Friday, July 20, 2007

YELLOW  PAGES - WHO'S   TO   BLAME?

Longtime readers to this blog may recall that about 4 months ago I posted a piece indicating my frustration with Idearc/Verizon about advertising rates substantially increasing with very short notice.  Our church was considering "pulling" our advertising from the yellow pages at the time.  We DID pull it.  Today the new local phone book came out.  We SHOULD have had the "one free small print line" listing under "CHURCHES-ASSEMBLIES OF GOD".  I was really disturbed that we did not get that.  Our church has no listing in the new Idearc/Verizon Yellow Pages whatsoever.  (We DO have a line in the Independent  "Yellow Book".)  I'm sad and frustrated that First Assembly of God of Framingham has absolutely no listing in the local Idearc/Verizon yellow pages for the comng year.  I don't know if I should consider it THEIR fault or if I should consider it OUR CHURCH'S fault...or maybe both?  Below is word-for-word what I wrote today to Idearc Customer Service.  It will be interesting to see what they will have to say.  Bottom line- be very careful and thorough in dealing with Yellow Pages companies.  Make sure you're all "on the same page" (pun intended).


From:  Pastor Bob Baril
First Assembly of God of Framingham, MA
508-875-5030

To Whom it May Concern at Idearc Media,

I received my 2007-2008 Idearc/Verizon directories today and was extremely disappointed to find that our church did not even merit a small print one line listing in the yellow pages!

We had purchased an ad for a number of years.  In the Spring we were contacted (with VERY SHORT NOTICE) informing us that the directories were being consolodated and the rates were going up.  We were already running several months behind in our payments.  In fact, our Treasurer just wrote out a payment to you for what we owe this week.  Our Board met and certainly did not want to pay any more money for telephone directory advertising.  I felt that we should substantially reduce the ad- perhaps to just one block print line- but that we should not pull all advertising entirely.  But the price increase, the short notice, and the fact that we were falling seriously behind all contributed to the church Board's decision to totally drop the adfor the '07-'08  Idearc/Verizon directory.

I did inform the Idearc/Verizon rep. and I was told we'd still get the one free small print line.  I WAS SHOCKED THAT WE DID NOT EVEN GET THAT!

Ironically, today we also rec'd our latest "Yellow Book" directory.  In "Yellow Book" there IS a free small print one line for us under "CHURCHES- ASSEMBLIES OF GOD".

In Verizon/Idearc Directories in the future we SHOULD have a free small print one line under "CHURCHES-ASSEMBLIES OF GOD".... something like
First Assembly of God   32 South St. Fram   508-875-5030

We MAY choose to advertise in the '08-'09 directory.  In fact, I will encourage that with our Board to do so, although this omission by Idearc/Verizon MAY turn them off on Idearc/Verizon even more!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As an update, I heard from Idearc/Verizon today (August 7) admitting their error in omitting our free listing from this year's Framingham/Natick area directory and assuring me it will be in the Framingham/Natick area directory that will come out in Summer 2008.  I do appreciate that they apologized and are doing that!