Hello,**Local Guides @TiffanyBnyc **
I will tell you how to avoid situations where people think you are a spy in this post.
Some days ago, someone posted a video on the Delhi Local Guide Chapter Group of some people beating up some Local Guides because they took pictures of the shop and thought they were spying.
First Please see this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqlfI3KsvX8&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=Unknown
- This video in Hindi where people think LGs are SPY and as they don’t have any authorization letter from google or local guide program people think LGs are SPYING
The solution to avoid these kinds of problems.
As an old Lgs, I have some solutions to avoid these kinds of situations
1)- Educate all New Lgs about always taking permission from the shop owner before taking pictures.
2)- show local guide badges and your contributions to people who want any kind of authorization.
3)- if still, they don’t agreed on smiply tell them ok I will not take any picture of your store.
4)- Local Guide Program can add a message in badges that LGs are taking pictures for improving google maps.*
* here I am clearly saying google is not responsible for any auction by this local guide.
Tagging Some Senior Lgs for their suggestions
** @TravellerG @KashifMisidia @NareshDarji @Anil6969 @Shrut19 **
17 Likes
Hello very dear, our @AmbrishVarshney Ji…
Sincerely appreciate your efforts to publish this valuable post.
Yes, you are right - in the beginning, I too have faced suspecious looks & comments from a very few owners.
Later, I too practiced to explain the shop/enterprise owners about the importance of Google Maps reviews and also used to brief them about the benefits of Google Business Profile (old GMB).
ALL THE STEPS you have explained are perfect - I hope our new gen LGs will note these points, which will surely help them to avoid embarrassing situations…
Note:
Hello Ambrish Ji - in this video the persons were doing it for money making, which is surely against the policy… right?
PS :
Thanks for tagging me in your post.
Regards
3 Likes
@TravellerG Sir lots of people start local guide programs via seeing youtube videos where people claim you will get money via google maps and that why my 1st suggestion is to educate these new lgs
3 Likes
That I fully agree with you…
Some of the YouTube videos are really misguiding and dangerous.
Thanks for your kind response, dear @AmbrishVarshney Ji.
2 Likes
Hi @AmbrishVarshney
It is culturally very strange to me to see people beat each other and pull ears. This just not normal here.
That said, I think your recommendations could benefit from also sharing some suggestions on how to phrase good questions when asking businesses for permission to take photos.
How about:
Would you like me to take some nice/great photos of your shop and share them on Google Maps? It is free, and the photos will be available globally and might help you attract new customers. Or help new customers find your shop.
May I also suggest that you share some examples of how to formulate helpful sentences to include in your profile text on Google Maps. You are welcome to check out my profile text.
I hope something can be done about false information in India the mislead LGs to think they will be paid or are entitled to perks. Many requests for perks here on Connect are from India in my experience.
Cheers and thanks for sharing this.
Morten
2 Likes
Hi @MortenCopenhagen
People beat Lgs because they think they are spies of rival countries. for me I always talk to the business owner about their google maps listing and clearly tell them that is totally free.
Regarding My Profile Text: So Here is it “Hey Guys, I Am Ambrish Varshney, An IT Entrepreneur, Google Product Expert, Trusted Photographer, and Social Media Influencer”
regarding false information in India and misleading LGs if the Local Guide Program Administration gives strike to these kinds of channel for misleading youth and promote more Indian LGs for Educating and Influence these new Lgs that can be great help. i am saying this because we have a huge number of Lgs in India and we can’t educate all without the help of the Administration.
2 Likes
@AmbrishVarshney ,How not to agree with you and @TravellerG ?
Educating people, and explaining to the new Local Guides the scope of the program can help a lot. I still reporting unsuccessfully all that videos that are sharing fake information about earning money 
My usual approach is to Ask First, showing my LG profile in the App, and how many views my photos of the storefront have. After that, if a business do not want to have a photo, well, it is his problem, not mine.
However a lot of bad photos in Maps have contributed to creating a bad reputation for the Local Guides program, and in my opinion Google should be much more severe in removing bad quality contributions, and blocking the possibility for those who make them to add further contributions
3 Likes
@ErmesT i am not able to understand where you did not agree with me. i am saying same which you write in your reply.
1)- I am talking about educating the new LGs
2)- I am talking about these fake videos
3)- I am having the same approach I always talk business owner before contribution
Regarding “Google should be much more severe in removing bad quality contributions, and blocking the possibility for those who make them to add further contributions” in this post I am not talking about good or bad contributions here I am talking about Lgs Beaten up for taking photos and video we can help them.
2 Likes
Oops, @AmbrishVarshney , sorry for the typo, now fixed.
How not to agree with you? Is what I wanted to write.
Of course we should help them, and educating them about the correct approach is the best, if not the only way, to help them to understand that Maps is a useful tool, and not a way to gain Followers and Likes. I am talking about good and bad contributions only because this is what can make the difference in the approach with a business owner. You says "show local guide badges and your contributions to people who want any kind of authorization", and I fully agree but, what if the contributions are a long series of selfies. This is not your case, nor mine, but I have seen so many selfies and inappropriate contents in Maps. I am sure that some business think that this is what a Local Guide do.
Just spend a few minutes to check the profile of the long series of Local Guides that are writing here and in the First Post ask about:
Most of them mention “valuable contents” and “spending a lot of time for contributing”
Businesses should trust us (Local Guides) but how can they do it if they receive such contributions? And the victims are other Local Guides who are Beaten (that’s crazy) just because they don’t have the right approach.
Sorry again about the typo
1 Like
I totally agree with the thrust of your post @AmbrishVarshney and the comments made by others here. It boils down to education. Regarding your 4th point, I would add that LGs are taking pictures for promoting the business through Google Maps by for example, improving it’s visibility and making it easier to be located via Google Maps and the other Google services on which the photo will appear! Finally, you might be interested in my post Local Guides’ bad experiences!.
2 Likes
Yup @ErmesT i totally agree with you about low contributions but that happens because of not having proper knowledge about the local guide program that’s why I want LGs Community Admins should invest some money and time to educate new LGs and try to clear that this is a community service not a program for perks
3 Likes
@AmbrishVarshney , nice to see you on Connect after a long time.
I’m totally agree with you that we should educate other local guides about the rules they should follow for thier own safety while taking photos at any place.
And feel sad for the LGs who were beaten by shopkeepers, but the strange thing that why they said they will be paid by uploading photos on Google maps? Even LG program is a volunteer programs.
2 Likes
@KashifMisidia bhai i am saying the same if you search in youtube how to make money via google maps you are able to see lots of video and new people think they can earn money via just uploading photos on google map
3 Likes
Hello all friends…
As rightly mentioned by our @AdamGT , the main point is of course ‘awareness creation’ - but, equally I recommend that Google should start giving LG-ship only after some level of training.
Today anyone can become an LG & write whatever he/she wants - this should stop. What is your opinion dear @ErmesT , Adams & @AmbrishVarshney Ji?
Many tourist destinations in India are in a very bad shape filled with selfies and group photos.
New LGs, out of their ignorance, are creating a lot of issues.
Need immediate attention, I believe.
Greetings…
2 Likes
@TravellerG yup sir I fully agree with you and you already know in the span of 5-6 years we trained many local guides via our meetups and in our groups but we are not able to reach every local guide (because 90% are not on connect). so now the official team should take some action on that.
2 Likes
Hello @AmbrishVarshney
This is quite sad and unfortunate really. I have faced à very severe case like this once,that even took me to the police station and I was also handcuffed. I ended up spending a whole day at the police station. It was partly my fault and let me explain.
It was in a remote area of Lagos Nigeria where I went for my covid Jab and here was this nice hotel without a front view photo. As a local guide I planned to take a frontview photo and I thought since it’s outside the hotel I may not need permission. I was wrong,the hotel owners were very angry and phoned the police and I was arrested. They didn’t believe my profile and even my ID card as a citizen of the country etc. No amount of explanation could pacify them. Finally I signed an undertaking and agreement and bailed myself out of the police case. I learnt alot from that. It didn’t stop me from continuing my local guide activities though but it taught me to learn to ask for permission if possible be discreet where necessary and keep out of trouble anyways
** @AdamGT you had a post about cases of local guides like this haven’t you? I remember logging in my case unto your post sometime ago. Local Guides education is very necessary in our societies today America,Europe, India Africa everywhere. The society needs to be educated about this program. I enjoy the saying about not been paid because our services are…*
Nice to read all your comments @ErmesT @JanVanHaver @MortenCopenhagen happy guiding and thanks for all you do not only on connect but for Google in general
Cheers
4 Likes
Sorry for late response @AmbrishVarshney ,
I appreciate the concern for LG and education for Mass is a MUST.
which we have done in the past too some senior LG ( Take Lead) can take the responsibility as we have done in the past so many times to Improve maps, Clean Spam, Help small business and Your role cant be ignore at all .
So far this you tube VDo is concerned,
I have seen the trail of communication , However I am extremely sorry as this VDO may be fabricated to defame ,
the image of Local guide , as in the whole U tube video neither Google or Local Guide word used by any party ,
I had listen thrice to this VDO , the person says
1.that they are uploading in Facebook,
-
These photos are taken and uploaded in any personnel APPs
-
Who are those LGs as they said they are from Merrut (UP) India,
My simple submission is are they really Local Guide ?
if so than lets find their details (as their name had been said in the VDO) ,
and Lets Help them by educating (but before that Listen the true story /Incident from them).,
As might be possible some one might have posted this VDO in you tube as we don’t have control by anonymous ask the Author
My Kind apology to all the seniors for having different view.
Regards
Anil
5 Likes
Yes you are correct @SholaIB I wrote a post on this very subject and in fact mentioned it in my reply above to @AmbrishVarshney and yes indeed you included your terrible situation in my Local Guides’ bad experiences.post.
3 Likes
Interesting, @Anil6969 .
It would be wonderful to know the real story, but I think more education could still be beneficial.
Cheers
Morten
3 Likes
Hello @Anil6969
Firstly, let me say that there is no need for you to apologize for having a different view as here on Connect we respect that we all have our own views which may be different to those of others.
Now regarding the video, to me it doesn’t really matter whether it is staged or not because it’s the message that’s important. However, having said that, it is important for the author(s) to at least mention whether it is a staged and hence an education video or a real situation and then, either way, emphasize that the video is about an important message …Local Guides need to be aware of possible situations and outcomes. Education is important especially for the newer Local Guides.
3 Likes