Flyer abuse

[Options]

Why are people these days so angry? I have just had a voicemail left on my business line from a guy who apparently has received 2 flyers on his car from my company in 2 days. He was f- ing and blinding and said if he received another flyer from my company (which is possible because he didn't say who he was and he also with held his number) he will burn my shop down (obviously didn't read the flyer because I am an online business). If I receive a flyer I don't want, I just bin it. How do start up businesses get their name out there if they don't use flyers as one of their options?

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

Why are people these days so angry? I have just had a voicemail left on my business line from a guy who apparently has received 2 flyers on his car from my company in 2 days. He was f- ing and blinding and said if he received another flyer from my company (which is possible because he didn't say who he was and he also with held his number) he will burn my shop down (obviously didn't read the flyer because I am an online business). If I receive a flyer I don't want, I just bin it. How do start up businesses get their name out there if they don't use flyers as one of their options?

I presume you're putting these flyers under the wipers?

Believe it or not, people don't like other people touching their cars. They especially don't like it when someone does it numerous times. That man's response was very excessive and threatening, but many people will be aggravated by it nonetheless.

There are plenty of ways to use flyers which don't involve touching other people's cars. Handing them out to people and posting them through doors are just two examples. That's a level which people accept.

 

[Merchant UK]

I presume you're putting these flyers under the wipers?

Believe it or not, people don't like other people touching their cars. They especially don't like it when someone does it numerous times. That man's response was very excessive and threatening, but many people will be aggravated by it nonetheless.

There are plenty of ways to use flyers which don't involve touching other people's cars. Handing them out to people and posting them through doors are just two examples. That's a level which people accept.

I agree 100%, I remembered once a leaflet guy putting flyers under windscreens at the local supermarket, he had a shoulder bag with a large buckle on the front, as he leant over to put the flyer under the wiper the bag was pressing up against the car. Now if that was my car i'd be well angry too.

 

[Price-Tracking]

Why are people these days so angry?

Maybe because they're under a constant barage of people just "trying to get their name out there" or whatever.

So far today I've had someone post a leaflet through the door and two lots of charity/salespeople/religious types ring the bell - and that's just before lunch - It's a bank holiday Monday ffs, why can't they just leave me in peace for 1 day!

And then there's junk mail, more leaflets through the door, leaflets being shoved in your hand as you walk down the street, leaflets stuck on your car windscreen (or in on case it rained and caused the leaflet to stick to my windscreen when it dried out), cold calling from companies I have no relationship with, calling (and hang ups) from companies that I actually am a customer of but really don't give a damn about their stupid extra services.

It just doesn't end. Really, I don't blame some people for losing their rag.

 

[joecranejoe]

Believe it or not people can actually sue you for this...

If you put your flyer under someones wiper and damage that wiper in the process you could find yourself with a law suit.

Best thing is solus delivery to individual houses.

 

[Options]

I appreciate what you are saying and I would never ring doorbells as I do think that is too intrusive and would also be ultra careful of scratching cars but I can see that not everybody else would so point taken, but at the end of the day if I don't want a flyer that has been put on my windscreen or through the door then I bin it. I certailnly don't stress about it but that's probably just my nature - not everyone is the same

 

[Deleted member 120503]

If you knock on doors, phone people, walk into businesses , put flyers through doors or put them on cars there will always be a percentage of people who will have an extreme reaction but it is pretty low.

I see that you are an Estate Agent and they don't normally put flyers on cars.

Everyone with a car by default lives somewhere so you would be better off just putting them through letter boxes unless you were trying to capture the tourists for a second home in the Welsh Coast.

Dan

 

[Options]

Hi Dan

Yes you're right, that was the inital thought to try and target people out of the area,as many of them have caravans down here etc. We are doing the normal door drops etc. Has worked though as have just received a call to put a house on the market so not every one is Mr Angry!

 

[Eagle]

I'd be livid too, quite frankly. No one but me has the right to touch my car (except my wife when she's washing it, I suppose! ).

If you're an online only business, why are you posting flyers anyway? Seems like a monumental waste of money and effort to me. Have you had any tangible results from it?

Mark

 

[Options]

Hi Eagle

Have only just launched and yes have had a few calls today so it has been successful. Even though I am an online estate agents I still need local people to know I exist - how do I do that if I don't flyer???

 

[Eagle]

Network (online)?

Pretty much everyone ignores flyers - especially when they're stuck on cars.

Network where your potential clients are.

 

[captaincloser]

Why are people so angry ?

High blood sugar levels, low blood sugar levels, excess alcohol, hormonal imbalance, poor diet, the wrong sort of education, too much education, too little education, 1001 reasons really why we are very high on the worst tempered nations on the planet.

But as you must know leaving a leaflet under a windscreen wiper used to be a hanging offence in the good ole' days. I blame the parents blah blah blah...

Second only to the people who leave a wrong number on a piece of paper under the windscreen wiper after they have hit your car. Now that is still a hanging offence if you can find them.

 

[Options]

I am a new online estate agent in the local area so yes I have spread the news by word of mouth, and have advertising magnets on my car and put banners up but people still need to know I exist and what the business has to offer and they are not going to happen across my website by chance unless they know about it.

I don't think everyone ignores flyers. I agree the reponse rate is low but having been a Direct Mail and Media Marketing Manger for over 10 years previous to my last employment I have a pretty good and realistic expectation of what my reponse rate should be so I'm not too worried. It was just the shock at the venom in this particular vocie mail that surprised me more than anything

 

[Eagle]

I suspect the guy was only saying what the rest of the victims were thinking.

Putting flyers under windscreen wipers isn't welcome and it'll be doing your marketing efforts far more harm than good - but as a Direct Mail and Media Marketing Manager for over 10 years, you would know this.

 

[captaincloser]

I suspect the guy was only saying what the rest of the victims were thinking.

Victims ? Victims ?

Broken Britain at its surely worst with 'victims' of a leaflet under their windscreen wiper ?

 

[Options]

Oh thank you Captaincloser you really have made me giggle. Feel much better now

 

[Eagle]

Yes; Article 74 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

"Everyone has the right to unfiddled wipers"

 

[Price-Tracking]

I am a new online estate agent in the local area so yes I have spread the news by word of mouth

An online "local" estate agent? So you're online but only cater to your local market?

Not really sure how you'd compete with a) all of the national online websites like rightmove, or b) all of the local estate agents which mostly these days have their own websites...? (even if many of them are powered by Rightmove etc underneath)

But an online local estate agent may be worth an article in the local paper, that would maybe drum up some leads. Though of course you have the same problem as anyone else starting in that market - you need a critical mass of properties for sale before it's worth the bother of anyone looking...

 

[jane p]

they are terrible abroad. We used to return to our car to find sex shop and escort services flyers on there every time. Alot of people are on holiday with their families/partners etc its not really the sort of flyer thats anygood anyway.

It smacks of desperation they were just going round putting them on any old car. They all end up on the floor as well.

 

[immuneituk]

Having just completed a house purchase we used an online estate agent.

In fact it was no different to the traditional estate agent with a high st presence - except they didn't have a high St office to visit.

Like most people nowadays people looking to move home start in rightmove, findaproperty etc. You then contact the agent with the house of choice, you arrange a viewing and so on. Nowadays you don't go to the agents office to collect paper copies of the houses on their books.

We didn't know the agent we bought through was online only and to be honest it did not matter. The agent dealt with local properties only.

Back to OP whilst I dont particularly like leaflets under windscreen wipers i rarely look at them, it irritates me to see the number of them littering the street as you create the problem of disposal.

How to advertise an estate agent is difficult. Sellers already live in an area and see who their neighbours have used to sell their homes.

 

[Remote Resources]

I agree that it is ineffective and annoying to put flyers on car windows. I hate it and, I'll be honest, they never get looked at.

I also don't appreciate the transfer of the contents of leaflets onto my windscreen when it rains Only last month I had a creepy picture of a baby transferred onto the windscreen after some charity stuck a leaflet with one on my car.

By putting them through doors you are more likely to get someone to read them, even if they just have a glance whilst walking to the bin or recycling. I sometimes do. Put it on my car and you irritate me and leave me with the problem of where to put it. Litter my car? Chuck it on the street? In fact, I think it would impact negatively in my mind about the quality of your company - fly-by-night advertising = fly-by-night service.

 

[Deleted member 120503]

Only last month I had a creepy picture of a baby transferred onto the windscreen after some charity stuck a leaflet with one on my car.

lol - This would be very spooky at night lit up by streetlights.

Dan

 

[Options]

Thanks all for your replies. As with any topic everyone's view differs. Pricetracking - similar to what immuneituk used - we only have an online presence not a high street shop but offer all the same services as a traditional estate agent in the local area. Because we don't have huge overheads we can offer our services at a more competative and acceptable price. We have stayed local because we know the market, we are happy to conduct viewings and we also do a fully managed letting service and have good relationships with local tradesman should we need them to service the properties.

 

[Tommo]

Put a flyer on my lovely new car I will NEVER do business with you. (I'm not that poodle guy I don't drive 7 Lambos at the same time - damn he sure is talented)

I will be much more responsive if you come and talk to me.

+ You may inflict swirl marks on my paintwork - then I will be very angry

 

[viraldealnetwork]

Hasn't flyer marketing died?

the only thing it works for is nightclubs.

 

[WordOfMouthLocal]

Are you using social media at all?

Twitter would be a good place to start. A FB page to share news, info and most importantly, images of the properties for sale

Blogging about stuff that buyers wish they knew but nobody has ever told them

Informative videos on You Tube

All of this will boost your profile and get your name out there without putting paper mâché on peoples' cars )

 

[davek17]

Flyers are an interuptive and non-permissive form of marketing. Add to that I have had a flyer under my wiper, not seen it until I was driving and needing my wipers, often on the motorway which can be very dangerous if put under car wipers and offensive at the least.

How would you like it if you had to remove a load of rubbish, put it in a bin every time you needed access to your office or home?

Flyers also kill trees!

 

[captaincloser]

Flyers are an interuptive and non-permissive form of marketing. Add to that I have had a flyer under my wiper, not seen it until I was driving and needing my wipers, often on the motorway which can be very dangerous if put under car wipers and offensive at the least.

How would you like it if you had to remove a load of rubbish, put it in a bin every time you needed access to your office or home?

Flyers also kill trees!

Do you have anything defensive to say about the pollutant damage caused by the mobile phone industry to the environment and to people ?

 

[davek17]

Every time you fart or take a breath of air you're killing the environment. Lets keep the thread on the subject it's meant to be on. Nothing in my post was unfair or defensive, just fact.

I personally think flyers are OK to use if they are handed out with permission and they convey some kind of imformation to the recipient. A flyer handed out at a convention with contact details, an offer or some kind of spec or info is fine. However its the non-permissive nature of them that I do not like.

BTW they are also not entirely measurable either so as a marketing vehicle they are not a great solution at all.

 

[MJBMI]

how many cars and windows have been stained by leaflets left and then rain falling .

how many leaflet distribution companies or self distributors would happily pay up for all the required washing/ repairs ??

Well would you? So only leave your leaflets on cars IF you are prepared to face all the consequences.

Personally I drop them on the floor , would I then get charged for littering? Im not sure but Id fight the case that I was simply moving the litter from my windscreen so driving was safer, either way many people would do the same and so many of your leaflets are now littering the car parks and as people dont like litter , your brand is now associated with making a mess of the locality

 

[Deleted member 120503]

^MJBMI

I'm no lawyer so hope you don't mind me writing this, I may be completely wrong, but your website has some prices with VAT and some without.

So are you VAT registered or not? I don't see any VAT Reg number anywhere.

Feel free to say 'you're wrong you plonker' if I am, I won't get offended.

Regards
Dan

 

[BobbyBoy]

How do start up businesses get their name out there if they don't use flyers as one of their options?

Have you monitored response from these leaflets (if not, why not)?

If the leaflet is working for you, keep doing it - if not, then try something else. Either way, always track which marketing is working for you, and just keep doing what works, and try new things.

Best of luck

Bobby

 

[AdamBeils]

its just people who are mad and dont know where to express their anger , people have so many complexes these days

 

[Price-Tracking]

its just people who are mad and dont know where to express their anger , people have so many complexes these days

You mean complexes like being constantly on the receiving end of leaflets, junk mail, spam, cold calling, warm calling, and people banging on your door while your eating your dinner because they want to sell you something?

It's amazing how many companies seem to think they're the only ones out there doing this stuff ("gee, what's your problem, I just called to sell you something - if you're not interested just hang up, no need to swear at me"), and fail to realise that they may be the 5th, 10th, 20th salesperson to call that day.

 

[Calibre Designs]

Agree with most people on here. Flyers on cars give very little return, if any at all. In your field, there are plenty of other things you could do to get peoples attention.

 

[MJBMI]

^MJBMI

I'm no lawyer so hope you don't mind me writing this, I may be completely wrong, but your website has some prices with VAT and some without.

So are you VAT registered or not? I don't see any VAT Reg number anywhere.

Feel free to say 'you're wrong you plonker' if I am, I won't get offended.

Regards
Dan

hiya , im just getting registered ie waiting for the number and confirmation, so prices I put on a couple of pages recently have VAT mentioned as Im not looking to start promoting them for a little while, previous ones dont yet as Im waiting until its all official to update.

Appreciate the question as its well intended so thanks Dan

 

[HFE Signs]

Some flyers will leave ink on your windscreen too, i had this and it was a pig to remove.. when you go shopping you just don't want people putting things on your car. I never buy from this kind of marketing on principle...

 

[Richard Glynn]

Flyers under windscreens went out with the Ark I'm afraid.

However you market it's always a smart move to put yourself in the shoes of the person who is receiving your marketing message. And imagine how they might react.

In the case of windscreen flyers the chances that the person you are contacting is actively seeking your product or service at that moment in time is slim. (Unless it's a windscreen flyer removal service of course!).

Your target will sit down in the car about to set off. Then, see the flyer. Then, have to get out of your car again to take it off your windscreen. So your first experience of the company advertising with windscreen flyers (your company in this case) is one of mild frustration at best. i.e. not a good start.

So, it's really smart to anticipate how people might want to be marketed to. Windscreen flyer marketing is one of the worst kind of 'interruption marketing' strategies. As a comparison Google search 'permission marketing', 'content marketing' and see where it leads you.

There are plenty of things small businesses can do with marketing now (without brassing people off!) to get foot hold.

Good luck!

Richard

 

[ADAMATKIN84]

As A owner of A leaflet distirbution business I know from experience some people don't like receiving leaflets but most put notices on their doors.
As for cars that is something we don't do because we know people don't like it.

I think youd be better off door to door if you don't want that response.
Also placing on doors you will not be insured for so any damage done to the car will be your responsibility.


hope this helps

 

[captaincloser]

As A owner of A leaflet distirbution business I know from experience some people don't like receiving leaflets but most put notices on their doors.

I cant speak for anywhere else but know that in West London any sort of sign on your door makes no difference to the number of flyers. None.

Flyers do work and thats a fact of life-an indisputable fact and no they did not go out with the Ark.

Flyers are one of lifes tiny inconveniencies but maybe a huge lifestyle downer outside London where there is less going on in life ? What I do know is that a lot of truly stunning wooden front doors are disfigured with the 'NO JUNK MAIL' stickers and angry messages that angry people display.
Englishman castle stuff.

I do not post flyers.