Yell...

[mit74]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14123950

Seems we've all misjudged Yell?

 

[KateCB]

Mmmm, well they had to do something to get cakc their street drec and advertisers didn't they!

 

[SEOAudits]

Hi OP

If Yell treated their customer well, they would not be leaving in their droves. I read their annual report each year and it seams to be the same old story. New businesses signs up, they don't get the customers promised and finally they leave Yell.

It will be interesting to see if this alliance does anything for Yell

 

[I Love Spreadsheets]

I wish I could leave yell but they just wont let go of me.

I placed a free advert/listing thing about 10 years ago when I was doing freelance web design work. I still get a call every year asking if I want to be listed, I tell them no every year but yet I get the same call every year.

To be fair they are never pushy as I have others complain about, they just never remove me from their database

 

[Montaigne]

Try telling the next caller that you're on the TPS (Telephone Preference Service) and that they can be fined £5000 for having contacted you, ask for the name of the CSA's manager and mention that if you get another call after the one you've just had you will report the matter, using the manager's name as a reference.

It doesn't matter if you're on TPS but it should make them sit up and take notice

 

[I Love Spreadsheets]

Already done that Montaigne, I have also tried being both polite not so polite to them as well. Nothing sticks.

Unfortunately because it is the same number I gave them with my original advert, they have "permission" to call.

 

[Montaigne]

Already done that Montaigne, I have also tried being both polite not so polite to them as well. Nothing sticks.

Unfortunately because it is the same number I gave them with my original advert, they have "permission" to call.

Surely you have the right to revoke that permission?

I would say the response should be dictated by how much it annoys you. For example one option is to just escalate the matter up the chain of command and make a nuisance of yourself but if it's only one call a year it's probably not worth the hassle.

 

[movietub]

I guess it's possible that a good enough idea could reverse yells fortunes!

I think Yell's response to the internet was rubbish, frankly. They assumed they could replicate their offline business model - completely forgetting that unlike their national yellow pages books, which would cost tens of millions to replicate, that anyone could create a competing online directory for basically free.

They assumed people would 'Yell' online to find a local company, but in fact people simply 'Google', and either find the traders own site or a listing on any of the thousand directory sites out there. In other words, their business model was shot too pieces but they pushed on with it anyway.

There should have been a tie in and some new thinking back then. It should have been obvious. That said, if this works, even if it's very late, then good luck to them.

Maybe they finally figured out that they can no longer be the biggest simply because they are the biggest - and that they actually have to work and evolve to maintain their existence!

 

[altwebdesign]

didn't last very long did it. . .

 

[popunder]

Yes ooh the share price doubled to 11p - but at the start of 2007 it was 600p.

A month on from the original post it's back to 5.3p!

 

[Kensington2010]

Agh I read the first post and link thinking it was todays article. I thought it must have been a late afternoon ray of light on a horrible day. Never mind will have to wait a couple of years for money back. Complete depressing mugs game. No such thing as easy money.