Google Goes Old School and Provides (Gulp!) Phone Support

Google has been revered for the opportunities it provides for businesses of all sizes and that kind of praise is well deserved. At the same time though it has been cursed at by the same businesses who have a question about something that Google offers but there has only been the classic Internet support system of e-mail and forums for ‘support’.

Well, either Google has suddenly heard the cries of the great unwashed (which is defined by those who don’t automatically just ‘get’ how everything with Google works) or there is something else brewing. Why do I say that? Because yesterday Google announced that it was providing phone support for ALL Adwords customers based in the US and Canada regardless of their size or relationship with the company.

The Google Adwords blog reports

We’ve worked hard to keep in touch with our AdWords customers and we’re always looking for new ways to support you. Currently we offer email and online support, and today we’re launching free phone support for all of our U.S. and Canada-based AdWords customers. When you have a question about your account or advertising campaigns, you can now call an AdWords specialist if you prefer.

We’re adding phone support for a simple reason: you asked for it! You told us that while you appreciate online resources like our AdWords Help Center, you also want the option to get live, expert support when you need it. We heard you, and got to work assembling a team of AdWords experts to answer your calls.

So I guess after all these years AdWords advertisers finally decided that they wanted phone support, huh? Search Engine Land’s Pamela Parker put it best with

Though Google says it’s providing phone support in response to advertiser demand, there’s likely more to the story — many advertisers would have liked phone support for all of AdWords’ history, yet Google has chosen now to respond.

Google is funny this way in that they make everything they provide to customers sound as if they are treating the rest of the world with their benevolent offerings from their good graces. In reality, Google has held off as long as it could with regard to support because of how much it costs and how difficult it might be.

Also, with the company’s attention now being focused on the previously neglected small business community it is finding that most SMB’s need more than just online and e-mail help. In fact, I have heard estimates that Google only feels that 25% of SMB’s will ever use a self-service toll that doesn’t provide support. That leaves a big part of the market place unattended and a lot of money on the table. Guess it’s time to hire!

You will have to be an AdWords customer to take advantage of the service (have your customer ID ready) but you can now call Google (in the US and Canada only for now) at ) 1-866-2-Google between Monday-Friday, 9am-8pm Eastern Time.

Oh and if you do get through, see what kind of questions you can sneak in about Google Places troubles and other things. Have fun listening to the support specialists deflect your concerns!