Keith A's post
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Level 10

What reason to use when removing a place?

Very often we will come across businesses that do not have a storefront, are on a residential street, and are not something that people would visit - ie a taxi firm, driving school, cleaner, etc.

 

What reason should we select when deleting the place via Local Guides? Does it matter if they are verified or not?

MapMaker forum: http://goo.gl/6e5Kv9 :: Maps forum: http://goo.gl/Xy2G79 :: Give Kudos for great content!
17 comments
Level 8

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

I would like to know the answer to this question too. I don't hesitate to report what I assume to be bad-faith attempts at spamming as spam, but I don't know what is the best way to deal with businesses that should be registered as service-area businesses where the owners probably have inadvertently put an address thus placed a pin. It's all a bit of a mystery to me how reports from Local Guides / Maps, Map Maker, and Google My Business are processed: there seems to be many ways to report the same thing, yet there doesn't seem to be a clear and uniform procedure.

Connect Moderator

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

I'd say if the location doesn't physically exist, it's due for removal. That's what I usually put for reasoning. But I leave it alone if the place actually exists, whether it's a place people actually visit or not.

Former Google Contributor

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

EDIT: Content removed to avoid confusion. 

Level 10

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

Hi Yanny,

 

Unfortuantely I am now more confused. We have always been told that markers on the map represent places that people can visit - whether it is somewhere people can just turn up like a shop, or need to make an appointment like a dentists.

 

Why are peoples private addresses being listed for service area businesses? If I was new to an area, and wanted to find a taxi office, then finding a marker on a private house would be incredibly unhelpful at best - and at worst, possibly even dangerous.

 

So my question still stands - If someone has claimed a service area business using their home address, but they do not do business from that location, what reason should we use to mark it as removed - spam, private, or does not exist?

 

Can you please also provide a clear explanation of what each option means, when it should be used, and with examples.

MapMaker forum: http://goo.gl/6e5Kv9 :: Maps forum: http://goo.gl/Xy2G79 :: Give Kudos for great content!
Level 8

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

I totally agree with @Keith A. I hope the different products that deal with local data at least have a common set of policies!

 

The policies are expressed clearly on Google My Business (GMB).

 

Guidelines for representing your business on Google at https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177 states:

 

In order to qualify for a Google My Business listing, a business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours.

 

[...]

 

Use a precise, accurate address to describe your business location. PO Boxes or postboxes located at remote locations are not acceptable.

 

[...]

 

Service-area businesses – a business that serves customers at their locations – should have one page for the central office or location and designate a service area from that point. If you wish to display your complete business address while setting your service area(s), then your business location should be staffed and able to receive customers during its stated hours. [Emphasis added]

Service-area businesses on Google at https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038163 states:

 

Not all local businesses serve their customers from a brick-and-mortar shop front. For example, some businesses operate from a home address. Others are mobile and don't have a shop front that customers visit.

 

If your business serves customers at their locations, then you should list it as a service area business on Google.

Service-area businesses masquerading as businesses with fixed address should be reported, so that the GMB listing is suspended, which will prompt the business owner to rectify the data. Sometimes I think it's spam, because the business owner is conscioulsy attempting to manipulate how his / her business appears on various Google products. But most of the time, I don't assume bad faith, as it might be a genuine mistake, created by a third party, or based on third-party data, but I really don't know what I should report it as? Does not exist? But the business does exist, just not at that address within the meaning of the GMB policies.

Connect Moderator

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

@Keith A There's a coffee shop I know around where I live that exists in a residential area, so I think that's pretty valid. If you mean someone's house marked as a business then it probably should be removed. In this case it's probably not a good idea to apply a blanket rule, but more of a case by case thing.

 

Do you have an example of the private address being used as a business address? We can probably get a better understanding by looking at an example.

Level 10

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

When I a say residential street, I mean a street where there are nothing but houses. I will not delete something just because of this, but it only takes 5 seconds to check streetview to confirm.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/bdyVUn8FMRn - claimed location, residential house, no store front, service area business.

If I turn up there looking for a driving school, I will be disappointed.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/hpFgBMVi8Qyclaimed location, residential house, no store front, service area business.

If I turn up there looking for someone to entertain me, I will be disappointed.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/ApwoKNv61KD2claimed location, residential house, no store front, service area business.

If I bring my flat pack furniture there for them to assemble, I will be disappointed.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/2bQv3WzPENS2claimed location, residential house, no store front, service area business.

Why would I bring something to them for them to tow?

 

https://goo.gl/maps/5qiLDk95tY52 - claimed location, residential house, no store front, service area business.

Surely I don't take my garden to them for it to be landscaped?

 

https://goo.gl/maps/bPdxWqGy7kR2 - claimed location, residential house, no store front, service area business.

Back to my earlier example, if a vulnerable person leaves the station late at night and this is the closest taxi firm - taxis at night can take awhile to arrive - should they expect to find a staffed office here where they can sit and wait safely?

 

These are not even the tip of the iceberg. These are just a few that happened to show up for me at a high zoom level. We need to know the best and quickest way to hide these markers from the map.

MapMaker forum: http://goo.gl/6e5Kv9 :: Maps forum: http://goo.gl/Xy2G79 :: Give Kudos for great content!
Level 5

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

At the moment the "Place is permanently closed or has never existed" does not have the option "It is a service area". I would leave it as is, because if you use any of the options (as suggested here), the listing might be removed. And, thereby, you are hurting this local business. 

Connect Moderator

Re: What reason to use when removing a place?

Edwin, as Keith already stated in his first post, Google has been clear for years now that these are to be removed from the map

 

It is not a question of whether it should be done, the question is what is the correct options to choose.

Flash - LG Connect Moderator, Maps Platinum Product Expert, Map Maker Platinum Product Expert, RER and Regional Lead

Due to the volume I receive, I do not respond to unsolicited private messages