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Life is not on hold while waiting for a Google representative.

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Richard Weisser Realty

Life is not on hold while waiting for a Google representative.Calling Google is not for the faint of heart. The purpose of my call is to alert them of a telemarketer using the name “Google” to scam targets.

As a business owner myself, it’s the kind of call that I would want to take. Since Google is a publicly traded company, it’s even more important.

But after thirty-one minutes and counting in the queue, I realize that I am probably not going to speak to anyone today.

Perhaps that is why the scammers continue to prey on the weak. They know that nobody will go to much effort to try and put a stop to it.

But I have more gumption than most. And I’ll tie up that line until it’s answered. There are plenty of things that I can do while I am on hold.

For one, I wrote this blog. I can also make my to-do list for tomorrow.

Thirty-five minutes and counting. I know that “”your call is important to us” mantra by heart now. It’s actually a pleasant mind-numbing chant.

But I can straighten up my desk and double check my listings while I wait.

Forty-one minutes. By now all of the weaklings have caved. The end must be soon.

Of course, I am assuming that there is actually someone in Cupertino that will answer the call.

At forty-five minutes, I am beginning to have my doubts!

But I have my guitar and lots of patience.

 

And quite a bit of stubbornness!

Randy Shamburger
Movement Mortgage - Greenville, SC
FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional Mortgage Expert

Hey Richard, what an excellent post.  Thanks for taking the time to put this together. 

Have a Big day,

Randy

Dec 18, 2013 01:47 AM
Bruce Swedal
Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate

I get the same calls. I have gone through several phases with them. First I tried being nice to them, then I started being rude to them and hanging up, then I started being ruder to them and telling them to stop calling, when they start asking about my business or how many transactions I do I ask them how much they make a year, then I would start out the conversations by telling them right up front that the call would not end with them getting my credit card number, then I stopped playing into their call scripts - for example when they open by asking how I am I say "Great" but I don't ask how they are in return to trigger the next part of their script. Kind of funny because they will start asking if anyone is still there etc... 

I have slowly migrated into seeing if I could help the telemarketer buy or sell some real estate - if they say no to that I ask them why they are calling the number I have set up for client calls then.  They will ask if there is another number they should call and I say no. lol

A couple minutes of entertainment when I need to break up the day. 

Dec 18, 2013 01:51 AM
Jerry Lucas
ABC Legal Docs LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Notary Training, Consulting. Colorado Springs, CO

I use the free phone app MrNumber on my Android phone.  They have a database of telemarketers and the spam calls and robocalls like these Google SEO "experts" are automatically blocked while potential customers get through the filter.  If a telemarketer gets thru by using a new phone number, you can block it and add it to the MrNumber database with your comments.  Works great.  No more wasted time with spam calls.

Dec 18, 2013 01:54 AM
Pamela Seley
West Coast Realty Division - Murrieta, CA
Residential Real Estate Agent serving SW RivCo CA

They're hoping if they keep people on hold long enough they'll forget what the caller initially called about; but not you, Richard. 

Dec 18, 2013 02:16 AM
Phil Stevenson, CRMP
PS Mortgage Lending 305-791-4874 or 888-845-6630 - Miami, FL
"Mortgage Nerd" in Miami, Florida and Texas

Richard, there are just times that we need to stand firm and not give up on what we believe in, even when it might take over an hour to talk to someone. As they say, "patience is a virtue" and, in this case, all the time you've put into this call may save someone a lot of heartache later. 

Dec 18, 2013 02:22 AM
Kevin Mackessy
Blue Olive Properties, LLC - Highlands Ranch, CO
Dedicated. Qualified. Local.

Follow up to the post?  Did you ever manage to get through after 45 minutes?

Dec 18, 2013 03:57 AM
Connie Harvey
Pilkerton Realtors - Brentwood, TN
Realtor - Nashville TN Real Estate

Richard, I hope you eventually got throught to  them! 45 minutes is a long time on hold.

Dec 18, 2013 04:22 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Ahhhh, I was hoping you made it through to a real person.   What a shame; customer service is so hard to find with large companies.

Dec 18, 2013 04:32 AM
Alex Popovic
602 CRE - Phoenix, AZ
Alex Popovic Developer, Real Estate Broker

Richard,

Good luck with that, trying to get through to anyone at Google takes and act of congress, god and the planets need to be aligned.

Dec 18, 2013 05:05 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

What could the do about scammers using their name?  I get that a lot too.  They call and preface it by either Facebook or Google.  But since it's not coming from them, and it's a phone call from goodness only knows, how could they do anything about it

Dec 18, 2013 05:05 AM
Jerry Lucas
ABC Legal Docs LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Notary Training, Consulting. Colorado Springs, CO

see https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/2952493?hl=en

Google telemarketing calls

 

Watch out for parties calling and selling services claiming to have a special relationship with or claiming to be Google. Often, these parties are telemarketers that are not affiliated with Google and are trying to leverage the Google brand to sell your business some type of online service. Keep in the mind the following:

 

  • Google does not place robocalls.
  • Google does not call to "update your front page listing" or ask you to "claim your free website."
  • Google does not charge for inclusion in Google Search or Places.

 

Resources: If you are continually being contacted by a telemarketer claiming these things and are on the do not call list, you can file a complaint at the National Do Not Call Registry

Dec 18, 2013 05:15 AM
TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN
Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

Good afternoon, Richard. I must say that 45 minutes and holding is a long time to be on hold.

Dec 18, 2013 05:19 AM
Katherine Gooding, Google Trusted Independent Photographer
Soundview360.com & Katherine Gooding Photography - Seattle, WA
Get your business on the map!

I have found that using Google's online contact tools gets me better response. 

Dec 18, 2013 06:27 AM
Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate
Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

You have more patience than I do.  I would have been gone after 5 minutes maybe 6.

Dec 18, 2013 10:51 AM
Ben Yost - 303-587-4297
First Time Home Buyer, Mortgage Rates, Pre-Approval - Denver, CO
FHA, VA, Conventional - Mortgage Loans in De

Google is Google- if we ran our business like them- we would be out of business!

Yet their shares are almost $1000.00 a share.

What am I doing wrong???

Dec 18, 2013 09:25 PM
Aaron Hofmann
Atlanta Communities - Smyrna, GA
aka Mr. Smyrna Vinings

I'm surprised they even provide a phone number. I would always recommend contacting them online. But props for trying to do the right thing. Every time I get those calls I just hang up on them.

Dec 18, 2013 10:42 PM
Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

Amazing the wait time. It says a lot about you that you are doing this not only for you but for others!

Dec 18, 2013 11:47 PM
Bryan Robertson
Los Altos, CA

The problem with the scammers is people still respond, that's the real issue.  If we could educate folks a bit more about scams we'd see them disappear.

Dec 19, 2013 01:34 AM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA
Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Richard, surprisingly enough, I had pleasant experience with Google when I was setting up my adw account!

Dec 19, 2013 11:41 AM
Cheryl Ritchie
RE/MAX Leading Edge www.GoldenResults.com - Huntingtown, MD
Southern Maryland 301-980-7566

What is the phone number to reach them and where did you find it?

Dec 20, 2013 01:45 PM