In the book!

[aauto]

Hello all, It's time to re-up with the phone book ads again and was just wondering if you guys are in more than one. In years past I was in two but the last 2 years has been just one. I haven't kept track of the calls like I should have I do be leave it does generate the phone to ring but not for all the right reasons, you know the ones I'm talking about The CC processors, Auto zone O2 sensor installs, other bs type calls. So other than logging every call, is there anything automated. The book company has a tracking phone number they can use in place of mine to track calls coming from the ad/s but not who there from or what type of calls they are. Any and all insight on the subject would great thanks again.

[Joe Marconi]

First, it is interesting that we are discussing phone book advertising. For most shops, this form of advertising is not effective, since the increase in online searches overshadows any other form of traditional advertising.

 

As with any form of advertising, the best way to track the effectiveness is to ask all first time customers how they found you. But the key is ask a follow up question; "In addition to the radio ad you heard, has anyone else referred you to us?" Many times the customer will say, "Yes, my neighbor Tom Smith recommended you, and I also pass by your shop every day."

 

Tracking phone calls is good, but unless you turn the call into an appointment, you will not know the true picture.

 

Lastly, you must track these first time customers and get information. And ask a lot of probing questions. Hopefully, your management software system has a field you can enter the information. If it does, you can generate a report for all first time customers. If not, create your own system.

 

This type of customer interview also helps to establish a relationship.

 

I hope this helps.

[Elon Block]

Hello all, It's time to re-up with the phone book ads again and was just wondering if you guys are in more than one. In years past I was in two but the last 2 years has been just one. I haven't kept track of the calls like I should have I do be leave it does generate the phone to ring but not for all the right reasons, you know the ones I'm talking about The CC processors, Auto zone O2 sensor installs, other bs type calls. So other than logging every call, is there anything automated. The book company has a tracking phone number they can use in place of mine to track calls coming from the ad/s but not who there from or what type of calls they are. Any and all insight on the subject would great thanks again.

All companies trying to sell you their credit card processing services, marketing programs or anything else

are using a list they purchased from a list broker. They are not combing the yellow pages.

 

I see your yellow page listing includes a website address. Is your website down?

[lmcca]

whats a "phone book"?

[mmotley]

whats a "phone book"?

Exactly

[xrac]

My yellow pages budget has went from about $12K per year down to less than $1K and I think that is a waste of money.

[aauto]

All companies trying to sell you their credit card processing services, marketing programs or anything else

are using a list they purchased from a list broker. They are not combing the yellow pages.

 

I see your yellow page listing includes a website address. Is your website down?

Yes my website is down but that's another post for another time. I know their not combing the phone books but would stand to reason that the phone book company's sell these tracking numbers as "New leads" to these telemarketing company's. The sales person I dealt with this week was showing me all this compiled data about there ads with this system of tracking and how great it was. Then I asked her who funded that research..that was it end of pitch.

[aauto]

First, it is interesting that we are discussing phone book advertising. For most shops, this form of advertising is not effective, since the increase in online searches overshadows any other form of traditional advertising.

 

As with any form of advertising, the best way to track the effectiveness is to ask all first time customers how they found you. But the key is ask a follow up question; "In addition to the radio ad you heard, has anyone else referred you to us?" Many times the customer will say, "Yes, my neighbor Tom Smith recommended you, and I also pass by your shop every day."

 

Tracking phone calls is good, but unless you turn the call into an appointment, you will not know the true picture.

 

Lastly, you must track these first time customers and get information. And ask a lot of probing questions. Hopefully, your management software system has a field you can enter the information. If it does, you can generate a report for all first time customers. If not, create your own system.

 

This type of customer interview also helps to establish a relationship.

 

I hope this helps.

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I knew it in my gut I just needed to hear it, the old ways die hard. Do you run any ads in your local phone book/s maybe just one liners for info purposes? I do like your idea on the keeping a log on my system I do be leave I have it. I need to fix things and this where I'm starting. Other than the sales calls, I get price shoppers and referrals. I'm a one man shop trying to cover it all. I try and qualify them quickly, I do try and talk about other things instead of giving a price and I do win some jobs this way and most without fail just want a number and I give them one (Ball park) it's just too time consuming to give a full estimate. But i'm not logging the info, I think saving that data would be good for me to follow up with them in a week or so on a few of those one's I missed. Thanks Joe.

[aauto]

My yellow pages budget has went from about $12K per year down to less than $1K and I think that is a waste of money.

My thoughts on this are even if your spending just a thousand bucks on an ad the generates mostly shoppers and limited buyers, how much time it ties up dealing with a dead end estimates that's the frustrating part for me.

[stowintegrity]

I know my posts tend to be a bit long winded, and I apologize for that. In this case, however, my opinon is simple.

Spending ANY money to pay for additional advertising my auto repair shop in ANY printed phone book is a waste of money.

It's all online anymore, folks.

 

Just one man's short opinion.

[alfredauto]

Even newspaper print ads are basically a donation these days. Just go down to any college campus and look around at people. Nobody has a newspaper except if they are walking their dog and using it to pick up after it.