Owner Claims Restaurant erroneously marked ‘Permanently Closed’ on Apple Maps Impacted Business

News sourced from Reader Wall brings to light that Chris Pyatt, a restaurateur based in Australia, has suffered a business setback, which he attributes to a mistake on Apple Maps. Pyatt, who owns the Pum’s Kitchen, a Thai restaurant, found that his establishment was labelled as “permanently closed” on Apple Maps, resulting in a drop in patrons and subsequent profit loss.

Pum’s Kitchen “Permanently Closed” Error

Speaking candidly about the surprising situation, Pyatt stated that he did not know when the “permanently closed” tag first appeared on Apple Maps. However, he did experience a noticeable decline in revenue by around AUD 12,000 (beyond Rs 6 lakh), which was a cause for alarm. He stated,

“We’re unsure when this modification took place. But we noticed a rapid and significant shift in customer behaviour towards the end of November and continuing through December. We’ve experienced a substantial downturn, of around $12,000.”

Discovery of the Apple Maps Error

The error only came to his attention when a loyal customer inquired as to why the restaurant was closed. As he and his wife Pum, with whom he has run Pum’s Kitchen on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for nearly ten years, do not own any Apple products, they were unaware of the issue on Apple Maps. It was only when a regular inquired about the restaurant’s closure that the error came to light.

Apple’s Customer Support Response

Upon reaching out to Apple customer service, Pyatt experienced further frustration. The response he received was that assistance could not be provided due to the lack of an Apple customer profile. This led him on a course to submit feedback online, which only yielded an automated message.

Correction and Further Issues

Pyatt’s efforts led to the restaurant’s “open” status being updated eventually, but the correction was not immediate. This revelation came along with an admittance by Pyatt that inaccurate location data was also an issue with Apple Maps. He stated,

“We lost a customer because Apple Maps misdirected them to our location. It’s crucial that listings be accurate before considering them for business closures.”

Pyatt also voiced his concern about the potential for intentional manipulation or fraudulent activity. “It’s unacceptable to close any online presence. It becomes particularly worrisome when a specific company prevents you from accessing information about yourself or your business,” he concluded.