Our community of 400 homes is a private property, gated residential development.
Our local telephone company is Embarq and the "legitimate" phone books were delivered to our residents last week.
The Talking Phone Book (out of their Gainesville distribution center) came around tonight and tossed 400 books on peoples driveways. They know to do this at night because for the past several years without success I have tried to get them to stop and they now prefer to do this under cover of darkness.
Not only have I been brushed off by their representatives when I call but I have also been told by the "tossers" that "if I pay property taxes then they have every right to come onto my private property". They usually invoke the standard line..."It's OK - we're distributing the 'PHONE BOOK' to the residents."
This is not the phone book. It is nothing more than a 10 pound advertising supplement. I wish their advertisers knew what happens to the books. There's probably an entire section of the county landfill dedicated to these books. I end up gathering my maintenance staff the following morning to gather up all the trash and call for a special pick up from our waste disposal company. For me, this is an unwanted waste of time and an additional expense. If it's rainy or windy, this poses an additional challenge.
I guess my message is targeted primarily to the advertisers. Before spending your advertising budget on this, or other similar media (Yellow Book), do some research and do not rely on their self-serving distribution numbers. They'll show you some very pretty maps and quote some fairly impressive figures. Unless there are some technologically sophisticated seagulls with cell phones at the landfill, you're not likely to get business calls from our community. I would venture to say that we, as a community, are not the anomaly.
President and CEO, Richard D. Lewis, if you're listening, please consider revamping your business plan. The current one is doomed to eventual failure and backlash. I personally make it a point to call 5 advertisers at random on a daily basis. If there are other property owners who have been similarly abused, forget trying to call the company or distribution center. "It's the Phone Book", don't you know.instead, take 10 minutes each day and call 5 advertisers. Let your fingers do the walking. Trust me... This is far more effective than having some moron explain to you that there is no longer such a concept as private property.
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