A review says you open at a different time? Check your Google hours

Sometimes a customer writes a review that gives a different time from your listing. For example, "Came at 9, it opened at 10." That means a customer came at the wrong time. Check which time is right, then fix your listing.

Imran runs a breakfast stall that grew into a small cafe. He used to open at 7 am.

Last year he changed his opening time to 8 am. He told his regulars. He did not change Google.

Then a review came in. "Came at 7:15 for chai. Shutter was down. Google says open at 7."

Imran felt bad. The customer was right. His listing was wrong.

This is an example, with a made up name and business.

A customer who comes to a closed shutter is upset. Many will not try again. Some write a review, and other people read it.

A review like that is a gift. It tells you exactly what is wrong.

Step 1: find out which time is right

1. Read the review again. Note the day and the time it gives.
2. Think about that day. Did you open late? Was it a holiday?
3. Ask your staff what time the shutter really goes up.

If the review is wrong, your listing is fine. If your listing is wrong, go to Step 2.

Step 2: fix your listing

1. Open your Business Profile. You can search for your business name on Google while signed in.
2. Tap Edit profile, then Hours (Google).
3. Change the time for each day that is wrong. Leave the other days as they are.
4. Save.

Google may take some time to show the change. Our guide on getting your opening hours right on Google has more help with hours.

Step 3: reply to the review

Reply politely. Say sorry, say what you changed, and give the right time. For example: "Sorry you found us closed. We now open at 8 am. Our Google hours are updated."

See how to reply to Google reviews for more on this.

Step 4: check your hours on other sites too

Look at your hours on other apps where you are listed. They should match Google. The same check helps your phone number on Google and apps.

What if the customer came on a festival day?

Then your regular hours may be right. Add special hours before the next festival, so this does not happen again.

Should I ask the customer to change the review?

No. Reply, fix your listing, and leave the review as it is.

Will fixing the hours stop bad reviews?

Nobody can promise that. But it stops customers coming at the wrong time for this reason.