Google is exposing major changes to its Google Business Profiles which will affect how business owners engage with their customers. These changes will come into effect by the end of this current calendar month. Here’s a detailed look at what you need to know:
Discontinuation of New Chats
What’s Happening: Google will be deciding on taking out the ability to start fresh chats via the Google Business Profiles.
This shift indicates that if customers or prospects try to initiate a fresh message to your business through Google Maps or Google Search, the chat feature will not be there. As it was mentioned, the chat button used to help start new conversations will be eliminated.
Impact on Existing Chats: As for new conversations, the option for starting new chats will be unavailable, but the already initiated chat will remain active till July 31, 2024. This means that any case, where one or both parties to the conversation began before the stated cutoff date, can indefinitely continue to the end of the given month.
However, as of July 31, 2024, the application of these existing chats will also be a thing of the past meaning that you will not be in a position to view such chats or make a reply affixed to them.
Action Required: If your business is using the chat feature for communication with your consumers, you have to notify your consumers about this change and look for an alternative method of communication or solution.
Other discussions are ongoing hence you should also check to ensure that you take a look at the conversations and reply before the feature is completely done.
Removal of Call History
What’s Happening: In addition to the chat feature, Google will also be canceling the facility of call history in Google Business Profiles. This comprises any interaction that took place in the platform; such as the records of the incoming and outgoing calls made through the platform.
The recorded call history will be erased and no data belonging to this category will be accessible after a given date.
Action Required: Historical call records can be viewed only if you download them before the end of the month in the Control Panel if you wish to keep these details. Google allows users to download their data using Google Takeout and they can export their chat and call history.
Some benefits allow you to save the call history for future use and can also be included with the company’s CRM system or database.
Why This Matters
For Businesses: Such changes are critical if organizations rely on Google Business Profile’s chat and call histories as part of their customer service management approach. This means that customers will not be able to establish new chats and call history will be deleted; hence how you organize and monitor customer interactions will be affected. This makes it necessary to be keen and adapt to the new changes as they impact communication practices.
For Customers: Your customers might have to adjust to using a different way to get to your business. To prevent them from raising their expectations so high, it is necessary to inform them about the upcoming changes in advance and provide them with some options for other ways of communicating. There are other ways in which the business can still be easily accessible and customer satisfaction should therefore be prioritized in this line.
Steps to Take:
- Communicate Changes: Inform your customers about the cessation of chat description and the deletion of the call information. Let them know if they can communicate with you through other ways, and give them your contacts.
- Download Data: As of now, the only way to permanently delete your chat and/or call history is to use Google Takeout to download it before July 31, 2024. Make sure that this data is stored well in the CRM or database as a backup.
- Explore Alternatives: It may be necessary to find other means and channels for communication to compensate for the functions that have been altered. Some of the possibilities are email support, dedicated applications for customer service, or increasing the activity on official profiles on social networks.
With the current developments in the site, you should be aware and take measures towards ensuring that you do not have a decline in business when the Google Business Profile chat and call history features are removed.
This way the adaptation will ensure that organizational communication with the customers is effective and the service is delivered to the highest standard.
