What Your Google Business Profile Says About You (From a Customer's POV)
I was starving last Saturday morning. You know that specific kind of hungry where you need brunch immediately? So I did what everyone does—I pulled out my phone and searched "brunch near me."
Three restaurants popped up. They all looked promising from the photos. But here's what happened next:
Restaurant #1: Hours said "Open now" but when I called, voicemail said they're closed Saturdays until further notice. Cool.
Restaurant #2: Phone number went to some guy named Derek who was very confused why I was asking about eggs benedict.
Restaurant #3: Current hours, working phone number, recent photos, actual responses to reviews.
Guess where I went?
Here's the thing—your Google Business Profile isn't just a listing. It's often the first real impression potential customers get of your business. And if that first impression is outdated info, wrong numbers, or radio silence? You've lost them before they ever walked through your door.
The 5 Things Customers Check Before They Visit (And What Yours Is Telling Them)
1. Your Hours (Are You Even Open?)
This seems basic, right? But you'd be shocked how many profiles show incorrect hours.
What customers see when it's wrong: "This place can't even keep their hours updated. What else are they dropping the ball on?"
What it actually costs you: According to research, 70% of customers won't visit a business if they suspect the hours might be wrong. They just move on to the next option.
The fix: Update your hours for holidays, special events, and seasonal changes immediately. Not next week. Not when you get around to it. The day it changes.
And here's what most people forget—Google lets you add special hours for holidays. Use that feature. Your customers checking if you're open on Thanksgiving will thank you.
2. Your Phone Number (Can They Actually Reach You?)
I can't tell you how many times I've seen businesses with disconnected numbers, numbers that go to the owner's personal cell (who doesn't answer), or—my personal favorite—numbers that connect to a fax machine.
What customers think: "If I can't even call them, how am I supposed to make a reservation?"
What it costs you: Every wrong number is a lost reservation, a lost order, a lost customer. And they're not calling back to give you another chance.
The fix: Call your own business number right now. Seriously, do it. Does it work? Does it go where it's supposed to? Is your voicemail professional and current?
3. Your Photos (Do You Look Like Somewhere They Want to Be?)
People eat with their eyes first. If your Google profile photos are dark, blurry, or from 2019 when you had completely different decor, you're telling customers you don't care about presentation.
What customers see: Recent photos of actual food, real customers enjoying themselves, your space looking inviting? That's a place they want to visit.
What it costs you: Listings with high-quality photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks through to websites.
The fix: Take new photos every few months. Use natural light. Show your actual menu items. Let customers see what they're walking into. And please, please remove that photo from your soft opening in 2017.
4. Your Reviews (And Whether You Actually Respond)
Here's what most restaurant owners get wrong about reviews: it's not just what people are saying—it's whether you're responding.
When I see a business that responds to reviews (good and bad), I think: "These people care. They're paying attention."
When I see dozens of reviews with zero responses? I assume nobody's home.
What customers notice: A 4.2-star rating with engaged responses beats a 4.8-star rating with silence. Every time.
What it costs you: 89% of consumers read businesses' responses to reviews. If you're not responding, you're invisible to nearly 9 out of 10 potential customers.
The fix: Set a reminder to check and respond to reviews weekly. Thank people for positive reviews. Address negative reviews professionally and offer to make it right. Even a simple "Thanks for coming in!" shows you're present.
5. Your Accuracy (Does Everything Match?)
Your website says you're open until 10pm. Your Google profile says 9pm. Your Facebook says 11pm.
Guess what customers do? They don't visit—because they don't know what's true.
What customers think: "If they can't get basic info right, I'm not risking it."
What it costs you: Inconsistent information across platforms tanks your local SEO and destroys customer trust. Google's algorithm actually penalizes businesses with conflicting information.
The fix: Do an audit. Right now. Check your Google Business Profile, website, Facebook, Instagram, Yelp—wherever you exist online. Make sure hours, phone numbers, addresses, and offerings match everywhere.
The Real Cost of "I'll Update It Later"
Let's talk numbers for a second.
If your Google Business Profile information is wrong and you lose just one customer per day because of it, and that customer would have spent an average of $40... that's $1,200 per month you're leaving on the table.
$14,600 per year.
From outdated hours.
Now multiply that by people who can't reach you by phone, can't tell if you're the right spot from old photos, or don't trust you because you never respond to reviews.
See where I'm going with this?
The 10-Minute Monthly Maintenance Routine
Here's the good news: keeping your Google Business Profile current doesn't take hours. It takes about 10 minutes per month if you're consistent.
Your monthly checklist:
✅ Verify hours are still accurate (including holidays coming up)
✅ Test your phone number
✅ Upload 2-3 new photos
✅ Respond to any new reviews
✅ Update any menu changes or new offerings
✅ Check that your website link works
✅ Confirm your address is correct (especially if you moved)
That's it. Ten minutes. Less time than it takes to count your register.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Your Google Business Profile isn't just about being found. It's about being chosen.
In a world where customers have endless options, the business that looks current, responsive, and professional gets the reservation. The one with wrong hours and a disconnected phone? They're not even in the running.
And here's the thing—you already know this matters. You're just busy. You're in the kitchen, on the floor, behind the bar. Marketing gets pushed to the back burner because there's always something more urgent.
I get it. That's exactly why we built our Website & Google Business Management service.
Let's Keep You Current (Without You Lifting a Finger)
We keep your Google Business Profile updated, accurate, and working for you—even when you're too busy to think about it.
No more scrambling to update holiday hours at the last minute. No more cringing when you realize your phone number's been wrong for three months. No more losing customers because your profile looks abandoned.
Here's what we handle:
Regular updates to hours, photos, and information
Review monitoring and response
Consistency checks across all your platforms
Monthly performance reports so you know what's working
Think of it this way: for less than the cost of one Saturday night's worth of lost reservations, you never have to worry about your Google presence again.
Ready to stop losing customers to outdated info? Contact Us Today!