How to Dispute Local Services Ads Calls

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Local Services Ads help you receive calls from people who search on Google for your services.

Google ONLY charges you for qualified calls under this program; however, Google’s system is not perfect and Google sometimes charges for calls that are unqualified. Google relies on the business owner to review and dispute non-qualified calls within 30 days in order to be credited back charges for unqualified leads.

How to Dispute Unqualified Calls – Method 1: Use the App

Some business owners find it easy to use the app to dispute unqualified calls immediately after they receive them.

  1. Install the app from the Google Play store or the Apple App store (links via Google here).
  2. Login with the Google account that has access to your Local Services Ads account.
  3. View calls (leads) in the app and select ‘Dispute’ to dispute an unqualified call.

How to Dispute Unqualified Calls – Method 2: Use the Website

Some business owners find it easy to use the website to dispute unqualified calls within the first 30 days of receiving them.

  1. Sign in to your Local Services Ads lead inbox.
  2. Select the menu icon on the top left.
  3. Select Leads from the menu.
  4. Find and select the lead you’d like to dispute.
  5. Choose Dispute.
  6. Choose the reason why your lead is invalid.
  7. Add any additional details to the “Your notes” section on the lead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Google consider a qualified call?

Google considers a qualified call to be a customer seeking information about a service you provide in an area you serve.

Here are the types of unqualified calls you can dispute, as shown in Google’s documentation:

Dispute categoryExamples
Location not servedThe customer communicated their location, the location wasn’t listed on your profile, and you declined the job.
Service not offeredThe customer communicated their service type, the service wasn’t listed on your profile, and you declined the job. Caller was looking for a physical store, or looking to buy something other than a service (for example, parts).
Duplicate leadThe customer called to follow up on an existing lead for the same job within 15 days, and both the leads were charged.
SolicitationCall was from a wrong number. Caller was trying to sell you a product or service. Call was from someone seeking employment at your business.
SpamCall was pre-recorded. Call was otherwise not from a live human.

Why do I receive unqualified calls?

In some industries, for example drywall repair services, we have discovered on average that approximately 30% of the leads coming in are qualified. The other 70% are for more general handyman services. We have configured Google’s settings to NOT include these other handyman services, but Google appears to be showing ads for them regardless.

Google’s location targeting is not perfect, and you may occasionally receive a call from someone who wants service outside of your service area.