Thanks for the welcome - I'm glad to be here!
You're right! I should have mentioned that the way most of the currently available "free" directory assistance services cover their costs is by playing audio ads. Some are shorter than others, but I think they are typically 5-10 seconds long. Also, you're right about the targeting - although some are more targeted than others, depending on the targeting capabilities of the service, and also on where you are in the overall service call flow. Examples of things that might be used to target the audio ad include the area code of the phone you're calling from, the city and state you requested, the time of day or day of the week that you called, the business category you requested (if you are looking for a business), and others.
I'm only aware of one service that doesn't play ads, but as far as I'm aware, you can't look up people, and they don't have operator back-up if the automation isn't working.
So, you make an excellent point - the business would need to consider whether the cost of an employee's time listening listening to audio ads and dealing with automated systems that can sometimes add a couple of seconds to a traditional 411 call is worth the trade-off of not paying $1.50-$3.00 per call. For the sake of argument, estimate that the extra time spent on "free" directory assistance calls compared to 411 calls might be 10-20 extra seconds. And while I do call free directory assistance more often now, there are also times when I'll pay for a regular 411 call, too! Grin!
