Is it local?
MIDDLETOWN ? Middletown Florist & Gifts owner Tina Chiotti-Stewart identified a problem that she said is making it difficult for consumers to “shop local.” The issue she said is with multiple listings for “Middletown Florist” in the newest edition of the Lake and Mendocino counties Valley Yellow Pages Business Listings.
The Valley Yellow Pages lists 10 telephone numbers for Middletown florist shops: however, Chiotti-Stewart owns the only floral shop currently operating in Middletown and lists only one local phone number in the directory.
When dialing any of the other nine telephone numbers listed, callers are notified of disconnection or are directed to Florist Concierges and will hear a recorded message stating, “It”s a great day to send flowers.”
Chiotti-Stewart said the problem is people are calling these other listed numbers and placing orders under the assumption that they are buying directly from Middletown Florist & Gifts. She said the concierge companies are then calling her and placing the consumers” orders at less than half the cost paid by the consumer.
For example, Chiotti-Stewart said, she took an order from a concierge service for $45 including delivery. “When I delivered the flowers I could see the disappointment in the man”s face. So, I quietly asked him if this was what he ordered. He said yes, but that he thought the arrangement would be bigger given he paid almost $100 for it,” she said. “I was a shocked as he was. I knew that concierge companies took a portion, but more than half?”
Jason Smith, who answered the 916 Area Code number listed for “Middletown Florists Shops, in Middletown,” identified himself as the manager of Florist Concierges. When contacted by the newsroom, Smith denied any knowledge of the listings in the Lake and Mendocino counties phonebook. “We don”t advertise in any yellow pages,” he said.
Charlene Roland, customer service representative for the Valley Yellow Pages, said that the order for the listings was placed by a company identified as “Axciom,” which according to its website is a marketing service provider. Calls to Axciom from the newsroom went unreturned.
Roland said that the Valley Yellow Pages is working to omit the erroneous listings from its next publication, which is due out in May 2012. She said the company is also working to immediately eliminate the listings from its online edition at Myyp.com.
