Mar 13 2008
Yodel = Google?
Our receptionist put a call through today which she announced “I have M____ from Google on the line”.
A call from Google is one that you probably should take right? Could be something to do with your AdWords or AdSense account, or something even more exciting.
When the call came through I asked M_____ whether I could help with the enquiry. She said I couldn’t, as she’s been talking to someone else about our advertising. So I took a message for the person to call M_____ from “Google” (I checked twice, but stopped short of getting her to spell it 
) and the number to return her call.
It turns out the call was not from Google at all, but from a company called Yodel™. Yodel are an authorised Google AdWords reseller (the first one authorised in Australia, so their about page tells me), and a Google AdWords qualified company.
I just wonder if “authorisation” extends to presenting oneself as an employee of Google?
Reading the Google Advertising Professionals Rules (and she purports to be an AdWords qualified Individual) it seems this is frowned upon.
You agree and must notify your customers that you are not employed, endorsed or approved by, or a contractor of, Google or any of its affiliates. PARTICIPATING IN THE GOOGLE ADVERTISING PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM IS A PRIVILEGE THAT MAY BE TERMINATED BY GOOGLE AT ANY TIME FOR ANY OR NO REASON.
Hmmm.
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bit dodgy aye?
Bettina’s last blog post..Phone Etiquette?
FYI I sent an email to the Adwords Australia office pointing them to this post so they can investigate
Neerav’s last blog post..Worlds Largest Aircraft Graveyard: Tucson Arizona (USA) (1 comment/s)
Is that the net version of Mutton dressed as lamb???
Bit dodgy and I wonder how far they are prepared to push the boundaries??????
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Underhand tactics?
Jeremy Jacobs’s last blog post..Some people!
Report them and then never use their company again. If they are going to misrepresent themselves in order to win your business, they are not the kind of people you want in charge of your business advertisers. There are much more reputable companies out there.
As for being an Adwords Company, all that means is that they paid out a bunch of money to Google and a number of their employees took a test about using Google AdWords. It looks good on your letterhead and on your website, but experience wise it means crap.
Riayn’s last blog post..Cultured, like yoghurt
They need someone to grammar check their own ad copy : )
“1st Official Australian AdWord’s Professional’s – Get Online Today!”
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UM…. they are the largest resellers in AU and NZ! over 4000 managed accounts!
Let’s see their biggest competitor has 400 managed campaigns.
And a Authorised reseller for Google AdWords! YEAH OK im sure you simply pay Google to get that right? like Google need money?
And what about Meg? what you copied and pasted about Google qualified company is all good but you forgot one thing! They are an authorised reseller not just qualified, they are completely different.
I’m not defending them but they run my account and has increased my online rev by 750%. and every written here makes no sense except what Meg “says” happen.
Leave them alone and target someone who is doing wrong. Not Yodel they make you money if you give them half a chance.
Zeebee
Firstly, it’s nice when you leave a comment on a blog to disclose that you actually work for the company in question (yes IP addresses are logged with comments and yours came from fulfilnet.com.au - owner of the yodel brand) and not pretend that you are a client - it’s deceptive.
Secondly, I have edited your first comment because you were quite rude to another commenter.
Thirdly, what I copied and pasted is from the rules of being an “AdWords Qualified Individual”, which the woman in question claims she is. Working for an Authorised Reseller or a qualified company is irrelevant. She should not represent that she is FROM Google. A less knowledgeable person would be easily misled.
Fourthly, which bit doesn’t make sense? I took the call, I know what happened. And in all telephone conversations this woman said she was from Google. It was not until the written material was emailed that it even mentioned Yodel. That, to me, is deceptive - and wrong.
Lastly, it’s great that Yodel have experienced such success. I have no knowledge of the company’s operations apart from the deception of this representative, which may well be (and I sincerely hope) isolated to this one individual.
Hi zeebee
I think it’s great that your online revenue has INCREASED by 750%. I’m assuming that your revenue started pretty low because from what I have read you also work for yodel (I know what it’s like to have to work a 2nd job).
UNLESS of course your comment above is a load of crap and you aren’t a yodel client at all but one the people who call businesses at random and tell them you work for Google.
Really zeebee, next time you want to mislead people go to an internet cafe, pay five bucks and do it from there, rather than do it from an IP registered to the company you are pretending to be a client of. At least that way we can at least see that you are making a bit of an effort.
Regards
Steve Jobs, no wait….. I think I’ll pretend to be Bill Gates today.
Zeebee,
I saw your original comment and would just like to reply by saying that I work in the online advertising industry in Australia, so I actually do know what I am talking about.
My comments about paying Google was not in relation to Yodel being a reseller, but was in relation to Yodel being an Adwords Qualified Company. I work for one too, so I know how that qualification was gotten - you must have two employees to take the Google Adwords Personal Qualifications test (it costs US$50 for an individual to sit the test) and you must run your advertising through Google for 90 days spending at least $1,000.
Rules are all here - http://adwords.google.com/support/select/professionals/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=18572
So in effect you are paying Google to get it this qualification. Nice little money earner for them.
But there is much more to running a successful search campaign then simply earning a qualification from Google.
Riayn’s last blog post..Cultured, like yoghurt
Re the “increased by 750%” comment. Let’s say my revenue was $1, and now I have $7.50. Wow, a 750% increase. Percentages, by themselves and without the context of the base level of the timeframe, are totally meaningless.
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The ’supposed client’ Zeebee would have done much better to realize his folly and admit to his mistake here and make sure it does not happen again. That would have earned him some respect in the community. People don’t realize how powerful the blogosphere is today in making or breaking reputations.
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Quite funny that Zeebee havent answered yet to all ur points guys… Seems that his compagny also sucks at reputation management… First rule is to tell the truth about who you are…
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