Phone numbers allowed in review replies?

[NevenaIvanova]

Hello,

I have recently created topic in the Google My Business Community to ask if business owners are allowed to share phone number in a review reply. Platinum Product Expert replied "No, you may not include phone numbers. If you want to advise a reviewer to contact you, then they can use the number displayed on your listing already."

I asked if this is somewhere listed in the Google review policy, but haven't received an answer.

Do you happen to have any knowledge and informative sources on the matter.

Thank you,
Nevena

 

[Theo1313]

I have included our phone number whenever it is needed in review replies for many years. It has never been a problem.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I would suggest trying a few responses with phone numbers and see if they show up publicly on Google when you're not logged in. If they don't show, they aren't allowed.

 

[Teresa Gaunt]

Hello,

I have recently created topic in the Google My Business Community to ask if business owners are allowed to share phone number in a review reply. Platinum Product Expert replied "No, you may not include phone numbers. If you want to advise a reviewer to contact you, then they can use the number displayed on your listing already."

I asked if this is somewhere listed in the Google review policy, but haven't received an answer.

Do you happen to have any knowledge and informative sources on the matter.

Thank you,
Nevena

Hi Nevena! We've also never had any issues including a phone number in review responses.

 

[Jon Hall]

@NevenaIvanova This is not a policy I've ever seen acted upon in many years of work on reviews. And truly it could have only one possible justification as policy: Google wants that click Haha. Ha.

I'd put the relevant phone number in the response. Sometimes you want to share a different number from the main, like the business owner's direct line, to provide "customer-obsessed" service. If doing that is wrong, I don't want to be right!