171 replies to this topic

[James Bay walker]

Everyone should opt out at http://delivery.ypg.com/

 

I just did after starting to write that they should have an easy way to opt out lol! Such a waist. Two were on my door step and went straight into the recycle. Handy they showed up on a Tuesday before the Thurday pickup at least. This is not a good use for our precious trees! 

Aren't they made with recycled paper anyway (which again gets recycled after their use)? 

 

I suspect delivery's the bottleneck.  It's just so easy to dump piles of books at apartment & office blocks (predisposing the delivery process towards "all or nothing"), else Telus could charge $2/book payable at least two months ahead of distribution (which would probably get maybe half the current customers to decline delivery).  A pity there's no 'Telus' store handy anymore where we could buy a phone book over the counter (they could add that service to the various outlets selling Telus services, though).

 

Lots of businesses do not have online service in their store or restaurant (so surely they'd like to have a local phonebook at hand?).

 

jbw

 

ps.  I wish they would restore phone books to payphones (agh! now $0.50/local call).

Edited by James Bay walker, 06 March 2014 - 10:53 AM.

[G-Man]

^ I think that many businesses that do not have websites may be wondering why business has dropped off. It takes awhile for things to catch up but the phone book will be gone soon. If I had a business I would save my advertising dollars for something other than the yellow pages, like paying my kid to post FB updates regularly.

[Mike K.]

You have to wonder why a business would opt for a Yellowpages ad in this day and age. Meanwhile they won't put a penny towards online advertising. It's weird.

[Mike K.]

Things are getting thin...

[Holden West]

^Wow.

 

You have to wonder why a business would opt for a Yellowpages ad in this day and age. Meanwhile they won't put a penny towards online advertising. It's weird.

 

Admittedly, it's a lot easier to pick a business from the phone book's layout than from the Internet's more-or-less random endless list.

[G-Man]

^ I don't know.

 

Is it easier to go a flip through pages by category or just go to Google maps and type what you want, which then also gives you the business location and recent ratings?

 

And yes people can say that the ratings can be skewed but it seems better than choosing a place because it has a bigger graphic in the yellowpages. 

[VicHockeyFan]

^ I don't know.

 

Is it easier to go a flip through pages by category or just go to Google maps and type what you want, which then also gives you the business location and recent ratings?

 

And yes people can say that the ratings can be skewed but it seems better than choosing a place because it has a bigger graphic in the yellowpages. 

 

I agree with g-man, I haven't used a phone book for years.  I have a client that's a mortgage broker in town.  Type in "mortgage broker victoria bc" and you can probably tell which one my client is.

 

(Hint: 5 stars and 25 reviews)

 

Apart from gently reminding clients to please post a review, this advertising costs him nothing.  And honestly if you did not know one name from another on the list that comes up, wouldn't you likely call the one with all the positive reviews?

[dasmo]

Yellow pages are online too. the even have an app  

[sebberry]

We have about 15 of the 30 delivered to the building remaining unclaimed. 

 

Can these be sent back to YPG or do they have to go in the recycle bin?

[Nparker]

I tossed mine straight into the recycle bin. I have exactly ZERO use for this relic from the 20th century.

[Mike K.]

But the book says "Keep until February 2015." You can't just throw it out!

[sebberry]

I tossed mine straight into the recycle bin. I have exactly ZERO use for this relic from the 20th century.

 

It was handy to grab some of the local emergency numbers from to save in my phone.

[Baro]

A stack of 30 arrived at my building, one for every unit.  Since delivery I'd say maybe 4 have been claimed and the stack sat and sat and now it's gone.  What a waste of paper.  I understand they wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't still money in it for them, but surely they can assume not everyone is going to take one so why print so many?  Why not just delivery 10-15 to a 30 unit building assuming barely half of people will take them?

[Bingo]

A stack of 30 arrived at my building, one for every unit.  Since delivery I'd say maybe 4 have been claimed and the stack sat and sat and now it's gone.  What a waste of paper.  I understand they wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't still money in it for them, but surely they can assume not everyone is going to take one so why print so many?  Why not just delivery 10-15 to a 30 unit building assuming barely half of people will take them?

 

Anyone here still have an outhouse? 

[James Bay walker]

Why not just delivery 10-15 to a 30 unit building assuming barely half of people will take them?

 

Their yellow pages provide major advertising revenue collected from businesses.  Their ad rates are based largely on their 'circulation' volume.  Cutting the volume of phone books published eats into their revenue.

 

To me it's a variation on the periodical's paid and unpaid circulation to justify the ad 'rate card' (how much it costs to advertise).  Only here it's used and unused editions.

 

jbw

 

ps.  However, given the cost of directory assistance, along with the convenience of perusing the yellow pages' categorized businesses, I think there's good reason for keeping a phone directory in your car trunk.

[VicHockeyFan]

Their yellow pages provide major advertising revenue collected from businesses.  Their ad rates are based largely on their 'circulation' volume.  Cutting the volume of phone books published eats into their revenue.

 

To me it's a variation on the periodical's paid and unpaid circulation to justify the ad 'rate card' (how much it costs to advertise).  Only here it's used and unused editions.

 

 

 

EXACTLY.  That's why paid-circulation newspapers are tanking (TC) and free weeklies (Victoria News) are doing OK.  TC circulation is down almost 50% over the last 20 years (in 1991 they almost hit 100,000 copies on Fridays, it's 53,000 now), while the weeklies are up every year.

[lanforod]

Their yellow pages provide major advertising revenue collected from businesses.  Their ad rates are based largely on their 'circulation' volume.  Cutting the volume of phone books published eats into their revenue.

 

To me it's a variation on the periodical's paid and unpaid circulation to justify the ad 'rate card' (how much it costs to advertise).  Only here it's used and unused editions.

 

jbw

 

ps.  However, given the cost of directory assistance, along with the convenience of perusing the yellow pages' categorized businesses, I think there's good reason for keeping a phone directory in your car trunk.

 

Phone book in the trunk? What's wrong with a smart phone?

[James Bay walker]

Phone book in the trunk? What's wrong with a smart phone?

Cost money (to buy, to use).  And awkward to use vs a phone book, to effectively use it to browse through business listings.

 

jbw

[sebberry]

Phone book in the trunk? What's wrong with a smart phone?

 

Phone books can be used for weight over your drive axle when it snows and you need more traction

 

Phone books can be torn up and stuffed under the wheel when you're stuck in the snow and need some grip

 

Phone books can be burned for heat and cooking when you're cold and hungry and you finally realize you should have just bought a cell phone to call for help

 

You can fashion a phone book into a hat for some shelter from the rain while you're standing waiting for the tow truck to pull you out of the ditch

[lanforod]

While I realize you're a serious penny pincher from your other posts... I'll bite:

^^

If you have a car, you can probably afford a smart phone. We are talking about $50/mo average.

Besides, the phone isn't exclusively for the car. This is 2014, not 1994.

 

As for awkward to use, since when? I've rarely have trouble finding what I'm looking for. Typically when in a vehicle, I'm looking for a nearby restaurant, gas station (good luck finding those in phone books), tow truck or BCAA, non-emergency numbers. Phone has the added benefit of maps apps, camera, contact list etc etc etc.

Another issue with a phone book is that the phone book is useless outside of the local area. So unless you're sebberry and have a bunch of tongue in cheek uses...