Small businesses across the globe are reportedly losing thousands of dollars due to inaccuracies on Apple Maps.
The tech giant's map service has been mistakenly marking businesses as 'permanently closed', leading to a significant dip in customer visits and, consequently, revenue.
One such case, as highlighted by Australia’s ABC News, is that of Chris Pyatt, owner of Pum's Kitchen, a Thai restaurant on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Pyatt discovered the error only when a regular customer called to ask why the restaurant had been marked as 'permanently closed' on Apple Maps.
Incorrect location
"We have no idea when this change went through, but we have seen a sudden and drastic change in customer behavior towards the end of November and all of December. We've noted a significant downturn, of around AU$12,000. This is our livelihood," Pyatt lamented.
Correcting the error proved to be a challenge for Pyatt and his wife, neither of whom use Apple products. Despite reaching out to Apple's customer service and following their recommended process, the issue remained unresolved.
Apple advises that business owners can use any web browser to claim their business and update their details. However, Pyatt's attempts using Microsoft Edge were unsuccessful. Although Google Chrome allowed him to make the necessary changes, the updates still had not reflected on the app days later.
The issue extends beyond incorrect business status. Pyatt highlighted that the location pin on the map was also incorrect, which led to further customer loss.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Apple Forums, Reddit, and Quora all contain posts from business owners facing similar issues with Apple Maps.
With that in mind, the best business advice today is to check your Apple Maps listing for any mistakes. A quick review could save your small business from losing out on thousands of dollars in potential sales.
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