AT&T Phone Book Outrage - For Shame!

I wrote about this crap before on my site and the response was amazing - most people agree these things are dinosaurs, but some still want them delivered. It was the most commented post on my blog in almost 2 years - it's a touchy subject!

If I owned shares in ATT I would be unhappy too..

Indeed! It can't be hard, for them to give phone books to people who want them. Just make it an option! Or at the very least, maybe we can ASK them not to send them to us.

One additional thing I just thought of - it's possible that these things are profitable as there are many paid advertisements in the phone book.

I agree that the phone books are wasteful, though, I have to say, if you think the Paper Phonebook isn't useful, you've gotten out of the habit of using them. If you do still use them, there's a different quality of info you find in them that just isn't replicated on line, and sometimes when you're looking for a service in your area but don't know who to ask, the yellow pages can't be beat. In that case, I hate looking on-line. It's just confusing. Like when you're looking for a plumber or a music store. On-line, it can just be frustrating.

I agree that they can be incredibly wasteful, but the internet is not good enough to replace a paper phone book yet. Was trying to find a store yesterday to buy a USB card reader and went to yell.com -- I knew roughly where the store I wanted was located but didn't know it's name, and yell.com has about 20 different categories for computers, none of which were giving me the result I wanted. In the end, I found it in the phone book.

Jessica, Brady, You've never used Yelp.com? (never heard of Yell.com). I haven't looked at a phone book in years. As far as I'm concerned, if you're not on line, you don't exists - to your business' peril...

Yes, I still use a phone book. Not all of the buisnesses in our town are listed on line, therefore there is no way to reach them. I do think it should be requested though, not forced upon us.

I stumbled across this one while back: http://www.powandjib.com/images/ivan-phonebooks.jpg . Looks like they're not the only ones tired of this crap. It's 2008. Who uses phone books these days anyway?

Hello posters. It is funny that you are writing about these issues... I am the COO of a my family company that works with phone companies in order to help people who want phone books receive them and also eliminate distribution of duplicate books. We are saving Forests and land fills and money. I will be contacting the exact companies that you are targeting to offer our services to them. We not only save the environment, the costumers aggravation but the phone company's a lot of money. It is Win Win all around. I personally like the yellow pages as I find the web searches stacked with biased information from web pages who pay to be first on web searches. For more information about My company. Contact me directly. Lydia B.
AT&T is a current client in many areas... and will be siging up in your area soon (hopefully)

looking for deals on att phones and calling plans then check out: www.attprepaidplans.info

Good info. but only 10 to 15 percent of small businesses advertise on line. seems pretty limited when a pipe bursts in the middle of the night and you need 24 hour service. go to kn/sri group they are the nielson rating for yellowpages. usage is still very strong. it will die. but not in our lifetime. also if you do a local search on yahoo. all your local listing are driven by at&t. See how many times yellowpages.com is up in the natural results. yellowpages.com recieved more local searches than google for the past few months. and yes i do work for at&t publishing(the most profitable division). I was not a believer until i learned the real numbers either. thanks for the blog.

ok, I understand your concerns in terms of being a shareholder, but these books are paid for by advertising. people pay to be put in the phonebook, and A LOT. these books are mass produced and i'm sure that the phone companies would not make these if they were loosing money on them. That doesn't make corporate or capitalist sense.

I ATT&T phone books delivered to business addresses along University Avenue in San Diego (North Park) that were empty buildings.

This is basically litter. Att&T is littering San Diego's City Streets with this trash.

Such waste. Their department for distributing their phone books is out of control. They need to polices this up and be more Environmentally friendly.

I AT&T phone books delivered to business addresses along University Avenue in San Diego (North Park) that were empty buildings.

This is basically litter. Att&T is littering San Diego's City Streets with this trash.

Such waste. Their department for distributing their phone books is out of control. They need to polices this up and be more Environmentally friendly.

Please stop this waste. I don't want these phone books.

Consumers can “opt out” of receiving telephone books at www.YellowPagesGoesGreen.org. They will contact the publishers and inform them to stop delivering books. This is a free service for consumers. www.YellowPagesGoesGreen.org is working with state and local governments on ordinances concerning the delivery of unsolicited telephone books. www.YellowPagesGoesGreen.org is not against the telephone books but against the delivery of 4 to 5 pounds of paper on people’s door step 5 to 6 times per year and being told it is our responsibility to recycle something we did not ask for. If we need a book we will call. Otherwise I “opt out” from receiving it.

Unfortunately, most folks don't realize that it is a state/federal requirement for local phone companies to provide printed directories. Call your state and federal representatives, and tell them this is an archaic requirement.

Mark - the issue is not the state/federal government requirement for local telephone companies to provide printed directories. The issue is state/federal governments does not require the industry to throw books on your front door. If people want a book they can call and get one. And please follow the money. Do you think some politician woke up one day and said "let's make telephone companies print books"? How about the lobbyist help push this through to creat additional revenue stream and help stop competition by adding another level of hoops to jump throw. The telephone companies did not get to where they are today by their customer service. Follow the money and stop dropping a book off when I do not want one.

Mark - the issue is not the state/federal government requirement for local telephone phone companies to provide printed directories. The issue is state/federal governments does not require the industry to throw books on your front door. If people want a book they can call and get one. And please follow the money. Do you think some politician woke up one day and said "let's make telephone companies print books"? How about the lobbyist help push this through to creat additional revenue and help stop competition by adding another level of hoops to jump throw. The telephone companies did not get to where they are today by their customer service. Follow the money and stop dropping a book off when I do not want one.

I agree phone books are just not needed, Its 2008 if you are still looking in a phone book you are most likley over the age of 80. My grandmother who is 70 goes on line for everything .

I agree phone books are just not needed, Its 2008 if you are still looking in a phone book you are most likley over the age of 80. My grandmother who is 70 goes on line for everything .