Fully removing a listing from Maps

[Les Zeppelin]

So this just happened:

An elderly gentleman had just walked (for him) a fair old distance thinking that we serve customers. The problem is we are just head office and don't actually serve customers from here in any way.

Someone at some point added our head office to Google maps and sure enough, we come up when searching for our service. The hotel he had come from had googled our service and directed him to us.

This guy was understandably furious and it was very, very awkward for me!

I need this listing removed from Google maps - not marked as permanently closed. Just obliterated...gone.

If it's marked as permanently closed that would be more damaging than people walking up to our door because we are very much open. I don't want or need people knowing that we are here in head office.

Is this possible?
Thanks.

 

[Eric Rohrback]

Yes, that is an understandably frustrating situation. Unfortunately there's no way to really "remove" the business from maps. If you go through the steps to remove the business from your account, it will still exist on maps but you won't have access to it (not good).

What you might want to do is set a service area for the office and note you don't see customers at that address, since... you don't see customers at that address. That way your address won't be public, and people wouldn't be able to get driving directions to your office.

From there you can set the website link to an office directory or something, so if people do find that GMB listing they can at least find the correct office.

thoughts on that approach?

 

[Les Zeppelin]

I posted this on Friday night and then totally forgot about it!

So these are the options I have set:

I deliver goods and services to my customers at their location:
Yes
No

I've clicked yes.

I've set it to within 1km of my business.

I have then unchecked the box that says "I also serve customers at my business address. (Your address will be hidden from the public if this box isn't checked.)"

I guess that's all I can do!

Google really need to get a system in place to permanently remove things from their maps because in ten years time it's going to be an unbelievable mess.

Thanks for your help and apologies for not replying sooner!

 

[James Watt]

What exactly is the business? Which industry, and are there other locations customers should actually be going to? It's possible that the HQ doesn't deserve a local listing at all. Eric's right that there's no way to remove it just from your account, but Google does have ways to get listings removed if they shouldn't exist in the first place. I can point you in the right direction for getting it removed if you tell me a little more about the business first. For now though, getting it marked as an SAB is at least going to avoid confusing any future customers.