Google is Killing Off the Messaging Service Inside Google Maps (arstechnica.com) 19
An anonymous reader shares a report: Google is killing off a messaging service! This one is the odd "Google Business Messaging" service -- basically an instant messaging client that is built into Google Maps. If you looked up a participating business in Google Maps or Google Search on a phone, the main row of buttons in the place card would read something like "Call," "Chat," "Directions," and "Website." That "Chat" button is the service we're talking about. It would launch a full messaging interface inside the Google Maps app, and businesses were expected to use it for customer service purposes. Google's deeply dysfunctional messaging strategy might lead people to joke about a theoretical "Google Maps Messaging" service, but it already exists and has existed for years, and now it's being shut down.
I never knew this existed (Score:5, Insightful)
My spouse runs a business that is listed on Google Maps, and we get business from the listing.
This is the first I've ever heard of a messaging system built into maps.
No wonder it failed.
Re: I never knew this existed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: I never knew this existed (Score:4, Funny)
Sergey is that you?
Re: (Score:2)
Imagine how many chats you'd get if we all knew about this product. This one is news to me as well.
Re: (Score:2)
Been using it for years and get a handful of chats each month asking about products. Was a great tool for our small business
I got a few each year that were mostly a pest - needing to juggle yet-another-text-platform is a pain. I suppose it added value to Google, keeping the communications within their platform but for me, having customers contact me using email or real SMS is probably more useful.
Re: (Score:2)
I find it somewhat mind-blowing when we see these stories about some well known tech giant shutting down some non-niche service which it turns out was unknown to most Slashdotters. Even if it wasn't something we ourselves would use... how could their marketing / PR fail to the extent that people like us wouldn't even be aware of it?
Re:I never knew this existed (Score:5, Interesting)
> how could their marketing / PR fail to the extent that people like us wouldn't even be aware of it?
Oh, I gotchu on this:
Some exec comes up with a hairbrained idea that everybody on the team thinks is peak retardation but they have to implement it to make him happy.
It goes it, gets hidden behind a shit UI, and nobody ever talks about it again.
Marketing is warned on the D/L that they will look stupid if they promote it.
As soon as he gets promoted the feature is deprecated.
The Dilbert Filter is in operation on this one.
Re: (Score:2)
Working 9/5 (Score:1)
Re: Working 9/5 (Score:3)
This feature actually belongs in the graveyard (Score:2)
https://killedbygoogle.com/ [killedbygoogle.com]
Never heard of it. (Score:2)
Yet another poorly advertised and little used service... no wonder it's being shutdown.
Just like Panoramio (Score:2)
Just like the late, great Panoramio Google Earth layer.
And, the murdered Google Earth Keyhole forums that were quietly terminated for literally no reason.
Never heard of it. (Score:2)
Good Riddance (Score:3)
Seriously, as a business owner... good. We had a few customers use it to try to contact us but it was a pain in the ass. I am a business owner... that particular business I'm not engaged in day-to-day (it's a cafe) and unlike Facebook (for all THEIR warts) they didn't have the option to "deputize" your staff to manage the messaging for you. That meant that any time someone messaged me on the page I had to drop what I was doing and act on the message even though I was busy with my OTHER business to respond or enact something like creating a reservation.
Unfortunately, just saying "Sorry, you can't do that from here please call us at xxxx" seemed like shitty customer service. It was one more contact method we didn't need and didn't use.
Google's problem with these sorts of things is that they throw them out there half-assed and never develop them further. Just the ability to create deputies and set up permissions alone would've been nice but if there's a system that allows me to do that I never did find it. You can either deputize someone to manage the entire listing or none of it... no granular permissions that I can find.
Re: (Score:2)
This.