SBC Flacks
Two people standing in front of my building with a mountain of plastic wrapped phone books, randomly dialing people in the building. But really, who uses phone books? Honestly, who? My dad, that is, and anyone else who hasn’t figured out the magic of yelp & google.
I let them in thinking they’ll drop them in the lobby, but no, they give me some song & dance about distributing them to each apartment. Uh, no. That’s against the CC&R - and to prove that I read the hefty tome!- leave them right there, that’s where everything goes- newspapers, bulk adverts, etc. “Can you sign a paper?” Uh, no. What paper? What’s it for? Paranoid me: identity theft. Realistic me: random bureaucracy by some circulation manager. I tell them to contact the apt. manager for anything & everything signed wise, and then I finally tire of the conversation and just go “my food is getting cold, please leave.” “I’m like: I was nice to you guys letting you in, now it’s time to go.” I usher them out, and then one guy stands in the door with his foot planted solidly preventing the door from closing. The intimidation pissing contest begins, with me repeating, “Go. Go. Go. I’ll call the cops. Go.” He
was waiting for me to leave so he could continue to have access to the building. Nice. Calling SBC.
Updated on 12/20, after the jump.
Update:
From DDA, the company that does phone book distribution for SBC in California:
“Directory Distributing Associates (DDA) believes the placement of the finished directory product into the hands of your advertisers and their customers is the most important step in the directory advertising chain.”
This one of a few indicators that it’s now junk mail, not a public service. - They don’t coordinate with apartment managers (in my case), they do not use trusted carriers (USPS, UPS, etc.). And the frosting: they use intimidation to hustle their wares.
There are part-time jobs available in CA, you have to have your own car insurance, and vehicle, which to me says that it’s an independent contracting situation, another tip off was the added benefit of “flexible hours”- and if it’s contract, I doubt health insurance, vacation, or breaks are part of the deal. ‘Oh and this is a gem. They must be having problems hiring:
Redeem Offer to Receive a 1-Time Signing Bonus of $20.00
Upon Completion of Your First Route
SBC hasn’t called me back but, they do still have 2 hours left on the promised 24 hour period of a callback from a manager. I got silly voicemail and dropped calls yesterday, but finally patched through to a real person and got them to file the complaint.
Now about recycling phone books, that’s another whole issue, or is it? I saw a mountain of pulp- probably NOT recycled (will check on that) surrounded by plastic bags. That would take me about an hour to separate and haul to our recycling bins. SBC needs to shape up like PacBell was made to shape up.
It’s sad, because the phone book could be something cool, like France’s internet directory, that was distributed to everyone in the nation, and provided access to 911, ticket purchasing, and business directories. (Minitel Videotext)
wow. way to get involved in something that is none of your buisness. those guys are paid a very low wage to do that job. not everone in the world is on a computer or at least uses it to look up local services. oh let’s say…the elderly for example. good job.
Anna, you rock. Excellent job.
Anna, you rock. I wish people like you lived in my building.
None of my business? Uh, it was OK to leave the books, just in the foyer, where every other company has to leave their stuff. My question to SBC is still outstanding: why don’t they contact the apt. managers to get access to the building, and why don’t they send it by official carriers that have access. Otherwise, it’s just junk mail. The two flackies were punching random numbers of tenants, including the elderly, who it terrifies me if they had to encounter these workers. And guess what, no job should require you to intimidate & browbeat people. I’m not necessarily blaming the flackies- but SBC- for setting up a system that requires them to intimidate to get their xmas bonuses (or worse, their paychecks).
Oh, left this bit out of the story- the 2 flacks ended up leaving a pile of books, but wanted to go back to their car and leave more, and distribute throughout the building. But they were able to leave about 20. And as of tonight, about 3 of the 20 have been taken up.
i would have done the same thing, anna. way to go
Anna,you did it the way I would have done it.I am not the manager in my building either,but like you…I care about who comes and goes in or out.The phone books are left in the lobby period.That way everyone can see they are there,get a new one,and bring an old one down for recycling. Those two brutes should have known better,were just killing time,etc..because they are underpaid,could have been on the lookout to rob someone who let them in[a senior citizen],and no one would have been any wiser.Ask AT&T if anyone has been robbed in this manner? Those two should have rang the office or the manager to be let into the building,and the manager should have come out to supervise them while they were in the lobby.He/She is not doing their job either! Where were they? I pick up my new phone books every year as does most of the tenants in my building..just to have in case..I am not on my computer all day..as I am disabled and basicly house bound…except for shopping and Dr’s visits.I try to walk several times a week,but it is tough.We have to be careful about who comes in and out of our buildings and homes these days…again,good job Anna.
Did you never learn to read Meathead?
Did you miss the part where she said it was HER home, HER building they were trying to infiltrate? And not to provide a public service (I didn’t see anything in the post about Meals on Wheels), but to leave their big book of advertising in which very few appear to have an interest.
Someone giving a **** about what is going on in one’s neighborhood or building is actually considered a good thing by many people.
And how does their compensation for pestering residents and acting belligerent to the poster have any relevance to whether SBC should be called to account for such poor business practices?
Way to go ‘Meaty’… jackass.
Nice work Anna. I agree it is essentially junk mail, and at a minimum, SBC should maintain a do not deliver list for phone books. It’s a tremendous waste of paper.
Hey Anna. Good job keeping those scumbags out of our garden! hey grab me a phone book if there are any left but don’t leave it at my door. See you after New Years.. :> Miriam