Letters to the Editor: Sees Contradiction in Story

© 2003 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Fall 2003
Editor: Tom Wadsworth
Page 40

Letters to the Editor

Sees Contradiction in Story

Dear Tom,

I read your Yellow Pages Bully story with great interest. I only wish I could get away with spending $40-50,000 a year on advertising. Here in Allentown, Pa., I feel it necessary to spend six figures every year just for Yellow Pages ads. This is in addition to all of my other advertising costs.

But I had to chuckle at a contradiction in your story. Herb Gross (and I like Herb) advocated spending less on Yellow Pages and more on TV. I agree, you need to spend more on TV to get name recognition and to project the image that you want people to associate with your company. I am a firm believer in TV. I also realize that there was no one projecting that image in Herb’s hometown.

Yet Herb himself admitted that when his own garage door needed service, he immediately went to the Yellow Pages. He didn’t call the local guy who’s been in business for 50 years. He had his door serviced by the company with the big ad.

That’s the reality door dealers face every day. We might hate the cost of Yellow Pages, but it works.

Jim Lett
A.B.E. Doors & Windows
Allentown, Pa.

Causing Yellow Pages Rate Hike?

Dear Tom,

I read your article about the Yellow Pages bullies and was totally bemused at this. How could anyone in this business write such an article?

Do you realize what would happen if those YP people got a copy of this article? Up goes the prices again. Your aim should be to help the industry, not reinforce what we already know … the Yellow Pages work, and they are expensive.

I’ve been told that the Atlanta YP by BellSouth grosses $100 million in just the Atlanta book alone. These people know what they have, and you do not need to reinforce it.

In Atlanta, we have the same dealer that was on Dateline, and its owner has one or two double-trucks in most of the Bell Yellow Pages here. He pays almost $720,000 per year, and about 30 percent of his gross goes to the Yellow Pages!

My YP rep even told me that they’re thinking of charging more to garage door companies since they can afford to pay more.

Mike Sibley
Garage Door Services
Marietta, Ga.

Thoughts on Yellow Pages

Dear Tom,

Just a couple of thoughts on your Yellow Pages Bully article. I would disagree that ripoff artists give my company a bad name. They make us look better!

As for false advertising, Yellow Pages should not investigate or bar companies from their pages. We have a government for that.

As far as these emergency companies and their charges, what is it worth to come out on Saturday night to repair your door? I wouldn’t do it for $600 even though we normally get $150. The problem is that they do a bad job.

My biggest problem with Yellow Pages is their ever-expanding catagories. We stopped playing that game almost 15 years ago.

Art Becker
Raynor Garage Doors of Mineola
Mineola, N.Y.

Letters to the Editor may be faxed to 815-285-2543 or sent to daseditor@dasma.com. Letters may be edited for length and content.