The 411 On Directory Assistance

It used to be you'd let your fingers do the walking if you needed to find a phone number. That's no longer the case.

The phone book has been usurped by three little numbers: 411.

How much are you spending on 411? A lot according to The Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen.

Kim Serratore is a hair stylist for The Early Show and one busy lady — too busy to look up phone numbers.

During the past two months, she has spent $45 on directory assistance.

"When I'm dialing, I'm thinking of the cost," she says. "I still use it because of the convenience, and at that moment, I have to make that call."

Americans spend more than $7 billion calling 411 and a growing number of those calls are coming from cell phone users.

If you're tired of spending money to get a number, some companies, like 1-800-411-METRO and 1-800-FREE-411, are offering directory assistance for free.

First you have to listen to a commercial while you wait for your number. Despite the catch, Koeppen says it's a service that's catching on.

She decided to give one of the free services, 1-800-411-METRO a try. She wanted the number for Casabianca Pizza, which is right across the street from CBS. In just a few seconds, she had the number and was connected for free after hearing a commercial.

If you're addicted to texting, Google offers a free service, too.

Send a text message to 46645 which stands for the letters G-O-O-G-L. In the message, include a zip code and what you're trying to find. The service is free, but standard texting rates do apply.

So how likely are you to get the number you want?

A recent study looked at the ability of the free 411 services to get you the right number, and found they are not perfect: 1-800-FREE-411 had an 88 percent accuracy rate, while the accuracy rate for 1-800-411-METRO was 82 percent.

The pay 411 services are accurate just 92 percent of the time. Why?

Koeppen says that's because a few things can go wrong. First, there's operator error. Second, the database doesn't have the number. And third, the consumer makes a mistake.