When it comes to signing up new clients jewish people can sometimes go far. Further, than you can imagine. Like creating fake success stories and repeatedly call you promising referrals of the “respective clients” just for you. I’m talking now about Jewish Yellow Pages.
I got a call from a very annoying Russian woman Rita about a year ago. She was trying to meet me in person at the Jewish Yellow Pages offices and sign me up for the listing in the directory. Sounds like a “jewish style boiler room” isn’t it?
I was not given answers to my questions like “How is Jewish Yellow Book different from Chinese or Indian Yellow book?”, “Why Rita being of a Russian origin promotes Jewish Yellow Pages?” or as to why should i sign for the listing in the Jewish Yellow Pages versus Verizon Yellow Pages, which is known and accepted better. No numbers or marketing data research were provided as well. Only phrases like “you were selected by the referral service” and “you are about to get calls from our respectful clientele”.
Very Brooklyn-type marketing i must tell you it is. Perhaps, they don’t know about the existence of the BNI, business exchange system built on referrals between businesses. Or maybe in their understanding people they subscribe are so stupid to just trust their bad scripted sales calls and are an easy target for the listing?
And guys, if you promote Jewish Referral Services, and your website looks like a one-page web form, who will work with you?
Never the less, Rita was given a hang up and five stars for being incompetent and rude. While i thought my communication with this agency is over, i was wrong.
This year i got a few calls from the “Concierge Services”, which Jewish Yellow Pages hired to subscribe businesses for their listings. A guy read well-written sales script, however could not answer my questions about distribution numbers and such. The only thing he said he can do is – ta-da, set me up an appointment with the Jewish Yellow Pages. As to my asking not to call me anymore, i was told that this is not an option for their service and as a result i got a few calls after this one – in about a week or so.
I might be wrong, as to the tremendous number of clients i could have gotten from the Jewish Yellow Pages. Although, i don’t speak Hebrew and my clients never position them as “russian or italian owned and operated”, but i see this company going a long way trying to promote “this patriotic product”. Guys, just learn marketing 101 and read some research data as to how businesses are being promoted now.
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17 Comments
Thank you for your post. I got the phone call from this company. I got exact the same run arounds as you described.
I was very hesitant after reading this post about becoming involved with JRS and The Jewish Yellow Pages. I met with Michael Ware almost a month and a half ago and what he was quoting as a possible return sounded almost too good to be true, and you know what they say about that. We eventually worked out a deal that was financially worth the risk and am I glad I did. After 10 business days I was up in their system and by the 12th business day I had already received 5 calls and I turned 3 of them into clients. As of today I have not only made 3 times my investment but I also have agreed to upgrade my package in July. Sometimes things that sound too good to be true can actually be accurate.
I wish I had done more research about this company before I got into business with them. They truly are con artist. The sales person Issac its a very nice guy who its great at his job. He contact me via phone telling me how someone had recommend my business to him and how he could help me get contracts for the summer with jewish schools. we made an appoinment to meet at my location and he was here on time and all day he describe the services given by his company and how soooo may clients are returning clients and they get contracts through them. Well I am a new business owner and every business owner knows how it is as a new business HARD and every penny counts I told the Issac just that he said that it was wise to do business with them specially for the summer. Well guess what NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING happen they are the scum of the advertisement world. I didnt get anything but harrasing phone calls from his people and every time I wanted to get an answer I will get ingnored. I placed a complain with the BBB and after two days all over something I got e-mails attempting to push my business. Well tooooo late go with someone else I am still disputing the last payment they are terrible. I know that the best marketing its word of mouth well here its my marketing piece for them, learn to tell the truth karma knows how to come back to all of us. As a small business owner I have to say if they contact you RUN RUN RUN
I have had the same experience as Ms.Hernandez. The local Atlanta area representative seems to be a decent fellow, so I gave then a try for a year. It generated 2 clients. After multiple calls trying to presure me into renewing with them I Sent a letter in October telling them that I refuse to sign up again and threatening suit if they do. They have called twice since then. I’m working on the papers after I write this. If you see then coming, RUN!!
Jewish yellow pages are a total scam. They lie, they manipulate and they steal. I have to take them to small claims court to get $1000 they stole from me. They are rude, incredibly unprofessional con artists. They are a nightmare. RUN!
Bad or good opinions about Jewish Referral Service makes it GREAT!
Website looks simple, and does the job – easy accessible from smart phones and any computer systems, even outdated ones. I love it. I signed up with them and don’t regret at all.
I wonder, can you point to the listing of your business on their pages? Or this is just another ‘attempt’ to clean up their reputation?
I went on an interview with these people today. My boyfriends mom found a job ad in one of the Russian newspapers. I called because I thought it was an administrative assistant position. The girl I spoke with didn’t speak English very well and told me someone would call me back. That was four months ago! Imagine my surprise when I got a phone call from a woman asking me if I was still looking for a job on July 3rd. Duh, isn’t everyone? She didn’t answer me when I asked what kind of job it was and only asked me if I spoke Russian. Nope. So she told me she would put me in touch with their other office. I received a phone call from, Avi, ten minutes later. He told me to come in for an interview at The Jewish Yellow Pages. He sounded nice enough, so today I went in. The office is located in between buildings on Ave U in Gravesend good luck finding it. At first,I thought I was walking into an apartment. The desk at the door was empty and I didn’t see anyone around. I stood in the hallway like an idiot until I heard someone cough. The office is run down and the people that were working couldn’t even be bothered to say hello or return my smile. Avi greeted me and sat me down in his office. He explained what the company did and that I would be calling people that were already in their directory. I would be setting up sales meetings and sometimes going to a business for a meeting. I would not be paid the first month that I would be working because “I’m not worth anything until I’m trained.” I had asked him if there was a base salary when I spoke over the phone and he said there was. Then he tells me that I get 10% commission for the first month and then 15% after that. He broke down how much commission i would be earning based off of the prices of their advertising packages. He mentioned something about a $2,000 a month earned income security money, but it wasn’t clear. I’m guessing i would be paid nothing for sitting on the phone all day from 9-7 calling people that will not buy advertising from them. I was hired because he could see that I am intelligent, hard working and a people person. Yeah, working as an office manager/ marketing for 10 years in the beauty industry while I pursue a career in the entertainment industry, means I have something going for me. He wasn’t paying me a compliment he said. He was just stating facts. I don’t think he banked on me coming home and doing my research on the company. I’m so glad I did. I know my dream job/ in between dream job is out there somewhere. I will not make my money lying to people.
Similar thing happened to me, in Queens. I went in for the interview with Lisa, and asked her if there was a base pay, and she told me here was. Tha was the reason I agreed to be there. Two days later she told me that she made a mistake, and it was commission only. She said that they don’t think that I should get paid for “passing the time.” She then tried to assure me that I was going to make money. Not only was I lied to, I was misled. Just yesterday I finally told her my true feelings that iwasntgoing to waste10 hours of my day leaving msgs for people and not get paid. The pressure was too much. Never going back.
(2-5-2013) So right. I got a phone call last week from Mr. Chad Ray of the Cambridge, Massachusetts office of the Jewish Referral Service. He spoke well about how they get so many inquiries to find a professional in my field in this part of Massachusetts. Eventually he said he guarenteed that I would get more business. So I asked what was the guarantee? Was there a refund if they did not generate referrals or business? Or was there an initial free trail period to prove that there would be clients generated? Of course not. He explained that would be impossible because so many new clients would not identify themselves as Jewish or as having used the service. Since I had some open time this week, I allowed him to make an appointment to come to my office to present his marketing options. But then I went onto the company’s referral website and found the only three members of my profession in the metro Boston area of the website. I reached two of them by phone. Both reported cancelling the advertsing after a year with no identifiable clients from this source.
So when I called Mr Ray’s office to cancel his meeting, it was understandable that he still tried unssuccessfully to convince me to have the meeting. He insisted that my colleagues had gotten clients and made a big mistake to cancel the advertsing. But he showed his true aggressive colors with a verbal twist of the knife. His last statement to me was: “Fine, I’ll just call your competitors.” I shall pity them if they waste money to advertise with this outfit.
First of all to all those “smart business owner”…. that posted here some reviews that my grandma have more knowledge about marketing and promoting businesses.. …….I’m in the marketing business for the last 15 years…………I’m working in Florida and as part of my job I also came across with Jewish yellow pages…………first of all you don’t understand as a marketing I cant promise nothing!!!!!!!!!……..I cant guarantee success to business owner that want to sign with my company.. …..and if a marketing agent promise you success hes lying.. …..I work few times with Jewish yellow to get leads and they are amazing.. …..you guys need to understand they than only one that target Jewish people and I wave some “smart business owner “……..like I read in the posts that will say know to the most strongest community and the wealthiest. Out there I wish to everybody to have one Jewish client to you understand that life is about hierarchy and I’m sure everybody wanna sell.. .work and provide services to good loyal and wealthy clients’…………………I’m really shocked that people writing its a scam………….you guys here don’t even what’s out there and to be known by Jewish community was the best thins that happen to my business.. …’l………working with this community opening a lot of doors for other business opportunity.. ……….so please gu
I would be shocked by any legit person writing it is not a scam. And Alexander, please ask some of your pals at jams to clean up your context and grammar. You sound idiotic. I wish jms would change their religion. They make me feel embarrassed to be Jewish.
D
Do you work for them?. For me, they have been entirely a scam. I got not even one exploratory call since I bought it hastily in July. Dumkopt!!! . I can’t believe I was so vulnerable to these con artists. I plan to report them to the BBB. They most likely have a big file on them already.
They lied, promising me free referrals, to get in the door. The salesperson was argumentative and rude. I also questioned why use this over regular yellow pages. We had to literally kick out the salesperson. She would not take” I’ll think about it’ for an answer.
This company is a HUGE SCAM!!!! Do not do anything with them! Last year I met one of the best sales people I have ever met and I signed up. I never do that, but she was such a good sales person, I did. WORST decision I have ever made. Once they had my money, I never heard from them for about 3 months. Then I get an email with the worst artwork for an ad I have ever seen saying they are going to be printing that. I called right away piss that this was the first contact I have gotten since they took my money and wanted to cancel. They said it was past the cancellation period and they wouldn’t. Going back and forth a bunch I was an idiot and gave in for a slight reduction in price.
I never got on call from anyone from this listing!!!! I keep track. Not one lead. EVER!
This year I get a call saying that they already printed the ad that I tried to cancel last year. No notice, no approval, no invoice, and where is money for the bill.
They have been calling me EVERY day multiple days bordering on harassment. And there contract apparently says it renews every year unless you cancel it. But they don’t let you cancel it!!!!!
NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!!!
I had a problem with Jewish Marketing Solutions but the very nice Sally R. Khan Office Manager was very helpful and satisfactorily helped me. However I am not sure how to take this complaint down.
http://uscomplaints.com/miscellaneous/1300279-harassment-for-ad-i-never-approved.html
Can you please take this review down?
Thanks,
Heather
They made my life better by just knowing that I don’t work there, I don’t know them, I am not related, and I’ll never cross paths again. Horrible worthless company that has 0 credibility, 0 advertising power, but a very hefty collections staff. I have nothing good to say, and I do not know why the BBB says they can’t be found? Their phone numbers are 718-709-0797, 718-709-0720, 718-709-0812. If you have ever heard any negative typecast of Jewish people, this is the company that fuels that fire. They live down to every stereotype you have ever heard. I really don’t know how people like this can get out of bed every morning, knowing that they are just screwing people over.