Google Texting Businesses to Validate Google Business Profile Information
The trend of Google calling business location to confirm hours of operations continues but Google has now begun a second method of verifying more than just hours. Along with calls, Google is now texting businesses when their listed number is capable of receiving messages. This is verifying not only hours of operation but other aspects of the business profile which would have been tedious to recite. While this practice is making some pieces of information more reliable, it causes the same issues already suffered through calls.
When a listing’s public phone number is one accessible by multiple individuals, it is inevitable that an underinformed staffer may communicate with the automated call. Employees who do not have full knowledge of holiday closures or hours can sometimes give inaccurate information, and this issue is exacerbated through text messaging. Spam calls and texts are commonplace and those who receive messages from those claiming to be Google often hang up on or block these numbers. Receiving texts from Google when that is not already commonplace will only feel more suspicious. While the number Google uses to text is one verified in Google’s own help documentation, it is not expected that the majority of business owners would be aware of that fact.
Businesses for now can only be made aware that these texts can be legitimate and should verify the basic information of their business when they can. Simply avoid giving these texts any information that is not already displayed on the business’s public Google Business Profile. Once these texts start asking you to verify you credit card information, that is a good sign it’s time to block them.
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