We are once again saying farewell to a direct communication feature from Google. 

Over the last fifteen years, the search engine has introduced dozens of chat and calling features, with many ultimately phased out. We have recently learned that Google Business Profile chat will meet a similar fate.

Google Business Profile Chat and Call History: The Rise and Fall

Google Business Profile chat and call history was introduced as a streamlined way for customers to engage directly with businesses via Google Maps and Google Search. The feature allowed businesses to provide real-time customer service, promptly address inquiries and enhance customer satisfaction through direct engagement. 

Despite an aggressive push for adoption, as of July 15, 2024, searchers will no longer be able to start new chat conversations with businesses. By July 31, 2024, chat functionality will end entirely, and existing conversations will be phased out. For now, Google will allow you to download your call and chat history, but that will also be deleted at some point. 

Why Is Google Deprecating These Features?

Google’s decision to phase out chat and call history features follows a familiar pattern. While the features provided value, their discontinuation might be attributed to several factors:

1. Strategic Realignment: Google may be shifting focus towards other areas where they can provide more value.
2. User Engagement: Features are often discontinued when they do not meet user engagement metrics or business adoption rates. 
3. Technological Integration: Google sometimes makes changes to integrate more seamlessly with other emerging platforms.

What This Means for the Reputation Platform

While this is a loss for many location-based businesses, the good news is that Reputation’s platform remains unaffected and this will have no impact on your overall Reputation Score. 

While Google Business Profile chat and call history were supported, their removal will not hinder messaging functionality for other direct communication platforms, including Twitter, LinkedIn, SMS and Meta. You will simply notice that Google Business Conversation reporting will stop appearing as a metric in the Reputation platform. 

Navigating The Future 

The sunsetting of Google Business Profile chat and call history means businesses will lose a channel for real-time, direct communication with customers, which could impact customer service, marketing strategies and the overall consumer experience. 

However, brands that have implemented a multi-channel communication strategy should be able to quickly adapt, and focus their efforts on other communication channels with which their customers engage. 

If Google Business Profile chat and call history was the main direct communication channel for your business, now is the time to invest in a diverse customer communication strategy. This will ensure that external factors – whether it is a product sunset or a platform outage – will not stand in the way of delivering on your brand promise.

At Reputation, we are always evolving to meet the changing needs of our customers and their consumers. Explore our website to learn more about how our platform can help you manage your online reputation.