I had contacted this outfit in November in order to plan a campaign for spring 2011. Apparently I was assigned a rep who recommended we wait until the new year to get started. We spoke once after that and never heard from him again. As time was marching on contacted the office and another rep was assigned to my account. I explained my plan and After I resisted an attempt to hurry up and sign up for a deadline that would have not allowed for any prep we focused on the next monthly series for my campaign. We met and did a bit of layout work. The rep had to do a bit of finalizing and was to have a tentative proof prepared for the next week. Middle of the next week I get an e-mail asking for answers to questions never asked. As he had delayed the production we now had to rush to meet the approaching deadline for submission. As it was now the 11th hour I was asked to provide payment before seeing any finished product. After I refused it was agreed that a special consideration would be made and I would be allowed to accept the proof before payment was required.
Once I signed off on the proof and submitted my c.C.info I stopped hearing from the rep (he ultimately did send an email about a month after the supposed mailing). Once the mailers were supposed to have been delivered I ran an informal audit by surveying my customers in the area. Not one reported receiving my advertisement. When I questioned the office it was explained that the "actual" delivery areas don't follow the (admittedly) vague map used to select target areas. I was offered a packet that the office had printed for customer edification. Since my issue was with actual delivery and not with appearance I declined the offer.
Not one reply.
When I questioned the office I was informed that there were quite a few solicitations that were completely unsuccessful (sorta the opposite of what the reps claimed but that's advertising). The "sales manager" that returned my call went on to offer a comprehensive critique of the ad copy which even left me to wonder why anyone would respond to it (where is this guy while their reps are "designing" customer's art to begin with?). He didn't even try to address my concerns that the actual target area was different than the volume/area I paid for nor did he seem surprised at the sketchy tactics of his rep. It was a well rehearsed list of excuses, he's apparently gotten a lot of practice.
He did promise to try harder if I chose to use his firm again...
So in short WATCH OUT. It looks like they've got a hurry up and wait approach that makes it easy to buy low probability advertising. There is no accountability and a very "comission first" ethic.
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