{"id":4254,"date":"2009-08-20T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2009-08-20T10:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/?p=4254"},"modified":"2009-08-19T17:39:05","modified_gmt":"2009-08-19T21:39:05","slug":"google-maps-customer-service-hall-of-shame-what-goes-on-in-your-neighborhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/2009\/08\/20\/google-maps-customer-service-hall-of-shame-what-goes-on-in-your-neighborhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Maps Customer Service Hall of Shame – What goes on in your neighborhood?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When things go wrong with Google Maps, like all large scale systems, they go terribly wrong. Google Maps though, unlike most large companies, offers no mechanism for these problems to be fixed in any direct fashion.<\/p>\n

While I understand Google’s desire to fix the big problems for large numbers of people first, there also needs to be a way for small people with personal problems that have been wronged to get their problem fixed. Currently the only way is to post into the Google forum, where a volunteer might bring an issue to Google’s attention and it may or may not get fixed. Is that the best that Google can do?<\/p>\n

Here is my first example of Google Maps Customer Service Hall of Shame. This poster initially posted<\/a> in the forums on August 9th. It was highlighted to Google at the time through their private Top Contributor system. This is the type of problem that is not really easily addressable by a volunteer nor should it be handled by a volunteer. It points out that forums are not the best place to get this sort of problem resolved. Here is the first posting<\/a> from August 9th:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n\n
lrury2002<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
Level 1
\n8\/9\/09<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
My son looked our address up on google maps and found it said:\u00a0 ADULT ENTERTAINMENT with our name, address, and phone number……THIS INFORMATION IS FALSE and I don’t know how to have it removed….We received a phone call at 3:50 am asking for “adult entertainment”\u00a0 When I told them they had the wrong number they said: you really messed me up!\u00a0\u00a0 That scares me and I don’t know what to do to have it removed!!!!!!1<\/div>\n
Can someone please help me!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Here is the second posting<\/a> from August 18th. Both postings were highlighted for the Google Guides so that they could possibly take care of the issue:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n\n
lrury2002<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
Level 1
\n8\/18\/09<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
\n
My son googled our address and when you zoom in a martini glass appeared.\u00a0 When you click on it a listing is posted with my name, home address, and home phone number listed as ADULT ENTERTAINMENT.\u00a0 This is inaccurate, unauthorized, inflammatory information and I need to have it removed.\u00a0 There is also a web site associated with it as\u00a0all4male.com<\/a>.\u00a0 This is a pornographic site which is not associated with me and I am disgusted by it…I cannot reach anyone from google and it has made me physically ill trying to find an answer!\u00a0 Can anyone help????????????????<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

I think that this is the business listing being referred<\/a> to:<\/p>\n

\"Picture<\/a><\/p>\n

I guess just can’t know whats going on in suburbia these days, can you?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When things go wrong with Google Maps, like all large scale systems, they go terribly wrong. Google Maps though, unlike most large companies, offers no mechanism for these problems to be fixed in any direct fashion. While I understand Google’s desire to fix the big problems for large numbers of people first, there also needs …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-google-customer-service-hall-of-shame","category-google-maps-google-local"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t