I have been contributing to the Google maps since many years. Currently I am on Level 7 with around 12k+ points. Few years ago, I shifted to Chennai (City in South India) from North of India and everything was completely new to me right from place, food, language, etc. In my every walk outside, I tend to use Google maps as a help to know my nearest verified spots like whenever I want to find the nearest bus stop or ATM, Google maps were to my rescue and they still are. It’s been an immense help to me to get around so smoothly and to know the city better. And since then, I started sincerely contributing my experiences to the Google maps in terms of my genuine reviews, photos and ratings to help new alone girl like me and many other users to move around the city independently.
Once I added a very small Iron shop run by a lady on Google maps with her permission and it got published too. Her shop was in the interior street and people hardly knew about it and hence she wasn’t doing well in her business front. Few weeks later when I visited her back for ironing, she thanked me saying she has seen an increase in number of customers and orders. I felt so good that our smallest contribution can make such a big amount of difference in people’s everyday life. Whenever out in the world, I make it a point to add missing places which I hope help others. It has made me more observant about my surroundings.
Thank you Google maps, for providing me this platform where a stranger in a new city learns the city and becomes a local guide to help users in their walks of life.