Operating Hours Violations and Google Business Profile Suspensions
Incorrect or misleading business hours are a common but often overlooked cause of Google Business Profile suspensions, particularly for businesses claiming 24/7 availability or frequently changing hours.
Why Hours Matter for Compliance
Google takes business hours seriously because:
Customer Experience: Incorrect hours lead to frustrated customers arriving when businesses are closed, generating negative experiences and complaints.
Search Ranking Factor: Accurate hours affect local search rankings and whether your business appears in "open now" searches.
Trust and Credibility: Businesses with frequently changing or inaccurate hours appear less reliable, triggering compliance reviews.
Quality Signal: Consistent, accurate hours are a quality indicator. Irregular patterns or implausible hours (constantly "open 24/7" when unlikely) raise red flags.
Common Hours-Related Suspensions
False 24/7 Claims: The most common violation is claiming to be "Open 24 hours" when the business isn't actually staffed or accessible around the clock. This is particularly problematic for:
- Professional services (lawyers, accountants)
- Medical practices (unless truly 24-hour emergency facilities)
- Service businesses (plumbers, electricians) claiming 24/7 physical presence vs. on-call availability
Frequently Changing Hours: Businesses that constantly update hours, especially without clear seasonal or legitimate operational patterns, trigger automated suspensions.
Inconsistent Hours Across Platforms: If your GBP hours don't match your website, social media, or other directories, this inconsistency can trigger reviews and suspensions.
Implausible Hours: Hours that don't align with typical industry standards for your business category raise flags. For example, a law office claiming to be open 3 AM to 4 AM raises suspicion.
Holiday Hours Manipulation: Aggressively marking every day as a "special hours" day or holiday to show as "open" when competitors are closed can trigger violations.
24/7 Availability Confusion
Many businesses confuse "24/7 availability" with legitimate 24/7 operations:
On-Call Services: If you're available 24/7 by phone but not physically present at your location, don't mark as "Open 24 hours." Instead:
- Use regular business hours reflecting when your office is staffed
- Mention 24/7 emergency availability in your business description
- Note on-call services in your description, not in hours settings
Physical vs. Phone Availability: Being reachable by phone isn't the same as having physical customer-facing operations 24/7. Only mark "Open 24 hours" if customers can actually visit your location or you're genuinely providing service around the clock.
Actual Staffing: True 24/7 operations require either continuous staffing (gas stations, hotels, emergency services) or unmanned but accessible facilities (gyms with 24/7 access).
Industry-Specific Hours Compliance
Restaurants and Retail: Must reflect actual serving/shopping hours. Prep time, delivery-only windows, or private event closures should be accurately reflected.
Professional Services: Law firms, accounting firms, consultants should show office hours when staff is present, not "24/7" just because you're reachable by phone.
Medical and Health Services: Only mark 24/7 if you're genuinely a 24-hour emergency facility. Regular clinics should show actual operating hours.
Home Services: Plumbers, electricians, locksmiths who offer emergency services should show regular business hours, noting emergency availability in the description.
Gyms and Fitness Centers: If you have true 24/7 access with key cards or codes, you can mark as "Open 24 hours." Staffed hours can be noted separately in descriptions.
Properly Configuring Business Hours
Regular Hours: Set accurate, consistent hours reflecting when customers can visit your physical location or when you're actively conducting business operations.
Special Hours: Use special hours for legitimate exceptions (holidays, temporary closures, seasonal adjustments), not as a way to appear "open" more often than competitors.
More Hours: If you have different hours for different services (e.g., a restaurant with different lunch/dinner hours vs. bar hours), use the "More hours" feature to specify different hour types.
Closed Days: If you're closed certain days, mark them as closed. Don't extend hours from adjacent days to appear continuously open.
Seasonal Adjustments: For businesses with seasonal hours, update promptly when seasons change and maintain consistency year-to-year.
Hours Documentation
When appealing suspensions related to hours violations, provide:
Staff Schedules: Documentation showing actual staffing hours matching your claimed GBP hours.
Operational Evidence: Time-stamped customer interactions, appointment schedules, or transaction records confirming you operate during claimed hours.
After-Hours Policies: If you offer after-hours availability, clearly document how this works (on-call, emergency services, answering service) to justify any extended hours claims.
Industry Standard Explanation: For unusual hours, explain why your schedule differs from typical industry patterns (e.g., night shift services, specialized clientele).
Consistency Proof: Show that your website, signage, and other platforms reflect the same hours as your GBP listing.
Fixing Hours Violations
If suspended for hours-related issues:
Correct to Accurate Hours: Update your hours to truthfully reflect when customers can access your business. If you claimed 24/7 but aren't, change to actual operating hours.
Remove 24/7 If Inappropriate: If you only offer on-call services, remove 24/7 marking and add a note in your description about availability for emergencies.
Standardize Across Platforms: Ensure your website, social media, and all directories show the same hours as your corrected GBP listing.
Explain the Correction: In your appeal, acknowledge the previous inaccuracy, explain what your actual hours are, and clarify any confusion about availability vs. staffed operations.
Commit to Accuracy: Note in your appeal that you understand the importance of accurate hours and will maintain current information going forward.
Preventing Future Violations
Regular Reviews: Check your hours monthly to ensure they remain accurate, especially after seasonal changes, staffing adjustments, or operational updates.
Consistency Maintenance: When updating hours, update across all platforms simultaneously (website, GBP, social media, directories) to maintain consistency.
Honest Representation: Only claim hours that accurately reflect actual operations. Avoid the temptation to extend hours to appear more available than competitors.
Document Standard Hours: Keep internal records of your official operating hours, making it easy to verify accuracy and justify hours during any review.
Special Hours Sparingly: Use special hours only for legitimate exceptions, not as ongoing adjustments to make your business appear continuously available.
Accurate business hours are fundamental to GBP compliance. By honestly representing your operating hours and avoiding common violations like false 24/7 claims, you maintain customer trust and avoid suspension risk.
FAQ
Can I mark my business as open 24/7 if I offer on-call emergency services?
No, 24/7 marking should only be used if your physical location is staffed or accessible around the clock. For on-call services, use regular business hours and mention emergency availability in your description.
What if my business hours vary by day or season?
Use GBP's standard hours settings to reflect day-to-day variations. For seasonal changes, update hours when seasons change. The "More hours" feature can specify different hour types (delivery, pickup, dine-in, etc.).
How often can I change my business hours without triggering a suspension?
Frequent changes (weekly or more often) without clear operational reasons raise flags. Legitimate seasonal adjustments or operational changes are fine, but constantly shifting hours appears suspicious.
What happens if my website shows different hours than my Google profile?
Inconsistent hours across platforms can trigger compliance reviews and suspensions. Always ensure your GBP hours match your website, social media, and physical signage exactly.