I get it. Facing customer complaints can be a major hassle. You deliver your services to them, fully perfect – and your clients will still find out problems that might not be problems at all. This is more common if the client contacted you after seeing your Google Ads. This is why your business must become Google Guaranteed. 

But will Google pay for any refunds your customers want? Does the Google Guaranteed badge have any significance? Read this post to find out!

What Is Google Guaranteed?

Google Guaranteed is a business certification process by Google that basically “verifies” businesses. When a business gets verified by Google, it gets a verified Google “badge” under its name.

Therefore, when you see an ad by a Google Guaranteed business, you will see their name having a green tick mark below it, with “GOOGLE GUARANTEED” written under it. Moreover, if you search for the business using the Google Assistant voice search function, you will hear an audio cue saying that the business is Google Guaranteed.

But is this Google badge good for your business? Will your business receive any special perks for getting this badge? Let’s find out!

How Does Google Guaranteed Work?

As of now, if you have a Google-verified business, you will only get to see the Google Guaranteed Badge if the service is available in their region. Plus, your business will only be eligible for this badge if you make use of Google Local Service Ads.

If your business has this badge, it means that Google will reimburse any customer not satisfied with your business. However, whether or not Google will reimburse all your customer issues depends on them. They will scrutinize every customer complaint and reimburse accordingly.

So here’s how the Google Guaranteed services work:

If your customers are dissatisfied with the products and services that you have provided, they can contact Google service provider. Here, they will be able to file a complaint to Google, asking for reimbursement equal to the purchase invoice. However, the customer has to do this within 30 days of purchase or service completion.

After Google gets this request, their Google Local Service Ads agency will check it personally. Google representatives will now look into the matter, and they will contact both you and the customer. They might also require both of you to submit messages and conversation logs regarding any conversations regarding this problem.

Here, Google gives you a time frame to sort out the complaint with the customer. If you can do so, then that’s great! However, if you cannot, then Google will step in as the mediator. If Google here believes that it’s not your fault (they have various judging criteria), then they will be willing to reimburse the customer.

How Much Does The Google Guaranteed Program Cover?

When it comes to reimbursing the dissatisfied customer, Google will typically try to reimburse the full invoice amount. However, this doesn’t mean that there are no limits here. You still need to know about Google Ads though. 

Depending on which region your business operates, your Google Guaranteed login will provide various reimbursement limits. These limits are:

• United States: USD $2,000
• Canada:  CAD $2,000
• United Kingdom:  £1,500
• France:  €1,500
• Germany:  €1,500
• Italy:  €1,500
• Ireland:  €1,500
• Belgium:  €1,500
• Spain:  €1,500
• Austria:  €1,500
• Netherlands:  €1,500
• Switzerland:  ₣2,000

In addition, it’s important to note that Google will not reimburse all complaints. There are some specific types of complaints and amounts that Google Guaranteed doesn’t cover. These are sorted by Google using its Google Ad Intelligence software for advertisers.

In regard to this, there are two clauses that both your business and the customer must keep in mind. They are:

• First of all, the customer has to file the reimbursement claim within 30 days of product or service delivery. In addition, they have to do this through Google Local Service Ads.
• Secondly, the customer can request reimbursements on the full invoice. However, if the invoice exceeds any of the regional reimbursement limits, then the customer will only get it up to that amount.

How To Get Google Guaranteed?

If you want your business to get Google Guaranteed, then the first thing you need to ensure is that you have an active Google Business account or a Google Business Profile. 

If you have a Google Business Profile, the next step is to register your business with Google Local Services Ads. When you do so, Google will conduct a background check of your business.

When this background check occurs, Google will look at various business data of yours, like:

• Name of the company, and whether it’s lawfully registered or not.
• Background of the business owner.
• The total employee count of the business.
• Checking whether any of the employees have any past criminal records or not.
• Identifying the workplaces of the business.
• Contractors involved with the business.
• The business’s civil litigation history.

If Google finds your business worthy enough to receive Google Guaranteed Ads, then congratulations! However, this is not all. After your verification is complete, you have to make $50 monthly payments. Plus, if a local consumer raises an issue, then you will be charged for that as well.

Google Guaranteed Eligibility

It’s essential to note that all businesses will not be considered eligible for getting the Google Guaranteed badge.

The first thing to check here is whether Google Guaranteed Services are available in your country or not. You may get this service in the following countries:

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Ireland
• Belgium
• Spain
• Austria
• Netherlands
• Switzerland

Apart from these countries, the second factor you need to consider is the industry your business belongs in. Currently, only the following businesses are eligible for Google Guaranteed Ads:

• Auto repair
• Appliance Repair
• Electricals
• Event planning
• Carpet and upholstery cleaning,
• Garage door installation
• Home cleaning
• Financial planning
• Junk removal
• Lawn care
• HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)
• Pet grooming
• Photography
• Locksmith services
• Pest control
• Tree services
• Roofing
• Plumbing
• Window cleaning and repair
• Water damage restoration

Final Verdict: Is The Google Guaranteed Badge Worth It?

Yes, the Google Guaranteed badge is pretty much worth it. This is because Google protects you here from unnecessary complaints from consumers. On the other hand, it also protects customers if they are unhappy with a business’s services, and helps them get reimbursements if the business is unable to. 

If you wish to ask any questions, then you can easily do so in the comments below!

More Resources:

• Why Your Local Business Needs a Google My Business Profile
• Google Ads Will Remove Various Attribution Channels In Favor Of AI-Driven Attribution Models
• How To Use Google Color Picker For Chrome In 2023