Google Places Phone Support Down?

[Nikki]

A colleague of mine and I are both having trouble with the Google Places phone support and I am wondering if anyone else is having the same issue? When I click "call us" in the Google Places Help for business owners section, I am brought to an error page (please see attached). Has anyone else experienced this bug in the past couple of days? Or is anyone able to access the phone support? Thank you!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks so much for reporting Nikki!

It works for me with the specific path I took.

So that I can explain to Google where the bad link is...

Could you please let us know if you are using the old or new dash?

Please re-trace steps and let me know how you got there? Did you click contact us?

What browser?

 

[Linda Buquet]

I alerted Google to this thread, but additional details would be helpful.

Thank you.

 

[Matthew Newman]

It looks like the Google Places help pages have been updated, at least for me.

https://support.google.com/places/?hl=en



I wonder if that could be part of the problem?

 

[Nikki]

I also see the Google Places help pages have recently changed. When I navigate from my Google places account (old dashboard) to "Google Places Help" at the bottom, I see the same screen shot Matthew posted. I can't find the option for a phone call anywhere on this page...

I do have an old link where the "call us" option can still be found: https://support.google.com/places/troubleshooter/1386120?hl=en#ts=1406478,2707608. However, this "call us" link redirects to the error page I previously posted.

Can't seem to locate phone support anywhere, could it be gone?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I noticed this the other day as well - http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/google-local/8181-where-did-troubleshooter-go.html

It works if you access the call support directly from the new dashboard, however.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Ya they moved data troubleshooter and verification troubleshooter OUT of the FIX section which was a bad move IMO.

Click the red "Contact Us" top right. There are is the link to "Call Us" and the 2 troubleshooters.

Re the troubleshooters...

Help has a big label that says FIX. Then under it, the most common problems that folks need to have fixed: incorrect data, dupes, missing listing etc. etc is no longer there.

Those that aren't very savvy I guarantee are going to look at the list under FIX and think "but something is wrong with my listing, how do I fix that? I guess there is no way to get help for this type of problem. Google support sucks!"

Or they will go to the Gooogle forum asking how to fix - when it could be right there front and center where it belongs - under FIX! Many are not going to think to go up to "contact us" to look for help, they will just think that help for their specific type of problem does not exist!

Why make them jump through hoops and hunt for it when it could be right there where it should be?
It could also be under Contact Us if they think lots of people look there, just also add link to that same form that's at Contact us ---- Add a link to "Problems with your Listing" under FIX.

I told Google this but was told they think "Contact us" is pretty discoverable and the troubleshooters don't need to be under FIX where folks are used to finding them.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Ya they moved data troubleshooter and verification troubleshooter OUT of the FIX it menu which was a bad move IMO.

Click the red "Contact Us" top right. There are is the link to "Call Us" and the 2 troubleshooters.

Oh right, thanks Linda. I totally missed that when you suggested this the other day.

Thanks

 

[Nikki]

Got it, thanks for the help!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Just went back to Colan's post from Friday and saw he reported the bad "call us" link then
and showed screen shot of how he got there.