Consumers and businesses Waste $6.5Billion on unnecessary 411 calls

US ONLINE and mobile directory business, WhitePages, has estimated that it saved consumers $3 Billion in Directory Assistance Charges in 2009.

While directory assistance phone calls may be a convenient way to retrieve contact information, they can also be a costly and unnecessary indulgence for consumers. Despite tough economic times, the Pierz Group, a worldwide provider of directory assistance consulting services, estimates that consumers and businesses spent about $6.5 Billion on 411 phone calls in 2009.

Costs associated with directory assistance phone calls continue to climb on an annual basis, and have increased dramatically over the past 15 years. For example, according to the Pierz Group, a landline 411 call cost around $0.20 per call in 1994. In 2009, consumers paid an average (nationally weighted) of $1.26 per directory assistance call placed from a traditional landline, with some paying as much as $2.99. Cell phone users spent even more on 411 calls in 2009, paying an average (nationally weighted) directory assistance fee of around $1.73 per call.

"While many people depend on directory assistance to find people, businesses and directions, very few have any idea how much a 411 call really costs and are unaware that the annual expenses associated with these calls can quickly add up to a pretty large number," said Kathleen A. Pierz, managing partner at The Pierz Group, LLC.

"These paid services provide a valuable service to consumers, especially those on the go, but for consumers who want to save money, sometimes a significant amount of money, they can often utilise free alternative resources to find the contact information that they are seeking."

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