Moore wants less Yellow
Myles Wearring
A pile of Yellow Pages on the street in Surry Hills, Sydney last week.
What are you using your freshly delivered stack of Yellow Pages for? An attractive stand for your computer monitor? Something to fill the top shelf of your kitchen cupboard? A booster seat for the kids? Emergency toilet paper, perhaps?
With the annual delivery of printed Yellow Pages directories in full swing around the nation, millions of people are facing the annoying reality of having to dispose of the hefty tomes left sitting on their front doorstep.
One person who wants to see an end to the mass delivery of these books is Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
In response to complaints from her constituents, Moore has begun a campaign to create a Yellow Pages opt-in system so only those who want the Yellow Pages directories will get them.
Sensis, which owns Yellow Pages, has an opt-out phone line for people to call if they wish to stop getting the books (1800 008 292 – I found it on the Sensis website, and if you can find it on the Yellow Pages website you’re doing better than me). The Sydney Morning Herald reported that 2000 people had so far taken up the option.
But Moore believes the opt-out system is inadequate and poorly publicised. She took it up with Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
“While some residents continue to rely on hard copy directories, many people now use the internet or telephone services to locate this information,” Moore said in a letter to Conroy.
“It is likely that there is a decreasing number of people relying on hard copy directories. An opt-in system to obtain copies of telephone directories, in response to notices included in telephone accounts, may be less wasteful while still meeting community needs.”
Moore has since said on her website that Conroy “indicates it is unlikely that the Commonwealth Government will impose tighter regulation. Reform is not likely without a concerted community campaign for change.”
I think there are enough people out there who want a change. Like Luke, who wrote a comment on YellowTurningBlue.com.au, a site TrueLocal.com.au started last year.
“Another 12 Yellow and White Pages directories were delivered to our apartment complex a couple of weeks ago and for the 3rd year running they are still all sitting there in the foyer,” Luke said.
“Nobody asked for them, nobody wants them and worse still nobody (inc lazy me) can be bothered picking the heavy things up and taking them around the recycle bin.”
Gone are the days when these delivered directories were the only way to find a plumber, accountant or doctor. Some people still use them, absolutely. And they’re important for those who don’t have internet access. But Moore is right in saying that today most Australians find businesses online – in fact 91.4 per cent do, according to a survey done by TrueLocal in conjunction with Coredata last year.
The survey found 58 per cent of Australians want to stop receiving the printed Yellow Pages directories. Fourteen per cent said they throw the books straight into the recycling bin when they arrive. And 62 per cent thought the Yellow Pages books had a negative impact on the environment.
Sensis have disputed the findings of our survey. On ABC News this month Stephen Harvy of Sensis said over 5 million people use the printed Yellow and White Pages every week.
Do you think there should there be a change in the way printed Yellow Pages directories are sent?
I rung and ‘opted out’ of getting the book.. I was told that they may still deliver it, however if this happens just to leave it on my door step and it will get picked up in a few weeks when they do a run past to pick up any unclaimed ones. Two months later it still sits on my front door step clearly worse for wear, its going in the bin.
Robert of Annandale
FROM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER’S P.O.V:
DO YOU PEOPLE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH REVENUE THESE BOOKS GENERATE FOR SME’S ESPECIALLY???
WITHOUT THE YELLOW & WHITE PAGES, OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY WOULD CRUMBLE. SURE, A SMALL PORTION OF THE POPULATION WOULD PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE A BOOK ON THEIR DOORSTEP EACH YEAR… SO WHAT? HOW HARD IS IT TO CHUCK THE THING IN THE RECYCLING BIN? STOP WHINING AND TRYING TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF NOTHING. RECEIVING A BOOK ON YOUR DOORSTEP ONCE A YEAR IS NO MORE ANNOYING THAN HAVING TO WATCH COMMERCIALS BETWEEN BREAKS IN A TV SHOW. IT’S THE WORLD WE LIVE IN AND THE MAJORITY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE USED TO THE CONTINUAL EXPOSURE TO VARIOUS MEDIAS PUSHING THEIR CLIENT’S PRODUCTS & SERVICES. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT YOU PEOPLE CAMPAIGNING FOR THE ABOLISHMENT OF THESE BUSINESS DIRECTORIES HAVE SOME SORT OF ALTERIOR MOTIVE (I.E. WINNING OVER MARKET SHARE FROM SENSIS=MONEY IN YOUR BACK POCKET)
IT IS ALSO OBVIOUS THAT THIS TRUELOCAL MOB ARE A DIRECT COMPETITOR OF THE YELLOW PAGES??? I’D NEVER EVEN HEARD OF TRUELOCAL UNTIL I PUNCHED IN THEIR WEBSITE JUST NOW. I DO NOT KNOW ANYBODY WHO USES ANYTHING BUT YELLOW PAGES, YELLOW ONLINE, OR GOOGLE TO FIND BUSINESSES (APART FROM WORD OF MOUTH).
AND BY THE WAY, I WOULD QUESTION ANY STATS YOU HAVE TO ‘PROVE’ THE CONTRARY, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BY TRUELOCAL.
PFFT GOOD LUCK.
P.S. I BET THIS DOESN’T MAKE IT ONTO YOUR BLOG.
D Eddy of
I love my yellow pages and would be lost without it. I can find a heap of businesses to choose between per page and yes I have internet but can never find anything local besides, how many plumbers have websites? I’d like to ban the delivery of my local advocate newspaper which sits in my driveway each week.
Graham Sweet of Hornsby
I am 25 and use the Yellow Pages regularly. I do have the internet at home. I live in an apartment in Coogee NSW and in my building there were only one set left after they were delivered two months ago.
I like that they have an opt out option, however, looking at having to request them just to receive them is silly, because most people in my building would not know where to do this.
I think online is great, however, the print books still have a place in my apartment and in the other approx 30 homes in my building, and I wonder why true local feels that is it so necessary to constantly be having a go at the book??? I as a consumer have a choice and think that it is up to Yellow Pages to make their own choices in their business without true local slamming them for providing free information in a printed directory, which I personally want to receive.
It seems as though it this is a cheap grab by true local to increase their own market share and nothing else. Keep the books coming I say!
Serge Janovic of Coogee NSW
How typical of A yellow pages competitor to be slagging of Yellow pages on their own website! It is an icon and one of Australia’s most trusted brands. I use the internet a lot myself, but as a lot of businesses that I deal with don’t have websites, I know that the one place I will be able to find them quickly and easily is the Yellow Pages book or Yellowpages.com.au. Also, now with Google maps using Yellow Pages listings I can also find some of these businesses on google. I don’t know anyone that uses True Local…
Hannah of Kensington Vic
I have a business that used to have a ‘premium’ listing on Yellow Pages. I have since cancelled the account as I found Sensis terrible to deal with. Over the 3 years we had our listing they consistently had our details incorrect even after numerous notifications to them to correct the errors. It was just not worth the grief.
We are still getting calls from customers who think we offer a service that we don’t due to the incorrect Yellow Pages listings.Tina of Surry Hills
I feel the same way about Yellow Pages. it’s a good resource for businesses,but I’d like to see some info on how many people use the online version (even that has flaws with businesses not adding the correct keywords). Surely there are a lot of people using the online version. Not forgetting of course, that the print verison of Yellow Pages is a cash cow and generates a lot of profit for Sensis. Do I think YP will fade away without a fight - I think not. Shame about the amount of paper used. I read somewhere that it takes a litre of water to make one A4 piece of paper - how many pages in YP - go figure!
John Miles of Buderim/ QLD
Any competition for monopolistic Telstra/Sensis/Yellow Pages is an excellent thing. I’m not saying News Limited isn’t monopolistic in nature, but if there’s more than one monopoly fighting for something then it becomes less of a monopoly, which can only be a good thing.
I never asked for any book to be delivered to my house which therefore makes the Yellow Pages book junk mail, and I don’t appreciate junk mail. It’s simple...don’t send me something I didn’t request. The printing of the Yellow/White Pages books is a waste of resources.
There are plenty of people defending Yellow Pages and saying that they love and use it - well if you love it and really use it, then you shouldn’t have a problem contacting Yellow Pages and requesting delivery of the books to your house.
microcycles of melbourne
Any competition for monopolistic Telstra/Sensis/Yellow Pages is an excellent thing. I’m not saying News Limited isn’t monopolistic in nature, but if there’s more than one monopoly fighting for something then it becomes less of a monopoly, which can only be a good thing.
I never asked for any book to be delivered to my house which therefore makes the Yellow Pages book junk mail, and I don’t appreciate junk mail. It’s simple...don’t send me something I didn’t request. The printing of the Yellow/White Pages books is a waste of resources.
There are plenty of people defending Yellow Pages and saying that they love and use it - well if you love it and really use it, then you shouldn’t have a problem contacting Yellow Pages and requesting delivery of the books to your house.
microcycles of melbourne
I stopped using white pages and yellow pages in book form some time back in the late 90s.
I can see where a few people are coming from with regards to advertising for small business.
However Sensis may well be claiming that theyre reaching more people than thy actually do, if more than 50% of people just place the new yellow pages straight into the recycle bin.
In which case they really should be discounting their ad rates...with an opt in system, they would see exactly how many copies are being requested and this would affect the advertising rates.
Under the present system the number of copies in use is a fairly vague number.I would still like to see the system as opt in, its a dreadful waste of resources, and Sensis really need to come to terms with exactly how many people they do reach with their hard copy advertising.
Go Clover!
Adrian of Sydney
