Google halts New Reviews, Review Replies, and Q&A due to COVID-19?

[Dan Sayer]

My FordDirect rep sent me this link yesterday after trying to figure out why Reputation.com wasn't working.

Guidance for Businesses affected by COVID-19 - Google My Business Help

Updated: August 25, 2020 Check and edit your business information If your business is affected by COVID-19, update your Google My Business p

support.google.com

This line and the bottom struck me as odd.



I went to my local DMV site to leave a review and did see this:



Is anyone else seeing this?

 

[Alexander Lau]

Meanwhile, back in Hyderabad (Google India HQ, AKA "Outsourced Hell").

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Yes, I made a few updates on Monday and they didn't post until later Tuesday evening.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Widewail sent this out to their customers this morning...

Google Releases Reviews

Between roughly March 13th and April 9th, Google users were able to write reviews, but these reviews were not published live. Yesterday, Google made these previously hidden reviews visible and shared them with Widewail via the Google API.

As you might imagine, a wave of reviews has flooded into our system. The team at Widewail is hard at work publishing responses to each and every one. Over the next 6-8 days, you should expect an increase in Widewail notifications as we work through any negative reviews left for your store.

Please know that we take our role in supporting your store very seriously. We will add content to negative review responses informing customers that changes by Google meant their reviews were only recently released to the public. We hope this will provide some clarity as to why the response was delayed. You will, as always, have the ability to review and approve responses.

We ask for your patience as we work through this high volume of reviews. As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Team Widewail

 

[Jacques de Molay]

Widewail sent this out to their customers this morning...

Google Releases Reviews

Between roughly March 13th and April 9th, Google users were able to write reviews, but these reviews were not published live. Yesterday, Google made these previously hidden reviews visible and shared them with Widewail via the Google API.

As you might imagine, a wave of reviews has flooded into our system. The team at Widewail is hard at work publishing responses to each and every one. Over the next 6-8 days, you should expect an increase in Widewail notifications as we work through any negative reviews left for your store.

Please know that we take our role in supporting your store very seriously. We will add content to negative review responses informing customers that changes by Google meant their reviews were only recently released to the public. We hope this will provide some clarity as to why the response was delayed. You will, as always, have the ability to review and approve responses.

We ask for your patience as we work through this high volume of reviews. As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Team Widewail

It would be very difficult for a company like Widewail to keep customers if Google, etc. isn't playing fairly. It seems like they weren't and then BOOM all of a sudden!!! CRASH, no way to scale it then.