The phone book isn’t something that many people pay attention to anymore. But it still holds an interesting thing about business as a whole. In fact, you’re going to want to consider these books and the listings that are mirrored online. While the big yellow book is not something that you may pay attention to all the time, it shines light on an issue that is not permeating online. In fact, it’s going to absolutely change the way that you see locksmiths, and many other business types. As such, consider a few notes in regards to this solution.
Desperation Sales
Consider the job of a phone book salesman. No, not selling the books, but rather going door to door, calling business to business, asking companies to advertise with them. There’s a certain level of desperation, to the point where a paying business will put themselves in the phonebook and even online, without checks and measures. This keeps the phone listings alive, and that leaves scammers to place ads in local listings when they aren’t really licensed or bonded. This frustrates long running small businesses that have been in place for a long time.
The Rise of Scams
Locksmith scams abound. They do so in a variety of different arenas. For instance, you will call a number from the yellow pages, the person that you call shows up and demands payment up front. However, they will not have their tools, so they cannot deliver services. They calm they’ll be back, and then never come back. The second scam is to simply change your locks and give you a key, while they keep one for themselves, and they’ll scout out your home for a burglary later on. This of course is a nightmare scenario.
Protecting Yourself From Scammers
Here’s the biggest tip that you can take away from this, and it’s simple, don’t hire just anyone. Instead of hiring just any listing you see in the yellow pages or online, double check on their credentials. Look to see if they are licensed, bonded, and insured. Make absolutely sure that these are current by going online to check it out. Your state has a database of licenses that are current, and you can simply type in the numbers and see if they are legit. If you don’t see them listed, or the state doesn’t have them on record, then go with someone else. Sometimes a quick 10-minute search on your end, will guarantee that you will be able to hire someone that is dependable, reliable, and easy to work with.
All Things Home Improvement 