Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, WA Home Inspector (King of the House)

head_left_image

Yellow Pages -- Dying And Don't Know It (Or Won't Admit It)

Over the past couple years I have liked my yellow pages representative. Honestly, that slim bond was the only thing that even kept me in the book. I will not name names, but we are talking the "main" Bellingham phone book here, not one of the copycat books of which there are many.

My wife, who took over paying bills a few months back, has told me that I ought to dump the yellow pages and the $50.00 per month that they charge. I spent 30 years in media and marketing so I know how to track my business. I can say that I have not been able to track a client back to the yellow pages since 2007.

Just the same, I was going to keep the listing another year, except the representative said that the rate was going up. Now, it was not going up much, but even two bucks more a month is a lot when a person is convinced that there is no value in the product. That small bump tossed me over the edge and I told the rep that, far as I could tell, they had blinders on and nobody cares about the book anymore. They have been replaced mainly by three words : Google, Yahoo and Bing.

The rep, nicely, explained that I was wrong and suggested that all these people I am crediting to the Internet have, in fact, found me first in the yellow pages and then they decided to look me up to find out more. Now I better understand the power of Google -- Pleeeeeeease!

I think that, like the photo copy shops, the numerous one-hour photo developing shops and the VHS video store on every corner, the yellow pages are sinking into the abyss.

And one thing I am sure of, having worked in AM radio as it started to fall in popularity to FM, is that ignoring a problem and pretending that you are better than ever is a sure way to fail big. I think that is where the yellow pages are headed. We call it skydiving without a parachute. Long story short, I am now gone from the yellow pages.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

GeoLogo207

Steven L. Smith

If you enjoy nostalgia and music of yesteryear, click on Elvis' gold record to visit This Day In History. To explore The Stories Behind The Music blog posts click on the electric guitar. 

 

        

 

 

 

 

Comment balloon 19 comments • Steven L. Smith • September 29 2010 03:12PM
Yellow Pages -- Dying And Don't Know It (Or Won't Admit It)
share
Over the past couple years I have liked my yellow pages representative. Honestly, that slim bond was the only thing that even kept me in the book. I will not name names, but we are talking the "main" Bellingham phone book here… more
A Sign of the Times?
share
We have, over the years, come to assume that much of the advertising we are exposed to will be quite sophisticated. It will consist of all types of "hooks" to get us in the mood to purchase or consume a product. … more
The Best Of Intentions -- Getting to Lummi Island
share
My wife was going to be a walker, today, in the Bellingham Bay Marathon. Why, I do not know. I get enough exercise to suit me by going up on roofs and crawling around attics and crawl spaces. I guess she feels the need to be macho. … more
Knob and Tube Wiring: Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House)
share
One of the things that buyers often wonder about, assuming they have heard the term, is whether or not an older home they are buying might have knob and tube wiring. Any old house, up through the late 1950's approximately, might have… more
Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) -- Document the Facts
share
One theory I have, in this business, is to document the facts and prove what I say. I have to give some opinions but, when I do, I like to have valid reasons for those opinions. And, when I can, I try to eliminate further controversy by… more
Just What The Inspector Wants To See
share
Those individuals who have worked in home inspection know that it is not just an inspector being cranky when he or she does not want to turn on main water and gas and circuit breakers that are off. On those rare occasions when I have… more
Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House) -- Exposed Lumber and…
share
This is one the home inspector in the wet northwest sees often. Here you see lumber that extends out from underneath the roof. As a result of that, that lumber is subjected to extreme moisture. The way it rains here that has to be at… more
The Rains Came to Western Washington
share
Many people on here are writing about fall. No question about it, fall is here in the Pacific Northwest. I have to lead students on a field inspection tomorrow and I really hope it is not pouring. Below are a few photos that I took… more
Two Thumbs Up: Lummi Store Cafe -- Lummi Island, WA
share
This morning I had to do a quick roof re-inspection on Lummi Island. This is an island that is only about a ten minute ferry ride from the mainland. Of course, from my house, driving to the ferry landing takes about a half hour. I was… more
Packing My Bags: Fall Season of Change
share
In some parts of the country, the first indication of fall is the change in color of leaves on the trees. Up here in the Pacific Northwest, often shortened to read Pacific Northwet, we are likely to see heavy rains prior to our paying… more