What actually happened
Google stopped new chats on 15 July 2024 and removed the feature completely on 31 July. Chat history went with it. Businesses had until the end of August to download old conversations, and after that they were gone.
Google's own advice at the time was simple: make sure your phone number is on the listing. That is still the right answer.
What your listing has now
Three ways for someone to reach you straight off the profile: the call button, your website link, and a booking link if your category supports one. For a trade business the call button does almost all of the work.
- Phone number. A real local or mobile number that you answer. Not a call centre, not a number that rings out after hours with no voicemail.
- Website link. Point it at the page that converts best, not automatically the home page.
- Hours. Accurate, including public holidays. Someone who rings during your listed hours and gets nobody is a review waiting to happen.
Google has been seen testing a new chat section that hands off to text or WhatsApp. It is not widely available, so don't plan around it until it shows up on your own dashboard.
Catching the people who would rather text
Some customers will never ring. That hasn't changed just because the button went. You catch them on your website instead.
- A text-us option on the site that lands as an SMS on your phone.
- A missed-call text back, so anyone who rings while you're on a roof gets a message within a minute instead of ringing the next business.
- A short quote form with three fields, not twelve.
What to do this week
- Search your own business on your phone and tap the call button. Make sure it rings the right phone.
- Check your hours, including the next public holiday.
- Set up a missed-call text back if you don't have one.
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