Getting Wrong Calls and Irrelevant Enquiries From Google? How to Attract the Right Customers

Quick answer: Irrelevant enquiries usually come from a broad or wrong category, missing or vague services, a business name that resembles another business, a pin or listing mixed up with a neighbour, or no prices, so everyone calls to ask. Fix it by choosing the most specific category, removing categories and services you don't offer, listing what you do (and don't do) clearly in the description, adding price ranges and service areas, answering common questions in Q&A and on WhatsApp quick replies, and checking for a duplicate or confused listing. Handle remaining wrong calls politely and redirect them.

More calls feel good until half of them are "Do you repair laptops?" when you only sell mobiles, or "Is this the hospital?" when you're a pharmacy next door. Wrong enquiries waste time and hide genuine customers.

Types of wrong enquiries

1. Services you don't offer — "Do you do bridal makeup?" to a men's salon.
2. Wrong business — callers looking for a similarly named shop or the business that used to be at your address.
3. Too far away — people from areas you don't serve.
4. Wrong budget — people expecting a much lower price.
5. Job seekers and vendors — calls about jobs, sales pitches and loan offers.
6. Spam and robocalls — see stop spam calls.

Each has a different cause and fix.

Cause 1: broad or wrong categories

A tiffin service listed as "Restaurant" gets calls for table bookings. An AC repair shop listed as "Electronics store" gets calls to buy TVs. Choose the most specific primary category and remove secondary categories that attract the wrong searches (categories guide).

Cause 2: vague or wrong services

If your services list includes things you did once or don't do any more, remove them. Add what you genuinely offer with short descriptions (products & services). Google may also suggest services automatically — check that none are wrong.

Cause 3: a description that doesn't say what you don't do

It's fine to clarify: "We sell and service Samsung and Vivo phones. We don't repair laptops." "Women-only salon." "Wholesale orders only, minimum 10 kg." Clear limits filter out wrong callers (description examples).

Cause 4: confusion with another business

If callers keep asking for a different business:

• Check whether Google shows your phone number on someone else's listing, or theirs on yours (suggested edits changed my details).
• Check for an old listing at your address from the previous tenant — mark it closed or moved (duplicate listings).
• If your name resembles a famous business, make your branding distinctive in photos and the description.

Cause 5: no prices

Without price ranges, everyone calls to ask and many are out of budget. Add "Starting from ₹…" for main services. You'll get fewer but better calls (pricing on your profile).

Cause 6: service area too wide

Service businesses should list only areas they actually cover. A plumber listing the whole district gets calls from 40 km away (service-area guide).

Cause 7: ranking for irrelevant searches

Check Performance → Searches to see which terms bring people. If unrelated terms dominate, your name, category or posts may contain misleading words. For example, a café named "Book Café" may get searches for bookshops.

Use Q&A and quick replies to filter

Add the questions you're asked most to Q&A with clear answers (questions & answers). On WhatsApp Business, set quick replies and a greeting message with your services, price list and timings (WhatsApp for local business).

Handling wrong calls politely

Wrong callers today might be customers or referrers tomorrow. Use a short script:

• "Sorry, we don't do laptop repair, but we do mobile repair. For laptops, [nearby shop] is good."
• "This is the pharmacy; the hospital's number is…"
• "We deliver within 8 km; your area is outside that, sorry."

Pointing people in the right direction builds goodwill (phone scripts).

Job seekers and sales calls

Add a line on your website or a pinned post saying how to apply for jobs (e.g., by email), and use a separate number for vendors. Don't remove your phone number from Google — that would cost you genuine customers.

Example: an AC service business

An AC repair business got many calls to buy new ACs because "Air conditioning store" was a secondary category. After removing it, adding "We repair and service, we don't sell new units" and listing service charges, irrelevant calls fell by about half.

Example: a pharmacy next to a hospital

A pharmacy kept receiving calls for the hospital because the hospital's listing had an outdated number pointing to the pharmacy's landline. The owner suggested an edit on the hospital listing with proof and asked the hospital to update it. Calls normalised in two weeks.

Checklist

• Use the most specific category
• Remove wrong categories and services
• State what you don't do in the description
• Add price ranges
• Limit service areas to what you cover
• Check for confused or duplicate listings
• Add Q&A and WhatsApp quick replies
• Use polite redirect scripts

Key takeaways

• Wrong enquiries usually come from categories, services or confused listings.
• Clear limits and prices filter callers before they call.
• Handle wrong callers kindly — goodwill spreads.

Sources and further reading

• Google Business Profile Help — edit business information: support.google.com/business
• Calls but no sales

Frequently asked questions

Why do people call me for services I don't offer?

Usually a broad category, a wrong service listed, or vague description.

Will removing a category hurt my ranking?

It may reduce irrelevant visibility, but genuine enquiries often improve.

Can I say what I don't do in my description?

Yes — clear, factual limits are fine.

Why do callers ask for another business?

Your number may appear on their listing, or an old business shared your address.

Should I add prices?

Yes — they filter out callers outside your budget.

Should I hide my number to stop wrong calls?

No — fix the cause instead; hiding it loses real customers.