Even worse, it effectively pits one shop against another, which, if it were to become widely adopted, could drive auto repair shop profits down.
The product also creates additional work for local businesses.
Until auto repair shops adopt automation and bots to handle these calls, staff will be burdened with calls that take just as long as regular ones – but with less direct customer interaction and a lower chance of closing a sale.
In a nutshell, here’s what’s wrong from a business point of view (POV):
Businesses learn nothing about the potential customer.
Callers learn nothing but price and availability about the business.
Local services become further commodified.
There are obvious spam implications: local black hats using Ask for Me calling to waste a competitor’s time.
In addition, this puts pressure on local merchants to “low ball” when Google calls and potentially do a “bait and switch” when the customer actually appears.
Only A Test
As I noted in our most recent podcast, the Ask for Me test is dramatically more limited than most Google tests.
Normally, Google releases its early work on some percentage of searchers (e.g., 1%). Then, if successful, it will show the test to 10%, and so on, until a full rollout.
In this case, the user has to opt in via Search Labs, which will significantly limit the test’s scope. Unless this is a PR ploy, it would appear that Ask for Me is not ready for even a 1% rollout.
How To Opt Out From Ask For Me Duplex Calls
Businesses can opt out of receiving these calls, but the process is somewhat complicated and requires a verified profile.
To opt out of Google Duplex calls for your business, you can:
Go to your Business Profile. Select the three-dot menu.
Select Business Profile settings.
Select Advanced settings.
Under “Google Assistant calls,” turn off “Bookings from customers” or “Automated calls.”
Screenshot from Google Business Profile, February 2025
Final Thoughts
We are just beginning to experience the reality of bots (AI agents) interacting with our businesses.
While those obsessed with efficiency may see the appeal, I’m not convinced this will actually be efficient in practice.
It looks more like a battle of attrition, with Google generating more calls and businesses wasting time quoting prices – only to lose sales to the lowest bidder.
In the process, a lot of time is wasted.
More Resources:
Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock