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A while back we [looked][1] at Jingle's free directory assistance service, Free 411, and while someone reported a negative experience in that post's comments, I've been quite happy with Free 411.
Now it seems that at least one of the big telecoms thinks the Free 411 advertising model might be worth a try.
AT&T has [launched][2] a new free directory listing service, 1-800-YellowPages, which will play ads just before the requested number is given out.
According to AT&T's site, "the caller listens to a maximum of 4 ads, each 5 to 10 seconds, before receiving the number."
My big gripe with Jingle's service is that there is no auto-connect feature, you must hang up and dial the number. AT&T's new service offers the option to auto-connect, but curiously that option is in the hands of advertisers, not the customer.
The AT&T docs say that callers will "connected to the business at no cost if the advertiser has included automatic Call Completion as part of the ad design."
If I'm reading that correctly, and the automatic completion is at the advertiser's discretion, I can't see AT&T ending up with very many happy customers. Leaving a key feature, which would set the service apart from competitors, in the hands of an advertiser seems like a risky move on AT&t's part.
As a number of people have pointed out in the comments on the TechCrunch post where I first [read][3] about the AT&T service, AT&T is delusional if they think people will sit through up to forty seconds of ads just to save a buck fifty. Especially given that competing services play only one ad at 12 seconds.
As they say, time is money too.
in contrast Free 411 plays only one ad.
[1]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/10/make_free_411_c.html "Monkey Bites on Free411"
[2]: http://www.att.com/Common/1800yellowpages/product_description.htm
[3]: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/26/att-acquires-infreeda-gets-into-free-411-business/ "Techcrunch on AT&t service"
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