Businesses change and they come and go. As a Local Guide, it is not always easy to decide what to do when a new business shows up in your neighborhood.
If the previous business on the premises is already gone it is obvious that we need to create a new pin.
But what if an existing business:
- Gets new owners
- Changes their name, concept, or design
- Changes their assortment and move to another category
- Moves to a new place
Given the old pin is still on the map, you need to consider the following:
If the pin is claimed by the owner, THEN you should consider letting the owners make the necessary changes. If they don’t, you could reach out to them and suggest they do so. And, if nothing happens, make the necessary changes yourself.
Given the listing is not claimed (the “Claim this business” link is visible on the listing) your main concern should be if existing reviews and photos can be helpful to future customers or not.
If you think old reviews, ratings, and photos will be irrelevant to future customers, THEN mark the old pin as Permanently closed and start a new clean pin to get rid of old photos and reviews.
If there are new owners and the quality of their service is very dependent on who owns the place, then it might be best to start with a fresh pin.
Also, if the business name changes, or the concept, design, or the assortment change so much that old reviews become irrelevant, then you should also start a new pin.
But please keep in mind that reviews and photos are valuable assets for many businesses, so removing a lot of ratings, reviews, and photos by creating a new pin is a big decision with potentially huge consequences for the owners. So you may want to consult with the owners if in any doubt. It could very well be in the best interest of the owners to keep their old listing when moving to a new place. This will allow them to retain goodwill and continue to grow their good reputation documented by a lot of positive reviews, ratings, and beautiful customer photos on Google Maps.
Cheers
Morten
Bonus tip: When removing old business pins, please use the “Permanently closed” option since this can be undone by reopening. If you chose “Doesn’t exist here” the removal will be permanent. There is no backup.
