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(Q&A) Changes in the way questions are submitted

I've noticed that a lot of people mistake the review text-box with the one where they can ask questions, and end up submitting their opinion as a question. 

I think that most of the people who mistake it just write in the first text-box they see, without reading what it says, that's why I think the text-box to ask questions on should be modified. Here's some ideas on how it could be changed:  

  • A button that says something like "Ask a question", and after pressing it the text-box could appear.
  • A smaller button that shows an interrogation sign, next to a text reading something along the lines of "Ask a question", and after pressing the button the text-box could appear.
  • Making the review and question text-boxes look different, easily differentiate them, by changing the style of the question text-box (colour, shape, ...)

 

11 Comments
Connect Moderator

I have seen this too already, @Jesi and you are probably right about the cause: people do not read, just start typing in the first box they see

 

Another common problem: people asking specific questions TO unclaimed businesses, not ABOUT them, sometimes with sensitive data in them.

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Connect Moderator

@JanVanHaver yes, I have seen a lot of questions about specific products or other topics only the owners or employees can answer.

 

Maybe if there isn't a certified owner, Maps should show a warning when people press the button to ask a question, with a text that clarifies  that only other clients will answer it and maybe suggesting ways to contact the store. So it isnt ignored, the warning shouldn't let the person write until they close it by pressing a button.

 

Maybe by doing this as well, the questions in the Q&A will be truly questions that the community can answer. What do you thing of this idea, @JanVanHaver? Did you think of another solution?

Connect Moderator

@Jesi, I had already added this to my list of suggestions to make (they are asking to only submit 1 idea per post), but if you make a separate post about this before I get to do it, I will certainly upvote it 😀

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Connect Moderator

@JanVanHaver Oh, okay! I will wait until a Googler responds, as both ideas could be taken into account with this post, but if you submit it let me know and I will happily upvote it ☺️

Agree! Questions should not be the first available box as it causes a lot of mistakes.

Level 8

I see people constantly post reviews in the "Questions and answers - Ask the community" field. Why? Because it is the first (or rather the only) text field they come across when they open a place listing. To post a review, you need to rate the place first - but they don't know that, so when they see a text field, they share their experience. And believe me,  a LOT of them don't notice it is a question field... So I then respond to them, explaining what they should do instead, then wait some time so they can find my response, then report the question so it is removed. But I have done this many times and it doesn't seem to change - people just do what is easiest, what they see first. So I believe this should be fixed by changing the layout or UX of the app, so they are intuitively guided to post a review in a review field and a question in a question field.

Former Google Contributor

Hi @TomášP

 

Thanks for reaching out. Please note that I have merged your idea to (Q&A) Changes in the way questions are submitted because it is already existing.

Due to the volume of private messages Google Moderators receive, I do not read or respond to private messages. Please post publicly so others may benefit from your discussion. If you require urgent assistance, please tag a Google Moderator. Thank you!

Level 10

I'm definitely agree with this idea and I've also experienced it a lot. And discussed in this case before: Something about Q&A

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Connect Moderator

Es muy buena la idea @Jesi , y de alguna manera necesaria para poder dar un poco de prolijidad, es verdad actualmente se puede leer muchas preguntas que no tienen sentido , gracias por comaprtir 

Google Moderator
Status changed to: Closed

Hello @Jesi,

 

We would like to thank you for your idea, but we did not manage to implement it in time. According to our Idea Exchange policies we are going to close your idea.

Due to the volume of private messages Google Moderators receive, I do not read or respond to private messages. Please post publicly so others may benefit from your discussion. If you require urgent assistance, please tag a Google Moderator. Thank you!