Monday, September 17, 2007

Thank you visiting my Blog.

Maintaining a busy dental practice usually means I don’t get home until 8 or 9 pm. I work hard and love what I do.

A small business like mine needs advertising. I have advertised in the Paradise Page Yellow Pages since the company started in Hawaii. This is the only year that the picture quality really suffered.

Please judge for yourself. I feel that the poor quality of this ad seen on p.382 of the 2007 - 2008 Paradise Pages does not justify the $10,000 bill I received.



Submitted Photo Ad Photo

Dark, grainy photo doesn't show pearly whites.



Submitted Photo Ad Photo

Skin tones looks diseased.



Submitted Photo Ad Photo

Can't see the happy smiles of mother and kids.



Submitted Photo Ad Photo

Just ugly.



Submitted Photo Ad Photo

Head decapitation. I told them to blur background.
Fat head! Picture was stretched wider than it is.


Sample Ad, 2007 Book

This is an actual ad. This is what I expected my ad to look like.


I worked very hard to get a quality ad to the company. The Paradise Pages were too busy to service me with this ad. Over 25 phone calls and emails to my rep. concerning pre-production ad concerns went unanswered.

Please give me an honest, unbiased comment on the above. Here are some simple suggestions. Have you seen the Paradise Page Ad? How do you rate this ad on a scale of 1=poor to 5=excellent. Do you use the Paradise Pages?

Please click "Post a comment" at the bottom to leave your comments.

Thanks much, Lawton.

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been working with ad companies for a long time. I believe that the pictures in this ad is very substandard. If I was someone who needs a dentist I would not go to this dentist because I would believe he does substandard work if his pictures are like this.

Anonymous said...

The ad for Lawton Wong with Paradise Pages was done
very poorly. Would you like a poor blurry picture published in the
phone book on the island of Oahu like that? I think its a disgrace to
the readers and his business for viewing a blurry picture such as that
and he shouldn't have to pay $10,000 for that publication because it was
done in poor taste. Please return his money and make sure next time
that it worth paying for something done right. What if it were your ad.
Bev

Anonymous said...

"Gosh Lawton, this ad is terrible! That ad is not doing you or your patients any justice. The quality is very poor and I'm amazed and appalled that Paradise Pages would even print it. Those pictures would not "wow" any potential patients and you need to be refunded. You're right in that the people in the photos look absolutely sickly."

Curtis Kamisugi, DDS, MS
Specialist in Orthodontics
http://www.kamisugi-ortho.com/

Anonymous said...

I have not seen the ad in print yet, but if the reproductions are as bad as posted on this blog then the ad buyer deserves an adjustment. There are various reasons for poor reproduction of photos provided for an ad, but a proof should always be provided the ad buyer before publication of the ad. The ad buyer must be given the opportunity to vet the ad before it is published. If the ad buyer had no opportunity to vet the ad the full cost of the ad should be reimbursed or a free ad should be offered.

Anonymous said...

Lawton: I think that the vendor should refund you your money, since the ad is not only substandard; it also reflects poorly on the positive image for your business that Paradise Pages no doubt ensured you that their product/services would provide. In other words, the vendor did not deliver what was promised/inferred in their service contract with you. They also did not act in good faith, by failing to automatically provide you a complimentary proof for your approval before publication.

Although I think some people who see your ad in the Paradise Pages will assume the poor quality of the ad WAS the fault of Paradise Pages, the damage to your company's reputation is immeasurable, and will remain unchanged for at least the duration of time (1 year?) until the current edition of the book is revised and distributed.

The vendor's should remedy its actions (or lack thereof) by no less than the following:
--immediate refund of the total cost of services;
--Offer of free advertisement (of similar $-value) in their next edition of Paradise Pages;
--letter of public apology to be published in a well-known Hawaii-wide periodical of your choosing;
--review of their own internal quality assurance standards and procedures to ensure that this lack of quality customer service doesn't happen again.

I hope that you are successful in seeking the appropriate remedy for the negative consequences this has caused you.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness! Disappointment! I think it is disgraceful how Paradise Page make the ad so awful looking. My Michelle’s picture is ruined; such poor, poor quality. I am Michelle’s father. Dr. Wong gave Paradise good pictures and Paradise made them all ugly. If Dr. Wong is not promptly reimbursed by Paradise, you tell PP that William Siu will be very upset.

William Siu.

Anonymous said...

Paradise Pages should take responsiblity for the poor quality photos. The sample ad shows how the photos should look so there probably was an error in printing.

Anonymous said...

The Ad looks terrible. It looks like a terrible waste of money. This is embarrassing. I think the Dr. should be reimbursed and compensated for damaging his image.

Ronald Chang.

Anonymous said...

Should be more eye-catching. Color is off, and poorly done. It is not worth $10,000. Doesn’t look professional. I agree with the others on this page. I hope that the next one will be perfect.

Mihoko Maier

Anonymous said...

The quality of the ad does not justify the cost. I feel that this customer did not receive full satisfaction. Obviously, he is not pleased with Paradise Page outcome and shouldn't be. I don't know if I would be drawn to call this office from the ad listed and advertising for busy is the sole purpose of the ad. It is not worth $10,000. Compensate the customer.

Anonymous said...

There is a big difference between the other ads and this ad. They should fix it. They should make this ad a lot brighter. The print quality is very bad, I can hardly see the doctor. This makes the doctor look like an inferior dentist and is very bad for doctor’s image. The Paradise Pages should return doctor’s money. I can’t see them giving excuses that they can not fix it. They can do a lot better!

Ken Ibara

Anonymous said...

RE Poorly Done Ad: Very fuzzy, not sharp, dull an dark. It doesn’t even look like the people in the original photos. It just not right!!! Not worth $10,000!!!!! I’ve seen better pictures. Not worth it. Should be compensated in full.

Ethel M

Anonymous said...

My name is Michelle Casanova and the first picture is me. Frankly I am sorely disappointed with my picture and how the coloring is totally off in the book. I look like one big mess and am very embarrassed about the way it looks. I was so happy and excited to be in the Paradise Pages for the first time, but unfortunately, it looks like a total disaster. I strongly advise Paradise Pages to give Dr. Lawton Wong's money back for such horrific portrayals of such beautiful people. I am truly appalled by such poor quality from a supposedly reputable company. To anyone considering putting their pictures in the Paradise Pages, please reconsider after looking at these photos.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Lawton’s advertising in the Paradise Pages is unacceptable. The pictures are dark and not precise and Dr. Lawton’s picture is terrible. His head is lopped off. In the first sentence, there is no closing quote at the end of the sentence. Typographical errors should not occur if spell-check was done. In my estimation, this is truly a poor ad and I have heard these similar comments from my friends and relatives. I hope there is a way to rectify this problem so this doesn’t happen again. For this ad, Dr. Lawton Wong should not have to pay even ½ of the full amount.

Sincerely, Nancy Nishimura.

Anonymous said...

That is very disappointing. For the dollar amount of $10,000, it sure isn’t worth the money. How can they publish such a poor quality ad and charge you that much? I agree with the people that wrote above me.

Dr. Lawton Wong is an excellent dentist; a very caring, compassionate, very professional dentist. I would definitely recommend him to anyone. This poor quality image is not going to help his professional image at all. Please do the right thing and make the necessary corrections.

Barbara Lum

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, Dr. Lawton Wong has a justifiable complaint. I can see a very clear difference in the quality submitted and the printed version. As a dental business manager, I do know that the dental climate in Hawaii is competitive. Just look at all the showy ads in the media. However, Dr. Wong’s ad is dull, colorless and it loses its competitiveness. The prospective patients will quickly skip over this unattractive ad. And hence, there is no value to Dr. Wong, when it loses the ability to attract patients.

I feel that Dr. Lawton Wong should not be held responsible for this $10,000 bill. Further, I feel that he should be compensated for this poorly published ad due to poor servicing.

In business, follow-up calls to clients are paramount. I see that Dr. Wong’s 25 calls and emails went unanswered. In today’s hi-tech electronic environment, it is unforgivable that this happened. It is unfortunate this resulted in a lost-lost situation rather than a win-win situation. In conclusion, I feel that a poor lack of client servicing resulted in a poor ad.

May I suggest that Paradise Pages seriously consider improving their customer service. After seeing this poor ad, I will not advise my office to patronize Paradise Pages.


Ms. D. Young
Dental Business Manager

Anonymous said...

Someone at Paradise Pages should have looked at these ghosted photos and redone them. The problem is not just that there is no value with these photos but that there is negative value to the purchaser of the ad.
The problem with work of this sort is that other potential purchasers who might see this ad would hesitate or pass on advertising here. Even if Paradise Pages in its contract has no responsibility for any adverse consequences for its work, it would be best and fair for it to at least reimburse the purchaser of this ad so it can let future potential purchasers know of its good will and effort to heal this poor result. An alternative recommendation would be to allow the same but corrected advertisement next year at no charge to its client.
Meredith Pang. October 5, 2007.

Anonymous said...

If I was looking for a dentist, I would look at the ads and say this must represent how he does his work. I really believe that the ad does an injustice to Dr. Wong's service and professionalism

Anonymous said...

Holy Cow Lawton! How can they even argue or dispute the pictures on the Advertisement is what sells your Practice to the public and the pictures they published are pure crap! It's very obvious they screwed up. This is pure common sense! They should be ashamed of themselves for not taking full responsibilty for their error and not charging you a dime for their problems! Any real advertising business knows what the value of the perception of the public should be when veiwing advertisements such as a Dental Practice. For the Paradise Pages to print those pictures with the quality lacking like they did is simply idiotic, for them to try and bill you for it is fraudulent!

Anonymous said...

Very, very poor quality; can’t see the smiles; pictures are running together. I don’t see how this can justify the cost of $10k. Poor communication with client. I don’t feel that you should be charging Dr. Wong for this advertising, or give him a free ad with better quality. This mistake should be corrected. For the next corrected ad, future clients will see and say “I want to go and see this dentist.” …This advertisement doesn’t say that.

Geraldine Mckillip

Anonymous said...

What have you done to my favorite dentist!!?? Those pictures were awful! In my honest opinion, it did not do justice to a fine family dental office. You are scaring the prospective clients away. This type of reverse advertising is terrible. After all, this is a business transaction and the ad came out poorly. In my honest opinion, I think you owe Dr. Lawton Wong a big fat apology and he should not be charged for your services. I am angry that you treat Dr. Wong by ruining his image. I think you owe me an apology also.

Mrs. Annie Malama

Anonymous said...

I have seen the quality of the images Dr. Lawton Wong submitted to the Paradise Yellow Pages, versus the poor quality of the images as shown in the actual ad. Dr. Wong is not a novice to computers and imaging. So he submitted high resolution images with excellent contrast and color control. What he got for his money is a travesty! This is a very sad statement of the Paradise Yellow Pages’ capabilities which would clearly discourage potential advertisers from using your services. As a minimum showing of good faith, I believe the PYP should credit at least 50% of the bill. This would be a statement that you stand behind your work and a demonstration of good business practices. I encourage you to do the right thing!

Sincerely,
Dr. Kimberly Lowe

Anonymous said...

This must be the worse example of pictures in the entire magazine. Who did the art work ? Must have been a blind child..... I know you can do better. I wouldn't pay for this ad. I take it back, I wouldn't even read this ad because the art work is so unrecognizable.

Anonymous said...

Very terrible Ad. The background itself is not sharp, dull looking. Should have more contrast with a yellow, green or baby blue. This color that you have in the ad does not bring out the pictures right. I would say it is a dead or cold color.

TAP

Anonymous said...

I would never pay this much money for this bad of an ad. Everything just blends into each other. The ad does not stand out. The qualities of the pictures are just terrible. I can't believe it; it is just bad. If I knew that it was going to be this bad, I would have not gone with an ad with pictures.

You are in the business of cosmetic or making people's smile nicer. You can’t even see the people’s teeth. The Paradise Page should give you another year for free and/or give you a complete refund.

If you look at the pictures in the other ad, they look good. Why did this one come out so bad? I feel so sorry for Dr. Wong. Comparing to the other ads, Dr. Wong's ad is so bad, you can't even we the teeth.

Anonymous said...

It sure doesn’t compare with the other pictures in the book. You can’t see the features of the face like you can in other ads. Basically, the quality is very poor. No one should be paying for this kind of service. It is just an overall very poor quality ad.

Allen Yokomoto, Jr.

Anonymous said...

When I look at the ad, the ad isn't very clear. The picture of Michelle is kind of bad and the color is poor. The pictures are not sharp, not in focus and grainy as compared to the other ads. I think this is a poor reflection on Dr. Lawton Wong. To be fair, I think he should be reimbursed at least half and given one year of free advertisement.

Eleanor Chun

Anonymous said...

RE: Art Dept., Paradise Pages:

In my opinion, this ad is worst than terrible! How could you even consider charging that kind of money for such lousy work? It looks grainy, unclear and the whole thing sucks. It sure doesn’t help the business when the pictures are so bad. How come this ad came out so bad and the other ads came out so good? The other dental ads are fine. For this ad, you can’t see the teeth which is the main reason for this ad.

In my opinion, this type of poor advertisement damages the professional image of this dentist. I feel that he should be given at least half off of the initial amount of $10,000 ($5,000 discount). I feel that would be at least fair. Otherwise, I feel it is fraudulent to run an ad of this poor quality.

I feel you should fix this for the next 2008 -2009 book and Dr. Wong should not be charged!

Finally, I believe that you owe this poor doctor 10,000 apologies.

Yours truly,

Ms. Carol Hookano

Anonymous said...

Dr. Wong,
Your disappointment with Paradise Pages is completely justified. I hope that they will do what's right and either refund you at least part of your investment and/or make it up to you next year.

nsong

Anonymous said...

The ad that appears for Dr. Wong is an immediate turn-off for anyone who is looking for a reputable dentist. An ad should capture your attention and Dr. Wong's ad does not. It would behoove Paradise Pages to reimburse Dr. Wong his full payment for Paradise Pages' substandard work. Paradise Pages' reputation is on the line for allowing such shoddy work as this to pass their inspection. Word of mouth travels fast in the business world and unless the situation is rectified, Paradise Pages will see a drop in sales.

Anonymous said...

I can honestly say that this is a good ad; A GOOD FOR NOTHING AD! Look at it with your eyes. This ad is not sharp, it is not clear, and it is very grainy. This is an injustice to Dr. Lawton Wong. The ad is a reflection of Dr. Wong and the poorness of the quality may negatively represent the quality of work Dr. Wong can perform on future clients. When people see this poor quality advertisement, they probably would go somewhere else. But isn't this ad's purpose to bring clients into the office? How come the other ads in the book are so much sharper, clearer and brighter?

In the future, the Paradise Page should do a better job of quality control before printing this. As I say, A GOOD FOR NOTHING AD should be paid in kind: NOTHING. That’s exactly what I think Dr. Wong should pay. Fix this screwed up ad for next year!

My name is Anthony Samalino and that’s what I think of this GOOD FOR NOTHING AD!

Anonymous said...

After seeing the low quality of this ad's photos, I would not be inclined to call this dentist for dental services. The poor quality of the presentation provides a feeling that the dental office is in a ghetto. If it were my ad, I would be demanding for my money back immediately.
Dr. Ronald Ling

Anonymous said...

When looking at the other ads in the dentist section of the Paradise Pages, it it noticeable that Dr. Wong's ad is of a lesser quality compared to the other ads. How did this happen? Dr. Wong should not have to pay $10,000 for the Paradise Pages' neglect in following through on the process of publishing the ad properly in the book. It is obvious that the Paradise Pages did not see the process through properly; otherwise, the failure that has become Dr. Wong's ad would not have occurred.
There are many members of the medical community who are closely observing the outcome of Dr. Wong's dispute with the Paradise Pages. Rest assured, these professionals will be basing their future dealings with the Paradise Pages upon the manner in which this company chooses to resolve Dr. Wong's situation.

Anonymous said...

RE: $10 k Paradise Pages Screw Up

In my honest opinion, this ad doesn't justify the cost because it is such a terrible ad. I have to agree with the comments above me, except that in cases of such a "good-for-nothing-ad", maybe Paradise Pages should pay Dr. Wong for the embarrassment and for negatively ruining his image.

I agree that Paradise Pages should have caught the mistake before it was printed. Maybe if they had paid attention to the client and to details of this poorly made ad, this would not happen. I hope Paradise Pages don't make this mistake again.

Sincerely, James Teshima

Anonymous said...

Are you all blind, this is very poor work by Paradise Pages. How can one pay so much for something that didn't come out right at all. Just look at it, it does not look at all like the original ad. Come on people, get with it or I'm not using the Paradise Pages anymore.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Wong photo's do not give credit to the good work he does. I can’t see close ups of the teeth because the ad is too blurry. Looks like the printer alignment is off or there are chips in the print setter. The originals are OK, but the ad photos sucks!

The Paradise Yellow Pages screwed up big time. I would have to agree with the comments before me also. Refund the client his money.

My name is Alvin and this is my opinion.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion I would not accept this type of work. I agree this does not look like a professionally made ad. I can see why this ad isn’t very effective: It was done so poorly. In view of this fact, I believe that the Paradise Pages should not charge Dr. Wong because it is ruining dental image of him and his Dental practice.

Sincerely,

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Prestidge

Anonymous said...

Like us locals say "this ad was done H---A--!" I am an amateur photographer and it is a job of a photographer to analyze picture quality and the sloppy job done by Paradise Pages deserves to be "trashed". You have done a gigantic disservice to Dr. Wong's business! To be fair to him, you should return all he has paid to you. Even that would not be enough considering the loss of potential customers he may have helped to correct their dentures. He has suffered tremendously and you should know it so it is your responsibility to make amends to him! HenryJ

Anonymous said...

Very nice pictures submitted, but very bad pictures were printed. Dr. Wong does a superb job and is very kind to his patients. He has all of the latest equipment and takes good care of his patients.

These pictures don’t show what a great dentist he is. He should be given a refund for the poor workmanship in the Paradise Pages.

Anonymous said...

Gee, I can hardly recognize the picture of Dr. Wong. If I looked at this, I wouldn’t know this was Dr. Wong because the picture is so bad. The pictures are dark, certainly not clear and of a very poor quality. I can understand why these people would be upset after seeing these photos. How would you like it if this was you?

I don’t think this ad is worth $10,000. Maybe even $10.00 would be asking too much. Under these conditions, I don’t believe Dr. Wong should be responsible for this bill. That’s a lot of money that you are asking for such a poorly done job. No wonder this ad is so ineffective.

Susumu Miyashiro

Anonymous said...

To Whom It May Concern:

I am in the photo business and I would like to comment on the ad as seen in the Paradise Pages. The first thing is that you can’t see the people’s smiling teeth. As compared to other photos in other ads, the quality seems very poor. If there is a problem, we would have checked the printer or the source. Compared to the original images, the quality is very poor.

In my opinion, this ad does not warrant a customer of mine paying for this poor workmanship. It would be our company’s policy to redo or offer a full and complete refund. This would be the standard in the photo industry.

Normally, if the customer is not happy, we go out of the way to make it right. I recommend that the Paradise Pages do the same.

Robin

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