Making Statistics about Toll Free Numbers Lie
We’ve all heard that you can make statistics lie. Here’s a great example. I recently saw a post about 800Response filled with charts using very Clinton-esqe vanity number statistics to cleverly suggest huge benefits for vanity numbers, without actually promising anything specific. I want to promote the vanity number business as much as anyone else, but I don’t think anyone needs to make up psedo-dishonest statistics about vanity numbers to make it sound better than it is.
The figure that jumped out to me was that they are claiming “58% of consumers prefer to dial a vanity 800 number vs. a numeric toll-free.” Whoever came up those statistics doesn’t have a clue about toll free numbers and is clearly making this stuff up or skewing the numbers to make it sound valid by making charts for it.
Anyone that talks to even a couple people would know that if asked which they prefer, the vast majority of people would say they prefer numeric numbers. That’s because people are lazy and aren’t considering how hard it will be to remember those numbers or go find them again if they need them. They don’t want to have to think or put out any more effort than necessary, but for you that extra effort is like a jingle they can’t get out of their head.
Most people prefer dialing numeric numbers, but they also prefer quiet subtle automotive advertising. But the automotive advertisers know that loud in your face advertsing sells more cars and anyone that’s got any experience with vanity numbers will tell you that they increase the response rate DESPITE consumer preference for numeric numbers. If your goal is to make it easy for callers to dial, get a numeric number, but if your goal is to sell more products or just get more calls, use a vanity number.
This clearly incorrect statistic, proves to me that these are all made up or invalid statistics to say the least. I have a feeling that this is what you get when you pay people you’ve never heard of to promote your business. They don’t care if it hurts your business in the long run because you’ve paid them and they’ve moved on. They don’t care if Google penalizes your business because it’s no skin off their back. But it does come back to bite you.
By the way, this is why we don’t list statistics. Because statistics from people trying to sell you something are only designed for one reason, to sell you something. The statistic that counts is the number of people using them. You see vanity numbers every day because they do help. Anyone who thinks they’re going to double their response just because they saw it in a chart probably needs to be more realistic.
Charts with misleading statistics don’t prove anything. But vanity numbers have been used in virtually every industry for years and years because they do clearly work. The whole world isn’t dumb. That’s also why we don’t treat you like you’re dumb and make up statistics like that to justify our business.
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Bill Quimby (510 comments.) says:
February 26, 2008 at 2:08 am
Dear Ms. Laura Noonan, (VP of 800Response)
I received your letter about one of the posts on our website but I have to disagree with you about a few things. The post said nothing about your company, it was focused entirely on the charts and statistics. It didn’t reference or say anything about your company or even mention what you do, other than the one reference as the source of the statistics.
There is also no law or prohibition against sharing my opinions. My website and the whole internet is filled with them. That’s what people go to my website for, along with the 10,000 queries per day we get on our look up tool.
It’s interesting that your letter seems to avoid the whole point of my post, that these statistics are just not true or have been at least severely slanted. You know as well as I do that the statistics can be twisted to say almost anything. It seems obvious that they are almost inevitably biased and developed to validate your own sales. I want to promote vanity numbers as well, I just don’t think it’s necessary or appropriate to make up biased statistics that are simply not true. Some of them may be true but the numeric numbers vs vanity number figures you came up with are clearly incorrect.
I did take down the image that resembled your chart and made my own from scratch. I also edited slightly the text of the article. I apologize that I had forgotten to turn on comments for that post. I try to turn them on for most articles especially ones like this which might generate some interesting responses (no pun intended). I’ve posted this letter in the comments on that post as well as mailing it. You are more than welcome to respond but any future communication will be posted there anyway so please do so in the comments on the blog post.
Bill Quimby (511 comments.) says:
February 27, 2008 at 12:39 am
One more comment– The more someone pressures me to backdown, the less inclined I am to comply, especially if I believe I’m in the right.
Point blank, their statistic about 58% of people preferring vanity numbers over numeric numbers is WRONG. They only offer vanity numbers not numeric numbers and they have mostly “800s” so it’s no surprise that that’s what their “statistics” say are the best.
I’m not saying that their statistics are all as wrong as the numeric one. But they are certainly designed to sell their numbers and make them look good. And if they’ll skew this one that much, it makes me not trust the rest very much either.
I doubt they’ll respond but anyone that wants to add their own two cents, please chime in!