Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Google Local Now Providing Phone Support for Verification Issues
Update 10:00 pm: Google has confirmed that this is a permanent feature.
Update 01/09/12 11:09 am: Google has confirmed that phone support is US- only and just English at this point if an agency is managing the listing, they should be able to get support.
Google+ Local had a rough 2012. But it appears that at the start of 2013 there has been at least one upgrade that is worth shouting about (here’s hoping its permanent).
Google is actually providing phone support when a business runs into verification issues.
Just to be sure that you read that correctly, I will repeat it:
Google is actually providing phone support when a business runs into verification issues. And not just phone support but support that is staffed (at least currently) by US based, English speaking personnel.
To initiate a call in go to the Google Places for Business I’m having a problem verifiying my listing(s) troubleshooter and select the option “I tried PIN verification for a single listing” and indicate that you asked for a postcard and have waited the requisite 15 days. At the bottom of the form you will a link to “Please either call us or complete the following form:”
When you select the call us option you are taken to a call back form. I tested it to see if it was actually working and within 10 seconds of filling it out Google rang me up, an automated attendant asked me to press one for support and Darrel answered. He said when I asked: “This line is primarily to provide support for verification issues”. I would suggest that this quote should be filed along with Neil Armstrong’s “One small step” quote if not for its eloquence at least for its significance.
After I picked my jaw up from the floor I thanked him and let him go on with his day. Needless to say I was shocked.
© Copyright 2024 - MIKE BLUMENTHAL, ALL RIGHT RESERVED.
Comments
97 Comments
This is a God Send if true! I currently an issue with two accounts. I followed the steps but it appears they are closed for Saturday. It tells me the service is ” temporarily off line” . Is that correct. If I check back Monday morning at 8 MST will it be open?
Mike:
I was contemplating the irony involved with regard to google phone calls after reading this thread in the places forum:
https://productforums.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/business/G_DtgMCFmlg
One phone call from google. A rather specific response though somewhat voluble, but explanatory.
Google takes down the guys places record. The business is f*cked. The guy sounds incredibly reasonable.
Google is big. The rest of us are small.
Looking forward to it being rolled out in Australia!
I suspect we may be waiting a while… Thanks for breaking the news Mike!
I’m curious about, how long the phone support is active or in the other hand they will roll out this feature in ohter countries. Whatever – in my opinion it is a step in the right direction!
Just wanted to share with everyone that I was able to verify a Canadian business. So it seems to be good to go in the Great White North….
I can’t believe how STUPID the support line is. I just had to explain the difference to the support person between Google Places and Google+ Local. That’s like taking my car in to a mechanic and explaining where the engine is.
Three of the most useless phone calls of my life. Nothing gained going on 9 months now of trying to get a listing corrected.
Huge frustrating to deal with Google to verify business. My business location showing in a wrong location about a year. They do not care about how important it is now a days that information in the net should be correct. They have no mercy no thoughts no moral and lacking heavily in ethics. I am totally disappointed dealing with them .
Thank you soooo much. Worked like a charm. I’ve been pulling my hair out for months trying to figure out how to get our Google plus page verified. After receiving the postcard with the pin number, and going numerous times to the referenced url: google.com/local/verify I always was told that there were no pending verifications for my email address.(huh?) There was no way to handle the problem until I stumbled on your post and followed your instructions. Literally within seconds I received a phone call. The guy I spoke to understood the problem (evidently a huge situation) and ensured me that the Google team would be merging our Google local map listing with our Google plus page and that once done, the site would be officially verified. The guy even sent me a follow up email within 5 minutes of me talking to him. Can’t believe it.
When I heard about the Google phone verification, I also thought it was too good to be true. After using it, it’s a great feature for Google to have added, and it’s about time! With all the snail mail issues with Postcard verification, this is a great change. Thanks Google!
[…] night Google announced that they had formally upgraded their Local listing phone support rolled-out in January to include data issues in addition to the previous phone support that had been added […]
So I had trouble with a couple listings for several months. I called and was able to clear up both of them. Both listings have now moved from needs action to pending being reviewed. After talking with them on the phone “pending being reviewed” is normal after pin verification and can take several weeks. Is this true?
@ Reed – Yes, “pending review” can take months for Google to get around to even look at the listing. Sometimes it’s a matter of a few weeks but I’ve seen listings that are still in a holding pattern 6 months after the fact. Maybe another call to Google might help because the first call appears to only partially solve your problem.
Great news if you live in America! When do you think they might be rolling this out to the southern hemisphere? Namely Australia… waiting…
The above article instructions for calling google does not work. I tried it and was NOT provided any way of contacting google via phone or for them to contact me. When clicking on the CALL US link, it took me right back to the textual help section! Google SUCKS!!
I have been trying to verify my business and I went to google.com/local/verify so I can enter the pin that was sent to me by mail but this location gives me everything but where to enter the dam pin.
My business name is B&C Construction LLC and the address is 17 Brewster Ave. Stony Point, NY. the pin that was sent to me is 22786
@dan
Are you sure that you are logged into google with the correct google login?
If you are then you need to go to the google for places help verify troubleshooter and ask for help.
We’re trying this for the first time today:
The on-hold music is incredibly up-beat. It’s as if there is a celebration! We’ve been listening to this celebration for 10 minutes so far…..
To our surprise a woman named Kathleen from the Google headquarters answered and was able to correct our tricky address issue and map pin location.
She was awesome. We gladly participated in the customer service phone survey. Nice work Google!
It seems like Google got rid of this phone call option.
Anyone able to successfully find the CALL US link? We use to use http://j.mp/callgoogle
You just are using the wrong URL. Select HELP from the upper right in the old dashboard or the help link in the new dashbaord or go here https://support.google.com/places/ and select Contact. Although even with your URL just click on the big bold Contact button in the upper right and it will give you an option to call them.
Thanks Mike!
It’s amazing we overlook the big red CONTACT US button 🙂
Deplorable!! All I want to do is update our company address on our listing. I can not add my extension number to the request to have support return my call and postcard verification takes weeks. I also tried having them call my personal cell phone number and spent over an hour on hold with no answer. Are you kidding me?
Since they do not provide a customer support number that you can call, I found a technical support number on line. After talking with someone who barely speaks English for over a half hour they said they can make the change for a one-time fee. NO WAY!!
@Lori
Normal wait times for Google call back support have been between 10 and 30 minutes. You can use a mobile number and should do so if you have an extension… Perhaps calling first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon would minimize your wait.
There is no technical support number to call directly and Google never charges for a change so you were likely speaking with a scammer of some sort or another.
Have you attempted to claim your listing so that you can change the address? It is a fairly easy process.
I can’t get the Google postcard pin entered in my gmail. It doesn’t recognize my gmail address as a business email. Can’t find any phone , email or chat line customer service. Such is life. I guess I’ll work without verification by them. I don’t have the patience to spend two more hours looking for help.
P.S. Do people who spam actually confess they are spamming? “Confirm you are NOT a spammer” below statement, is an odd one.
@Patricia
If you go to this page and click on the Red Contact Us button, Google will call you back and assist with verification.
The reason for the check box is that bots can’t select them so if I ask real people to fill one in, then then the bots arn’t able to leave spam comments.
https://support.google.com/places/troubleshooter/1399021?hl=en
Oops. Page not available.
Trying to submit a form here: https://support.google.com/business/?p=get_help
But the form will not accept the listing URL that they are asking for.
4 post cards never arrived. Form broken. Troubleshooter gone. Just kicked my dog.
I don’t even have a dog, but you get the idea.
Jeffrey
Form and service was down yesterday and earlier today. Back up now. Refresh and try again… Google added a nice touch… call waiting times once you hit “call”
Thanks Mike! That was quick.
Yes I just noticed that call waiting times. 1 minute is pretty good! But it almost takes a PhD to find the damn link for call support. Having said that, the rep was awesome and he was able to validate the listing.
There was a survey after the call and one of the questions was, “Did the representative take ownership of your issue?” Yes he did.
Thanks Mike for your support and your providing all of us with these resources.
hi..
they’ve updated the page where you contact them – here’s the new URL…
https://support.google.com/places/?rd=1#CPP redirect&topic=1656743
click the big RED “contact us” button in the upper right-hand corner
I am in Australia and have spent many, many hours trying to get some help from the labyrinth of Google click-through self-help pages only to keep coming back to the same place (ie nowhere). What I would give to speak to someone with a voice!!! The helpful Top Contributors, God bless them, keep referring me to these same pages and/or to post comments in product forums. Again, more circles. Can I please phone someone in America. I do speak a brand of English. I don’t see any mythical red contact button anywhere. And once I say I can’t access my account it takes me back to the click-through-self-help maze.
Anyone????
Linda
If you got a US number, and called during business hours and via a US based proxy server you would likely get US based support.
Could you please post some of the most recent forum links so that I can review them to better understand your issue?
Hello Mike
Thanks – I think I may have gotten somewhere. I went through the Contact Us screens yesterday but there was never any option to actually contact anyone. However, I got back on early this morning and the options were different – taking me through to a call-back system and someone (from India) called me! Very exciting. I don’t know if the screen options change depending on time. Perhaps you know.
I think my problem is fixed but I have not been able to check it to confirm as yet.
Regards, Linda
They do change baed on time
What sucks is that South Africa is not included in Google’s list of countries for telephone verification in the setup. Even Lesotho and Zimbabwe enjoys the privilege but not South Africa. Is is punishment for the recent spate of Xenophobia?
been trying to find a way to talk with some one at google my business there is some wrong information on here and there is no way to talk to any one about this could you tell me how to fix my problem
Just an update — I went to “Contact Support” in the menu that appears on a Google Business Listing page if you expand from the upper left navigation icon. That opened a window with support contact options, including a phone option. I called and got a live person right away who was helpful! This was today — a Friday morning around 10 a.m. EST.
My issue was that the address of the business is wrong in Google maps, so we never received the postcard when we originally tried to verify. She was able to enter a mailing address for the postcard that I could select on my screen to have another verification postcard sent. Hopefully that will arrive soon and we can proceed. This didn’t change the incorrect address on Google maps — I don’t think that will happen until we get the postcard and complete verification.
Just fyi!
Oops — I should say that I “initiated a call” — when you select the phone option, you enter your phone number and they call you. This happened instantly for me.
Comments for this post are closed.