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Google Displays Fake Phone Numbers For Some Local Businesses In Toronto So They Can Record Calls (thestar.com)
grumpy-cowboy shared this article from the Toronto Star:: A spokesperson for Google has confirmed the service they've launched in Vancouver and Toronto to connect potential customers to trusted service providers funnels customers through ostensibly local phone numbers that are actually owned by Google for the purpose of call monitoring.
Google Local Services is an addition to its search platform that connects potential customers to local service providers who pay for the advertising. It launched in Toronto and Vancouver last December for locksmiths and heating, cooling and ventilation professionals. When someone in Toronto searches for a locksmith, for example, they'll see some service providers with green check marks next to the company name, meaning they've been vetted by Google.
The number next to the listing has a local area code, but that's not the business' real contact info. Instead, it's a dummy Google number that will route you to the business -- after informing you that it will be recording anything you say.
Google Local Services is an addition to its search platform that connects potential customers to local service providers who pay for the advertising. It launched in Toronto and Vancouver last December for locksmiths and heating, cooling and ventilation professionals. When someone in Toronto searches for a locksmith, for example, they'll see some service providers with green check marks next to the company name, meaning they've been vetted by Google.
The number next to the listing has a local area code, but that's not the business' real contact info. Instead, it's a dummy Google number that will route you to the business -- after informing you that it will be recording anything you say.
Hey Google, Evil much?
Search for Locksmith Google Maps -- https://www.google.com/search?q=locksmith+google+maps -- you'll find lots of news articles about scams.
This is one way that Google Maps team is attempting to protect its users. It's a constant battle.
Posting as A/C because I work for Google.
There are only handful of possible reasons I can think of for Google doing this:
* This is a trial run to verify rating information before mass deployment (seems like an unlikely venue for such a thing). ;)
* They are gathering data to improve a real-time English-French translation project. (real possibility)
* They are gathering data of common questions people call and ask to put on their site. (real possibility)
* They are gathering data to improve their voice tech (that everyone thought was creepy and nobody wanted) that is intended to interact with shops. (seems unlikely now)
* They got wind of Canada's plan for world domination and they want in.
Any other ideas why they would do this?
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
Companies like Service Titan and Jobber do this too. It allows the person taking the call to receive a popup in their web browser with customer details (particularly useful for repeat customers). It's also handy to be able to review the call after the fact for details about the job without bothering the customer.
There's nothing malicious here, phone numbers haven't been 'local' since the FCC mandated number portability.
Just because you disagree doesn't mean it's not true.
The other day I used one of these numbers to order a new toque because I had accidentally dropped my previous one into my poutine after a long night of pounding a few Molsons. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was being spied on. I nearly choked on my Shreddies while sitting on my chesterfield.
This is a valuable service for which Google will be well paid. Google knows the customer, Google knows the company, and both trust Google. Google can help make the sale and the company will pay far more than a for regular ad in search results.
This is a simple extension of a long existing referral method. Decades ago I was a building contractor doing well, having fun. Then I had an opportunity to contract with Sears; the biggest and most trusted retailer in the US. Sounded great. They put a phone in my office and whenever it rang, I responded with the Sears name. The phone rang a lot and I got lots of work from those Sears customers.
But Sears took 25% of the gross sale. So I had to charge their customers a lot more than my customers. They trusted Sears and it cost them plenty. Today the Home Depot stores offer similar services delivered by outside companies. Beware of high prices but expect good service.
Google will be well paid for this service also.
...omphaloskepsis often...
...when a company says that they may/are recording I say "So am I!" whether I am or not. The skeevier places will immediately hang up.
Happened to me on Wednesday, and Iâ(TM)m in Texas.
>"it's a dummy Google number that will route you to the business -- after informing you that it will be recording anything you say."
At which point I would hang up and find some other business or listing. How ridiculous.
I don't mind a company displaying a local number for me to call as long as it's evident that the company is located somewhere else. I guess I need to verify the address of a company and not rely on a local number to indicate the company has a presence in the local area. What I don't like is Google providing this local number in exchange for the option to record the call as a third party. I guess by disclosing the call may be recorded it gives me the option to hang up, but I would want to know it is Google recording the call and not the company I am calling.
I don't mind a company recording my call when I ask to have my carpets cleaned, but I don't think Google needs to know this nor record it.
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To each their own on not wanting Google to record the call. However, as Google is vetting the companies it isn't crazy for them to want some QC when it comes to the calls. I'm sure there is more going on with it than only QC, and again I'm not saying people should like it. I'm just pointing out the whole setup isn't just some crazy new idea.
When you stop you lose ownership of your Google number and your business is screwed
In fact almost everybody uses it. You get a Google Voice number and it can ring your office phone, your mobile phone, and an app on your computer all at once. That way you are always reachable. And it has a call recording feature. So the only thing here that is different is that the call is automatically recorded. There are some places where non-local calls actually still cost incremental money so putting the area code in the customer's locale makes sense. This is a yawner or a story.
Im objecting to google recording my phone calls without telling me its google doing it
Just sayin'.
CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
I'm just pointing out the whole setup isn't just some crazy new idea.
Honest question. What other 3rd party records random people phone calls to businesses? I'm pretty sure the BBB doesn't. I've heard of having a third party audit for quality, but never quite like this.
Wouldn't shock me if one exists, but I definitely wouldn't be able to name anyone. But, that doesn't negate any of it. The only new "idea" is the specific arrangement of the individual ideas. It's like saying the iPhone was some revolutionary new phone idea. They took all the ideas that currently existed and combined them into one phone. They didn't do anything new or exciting. They just packaged it all into one place.
I'm wondering if the Google phone number stays just for the ad because that could create some awkward situations. Say I call up a locksmith and it's during the last week of their ad campaign. I make an appointment for them to drop by the next week to change some locks but I need to change the appointment the day before. So I've added the number to my contacts list because I didn't know it was a special number and I dial it and get a tattoo parlour or a competitor.
Using Chrome, I googled a Texas company and went to their website. I called the number listed there and got the "This call may be recorded" message before it started ringing through to the real company. When they answered, I hung up.
Then I dug the real number out of my phone and called them back. I spoke to the owner of this small company, and they had no idea that it was happening. Later she reported to me that their site builder had no idea what it could be.
So I did a little testing.
The only browser that changed the displayed phone number was Chrome. It was listed correctly on all the other browsers.
I then compared the html from Chrome and others, and there was an odd call replacing the static phone numbers from the original html.
Not sure where this was coming from, either from the hosting site or the site generator, or google, I just mentaly flagged Chrome as suspect/venerable, and stopped using it except in static VM's (needed hangouts for work). I never did find anyone else who had noticed this behavior, or see it reported other places before.
This is not exactly cogent to the OP, but I thought the audience would be the right sort of people to hear of it.
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