We all get things in the mail that are no interest to us. I for one am sick of getting AARP advertisements. I just throw them in the recycle bin or use them to start a fire. Sometimes we may even get so sick of it that we want to call and get these mailings to stop, after all, this is a waste of natural resources, right? Then, we must ask ourselves, whom do I call?
That answer may seem to be easy. We will call the business that is advertised. If they sent you something directly, that would be the best choice, but most likely, they hired a marketing company to do that for them. When a business does their own mailing, they have to be good at marketing and have access to a targeted consumer list. Not everyone knows how to create a piece that will draw people in the door, after all, that is the purpose for the mailing. Also, those marketing lists are pricey. Marketing companies own those lists and they will mail flyers (with proven success) that they create to those addresses. Believe me; it is more cost effective to do this. One downside is that the list is not always accurate.
With all that in mind, who are you going to call? You could call the marketing company, but don’t even have their number. And really, they do not care if you don’t want more of the same, because they are paid about $1.00 for ever mailer they send. A low percentage of failures is not the end of the world for the business and it really doesn’t affect the marketing company.
The best thing to do is call the company and kindly ask to be put on a “do not mail” list. If they use the same marketing company next time, they will usually honor the list. If it is a new company, they may not. It is not the company’s fault and it most definitely is not the receptionists fault. Take it from me, a former receptionist. Those angry customers can cause tears to fall.
The next time you receive an unwanted mailer, the best thing to do is file it in the recycle bin and go on with your happy life. That’s what keeps me smiling.