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Yellow Pages fighting for usefulness

This week two things happened that made me think about the Yellow Pages.

How userful are the printed Yellow Pages?

The first was walking my daughter to school and seeing Yellow Pages sitting on letter boxes and in drive ways in the drizzle. It is questionable how useful a printed Yellow Pages is now, but once it has been soaked there is little doubt as to how useless it is. Why they deliver in the rain and don’t protect it in some way is beyond me.

I can not remember the last time we checked the printed Yellow Pages. They now have the reduced local version, but the horse has bolted. So that’s strike one for the Yellow Pages.

Historical Yellow Pages online advertising

I remember talking to the Yellow Pages reps over the last couple of years as they tried to convince me to sign up for their various online packages. These packages were thousands of dollars, but gave me the chance to have my details there, some photos, and effectively a mini little web site. My thoughts on the matter were here.

The only problem was – who cares?

Google dominated the search engine market. People weren’t using the Yellow Pages any more. So paying for a listing in the Yellow Pages online was, to me, a waste of money that was better spent on my own web sites and SEO efforts.

The “new” Yellow Pages

But this all appears to have changed again. I was contacted by a Yellow Pages rep letting me know that my online information was not up to date. I could now enter my web site, items that I sold, hours of business etc etc etc. In fact, the Yellow Pages wanted to know the ins and outs of what I do.

I think this has come about for a number of reasons:

1. They finally realised that they need to offer people more than just a phone number if they want people to click on them. So if you can have all the key information like hours of business and brands then it is worth going there.

2. Why pay for adding this information to your yellow pages listing when no-one uses it, and it can all be on your web site?

3. They need to prove to Google that they are actually useful

Yellow Pages, Google and Social Feedback

It is on the last point that I think Yellow Pages are now becoming interesting again. With the ability for people to leave reviews on companies, Yellow Pages is one of the few places where you can actually tell if a company is a “company” and not just a web site front. They also provide a method for the public to leave a rating.

So is Yellow Pages now in the unique position of telling Google who is a legitimate company and what their reputation is like?

That information must be worth a fortune.

So it is no wonder that Yellow Pages is now actively trying to get us all to update our information. They want to be seen as the experts on company information again.

And it’s not so that you or I will think they are still worthwhile, but to ensure that Google thinks they are relevant.

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What is covered with our shipping insurance?

Our normal terms and conditions (like most businesses) is that you take possession the moment an order ships. If the order is lost or damaged in transit then, in theory, it’s your problem. In reality we will have a conversation and try to work out a good way to resolve the issue where we are both happy (or not too upset).

Shipping insurance is there to remove the drama. If an order is lost or damaged in transit, we will simply send out a replacement, and we will then deal with the courier directly to resolve the original problem.

Our shipping insurance also means that if an order is delayed beyond what is normal and reasonable then we will send you another shipment (stock levels permitting). Then you should receive one of them sooner, and when the second one arrives you simply Return To Sender.

How much is shipping insurance?

Shipping insurance is 5% of the cost of the goods.

Is it worth it? Practically we have had far less than 5% of shipments have problems. It is, however, what Australia Post and other couriers charge. Ultimately insurance is about peace of mind and less hassle when something does go wrong.

Shipping insurance as an option

Shipping insurance is offered as an option on all our web sites. You can select it at the checkout.

For large orders our staff may also ask if you would like shipping insurance.

If you would like shipping insurance on an order you are placing with us, just ask.

Mandatory shipping insurance

Unfortunately we have had a couple of large orders not make it and then the customer refused to pay. A friend suggested that the easy way to avoid the dispute is to insure any shipments where we have a significant risk.

If you would like an immediate line of credit (30 days to pay) and have the goods ship immediately (no credit check delays) and are purchasing over $500 then we will add shipping insurance to your order.

The shipping insurance can be waived if the order is between $500 and $2,000 and you provide us with a formal confirmation that you accept responsibility of the goods once they ship.

Alternatively you can prepay by direct deposit or credit card.

What is not covered?

If there is a clear proof of delivery to the shipping address provided then we class that as delivered. Unfortunately there are cases where it is lost somewhere between the loading dock or receptionist and ending up in your hands. But we also know that a photo of the bag against a generic grey background is not proof of delivery, it is just proof of existence! It needs to be a reasonable proof of delivery.

It also doesn’t cover the expectation of overnight delivery. For example, if we were to ship to Melbourne (we are in Sydney) then we would expect it to be delivered within about 3 days. Most of the time it is overnight, but there are enough floods and other issues that regularly cause minor delays. Sending a second order the next day tends to not fix the problem. If it is super urgent, talk to us about how we can minimise the risk.

For damage claims we ask that you contact us immediately and we will probably ask for photos or some proof. The shipping insurance doesn’t cover claims weeks later. We do have warranty covering our items, but it excludes physical damage (e.g. being dropped). If the goods are damaged in transit then please let us know ASAP so we can cover it under the shipping insurance.