what? Yep, I got another message from YellowPages.com on my voice mail yesterday, I stopped counting at 30 so I don't know how many times they have called me to date. They want to sell me paid advertising because I signed up for a free listing. This time I wrote down the reps name and number and called him back. I said, "What can I say to you today that will make you never call me again." This guy is a machine, it didn't even phase him. He went into his sales pitch.

If you don't have a number to call YellowPages.com and complain about getting excessive cold calls from their sales force call this number and ask for this sales rep:

Michael Marshall
(314) 588-2995
or toll free at (800) 723-9552 x85267

Give him my regards and remind him not to call me when you get him on the phone. Good luck with YellowPages.com. Free listing, it was anything but a free listing.

United States Postal Service - Obsolete?

As I walked past my neighborhood post office, I saw a man that looked like a deer in the headlights. He was holding a Netflix DVD in one hand and was standing in front of a row of five USPS mailboxes. With a confused look on his face he turns to me and says, "Which one is for letters?" I graciously say, "All of them." He says with a big sigh of relief, "Thanks, your a life saver."

So I ask you, when was the last time you mailed a letter at the post office? Barring my obsession with Netflix movies, which now I download and watch on my computer, I don't remember the last time I sent a letter. Oh, well last week I sent in my car registration, however you may agree that the USPS system is now obsolete for personal use.

With email, instant software downloads, and online bill pay; what we have used in the past for sending letters may have become obsolete. The USPS needs to shift their focus to packages and retail business delivery. This is a trend that will cause an increase in taxes, as we have seen recently, to fill the gap from the money we pay for postage to the United States Postal Service.

The trend will be toward more instant software and video game downloads, online payment of bills, instant messaging, and company collaboration in the virtual world. No more snail mail, Best Buy video games, and ATMs. Not to mention that being "green" is better for the environment.

All of this said, you will see a shift in purchase behavior over the next 18 months from in-person, in-store purchases to purchases from the comfort of your own home. Log on, research, click, buy, download.

YellowPages.com, The Final Chapter (Hopefully)

Last Friday I called the number that was given on the "pre-recorded" message trying to up-sell me into paying for placement in the YellowPages.com network of local websites. By the way the pre-recorded message says, "We wanted to make sure you get what you really came to YellowPages.com." What I really came for was a "free listing."

So I had already removed my listing from YellowPages.com and still was receiving one call a day (now from an automated recording). I called up last Friday and got a message saying, "Thanks for calling YellowPages.com someone will be right with you, etc." Two minutes later I get a message that says no one is available to talk with me and that I can leave a message to have someone call me back. Then a pause and a quick message, "Please be patient their may be a long pause before you can leave a message." Hmmm?

Long story short, I leave a message with my name and phone number (trying to speak as plainly and slowly as possible so they get the information), then I say, "I have received over 20 calls in the past month, Please Stop Calling Me, Thank You." And I hung up. So far seven days have passed. No calls from YellowPages.com, however I am not stupid enough to think that they are not going to call me in the future (or another third-party that YellowPages.com sells my information to).

I don't know how many times I need to say it but don't apply for a free listing with YellowPages.com unless you are ready to get call after call asking whether you want to upgrade to a paid listing, and they will not take "NO" for an answer.

YellowPages.com, The Saga Continues

So today, you guessed it, I got a call from a sales rep at YellowPages.com with a message that got cut off before he got to the end of the call and didn't leave a phone number so I could call him back and tell him to stop calling me.

I understand that someone applies for a free listing at YellowPages.com and they want to up-sell you to the paid search portion of the website. I get that but I got over 12 calls in a matter of two weeks from 5 different representatives from YellowPages.com. Sure I am in the Search Engine Marketing industry and I may have contacts with other local search marketers that could use YellowPages.com. Stop calling me, this is just like Dell Hell. I submitted a listing to SuperPages.com and no sales calls.

While I am on the topic, please go out and use SuperPages.com, but please whatever you do don't apply for a free listing with YellowPages.com. All you will get is sales call after sales call. Even if you return the calls and tell them you are not interested, more and more calls.

Stop Calling Me YellowPages.com! Please, stop!

YellowPages.com: No Free Lunch (or Listings)

After researching local directories I came upon YellowPages.com. They offer a free listing to local businesses, so I submitted my name and information. I think to myself, great a free listing in YellowPages.com in my local area.

No Free Lunches (or Listings)

The day after I submitted my "free" listing I get a voice message from a YellowPages.com salesperson. Ok they want to thank me for applying for a free listing (I delete the message and move on). The second day, I get another voice message from a salesperson. Day 3, a voice message from a different salesperson. Day 4, you guessed it a voice message from a salesperson. Day 5, oh my, another voice message from a YellowPages.com salesperson.

Day 6, I finally pick up the phone when a YellowPages.com salesperson calls me. I answer the phone and get an angry salesperson saying, "Are you Alan Rothstein." Yahda, Yahda, Yahda, is this your primary business phone. I say, "No this is a supplemental business phone, etc." Needless to say I get a lot of weird, specific questions about my business practices and why I don't want to use YellowPages.com for more than just a free listing. I finally cut the conversation short and the YellowPages.com salesperson finally thanks me and hangs up.

Day 7, finally no voice message from YellowPages.com. Was the free listing worth the hassle and multiple voice messages on my phone? Well, the listing was definitely not "free." Submit your "free" listing to YellowPages.com at your own discretion.

UPDATE - Day 10, YellowPages.com calls to say that my listing is incomplete and that I need to call to rectify the situation. Day 10.9 I deleted my listing on YellowPages.com.

YellowPages.com Stop Calling Me!

Change is Good, Except When it is Bad

Remember when Coca Cola changed their recipe to be more like Pepsi, and created New Coke? Then everyone stopped buying Coca Cola because it was different, even though studies said people preferred the taste of New Coke?

Mashable, my all-time favorite blog recently had a make-over, new logo, and new slogan. I have to assume that the information they are offerings is still the same (or the same themes), however Mashable has revised their blog layout. Yes, they took away the soft pink and blue colors and replaced them with a more neutral color layout, but something is just not right.

What is wrong with the new layout? The advertisements used to pop and now they blend into the background (maybe that is a good thing). The fonts are different, the color scheme is different and the background is much lighter. Everything on the page just blends and nothing really stands out, except the photos of the bloggers. Those photos are ridiculous looking.

I guess my point is, change is good except when it is bad. Keeping a blog fresh and new is good. However, you can have the best ideas in the world but it is all about the execution. It hurts my eyes to look at the Mashable website. Will I still continue to read it? That remains to be seen. By the way I like both Coca Cola and Pepsi. Like fine wine different soda goes good with different meals.

8 Google Blogs for Search Marketing Professionals

Google has blogs on almost all of their products. Here are a few Google blogs that Search Marketers can read and get a jump on the competition.

1) The Official Google Blog Insights into Google products, services, and algorithm.

2) The Official Google Webmaster Tools Blog Insights and information about Google Webmaster Tools.

3) The Official Google Video Blog - Showcasing cool new videos from across the web and keeping you current with the latest news from Google Video.

4) The Official Google Analytics Blog - The latest news, tips, and resources straight from the Google Analytics team.

5) The Official Google Base Blog - The latest news, tips, and resources straight from the Google Base team.

6) Official Google Mobile Blog - News and views from the Google mobile team.

7) The Official Google.org Blog - News and notes from Google's philanthropic arm.

8) The Official Google Checkout Blog News for sellers using Google Checkout.