ChatGPT Wrong Info on Business Hours: Why Accurate AI Visibility Matters in 2024
As of April 2024, over 62% of business owners report encountering incorrect information about their operating hours appearing on AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT. This shouldn’t be surprising, AI has transformed how consumers find business info, but the rapid adoption of generative AI left many companies scrambling to understand how their ‘AI Visibility’ really works. You see the problem here: unlike Google Search, where you control your listings via Google My Business, AI chatbots pull info from multiple, often unverified sources. The result? Customers might see outdated, wrong, or contradictory hours, leading to lost sales and frustrated users.
Think about it: If your best potential customers check ChatGPT to see if you’re open, only to find inaccurate hours, they might never step foot inside. Or worse, leave a bad review blaming your “inconsistent” service. This isn’t hypothetical. I remember last March, when a midsize restaurant client called me after their ChatGPT listing showed them open at midnight, an hour they actually close daily. The source? An outdated Yelp listing nobody had updated for 18 months. Fixing that took weeks because ChatGPT’s data updates lag behind source corrections.
What makes this difficult is that in today’s AI-driven landscape, the traditional SEO playbook, optimizing for rank on a SERP, doesn’t cut it. Now, brands must ai brand visibility actively manage their AI Visibility Score, a concept that quantifies how accurately and prominently AI models represent your business information. It’s akin to reputation management but for machine understanding. This score affects which info ChatGPT or Perplexity ‘recommends,’ and unfortunately, ‘recommended’ often translates to ‘trusted by users.’ If your business info is wrong on AI, your visibility, and revenue, takes a hit.
Cost Breakdown and Timeline for Correcting AI Data
Correcting AI visibility usually involves an ongoing investment across three main costs: time, platform fees, and human resources. The time frame to see improved accuracy varies, but many companies report initial corrections reflected in AI responses within 4 weeks; it’s slower than Google updates, which sometimes happen in 48 hours.
For example, a local gym that updated its hours on Facebook and Google in February 2024 still showed wrong hours on ChatGPT in April unless they submitted corrections to multiple data aggregators like Factual and Acxiom. These data feed fees, if outsourced, can cost $500-1,000 a month depending on the brand’s footprint. And then there’s staff time: verifying sources, updating info, and monitoring AI outputs.
Required Documentation Process for AI Corrections
To get wrong business info corrected on AI platforms, you typically provide documented proof of legitimate hours. This might include your website’s ‘Contact Us’ page screenshot, signed affidavits, or even local government business licenses. ChatGPT itself doesn’t offer direct submission options, you need to go upstream to data providers and map sources used by AI. Oddly, some businesses try emailing OpenAI, but that rarely moves the needle. Getting your data cleaned at the source makes the difference.
My Business Info Is Wrong on AI: Breaking Down the Root Causes and Remedies
When companies complain “my business info is wrong on AI,” the issues often boil down to three major factors:
- Data Fragmentation: Customer-facing platforms pull from dozens of upstream data contributors. If even one is stale, ChatGPT can repeat that info incorrectly. Some sources update slowly or don’t verify changes, so bad data keeps circulating. Lack of Direct Correction Mechanisms: Unlike Google or Yelp, most AI chatbots have no straightforward process to fix data. You can’t just click “Suggest an edit” and expect prompt fixes. This creates a feedback loop where mistakes linger. AI Model Training Cutoffs: ChatGPT’s underlying GPT-4 was last trained on data up to late 2023, meaning real-time changes since then might not be fully reflected. When AI pulls from cached or scraped web content, it risks repeating outdated hours.
Why Google’s Model Differs From AI Chatbots
Google Search, despite its flaws, has evolved into a verification powerhouse. Using systems like Knowledge Panels and localized business profiles, brands can claim ownership and update real-time info. And importantly, Google shows the source of their business hours, for instance, their Google Business Profile (GBP).
ChatGPT and platforms like Perplexity, however, source info from the open web without consistent vetting. They piece together facts from Wikipedia, local directories, news sites, social media, and aggregation services. Think of it as a shotgun approach, you get a lot of data but not necessarily the most accurate.
Handling User-Generated Reports and Feedback
Another wrinkle is that AI systems often learn from user queries and interactions. If users repeatedly correct wrong hours or input new info, AIs might adjust their responses over time. But this requires a large volume of signals, so small businesses often don’t get updates fast enough.
During COVID, some clients experienced this firsthand. For example, a retail store legally closed for months saw ChatGPT still saying they ai brand monitoring were open because no official updates reached core sources. Customers called in confusion, still waiting to hear back from data providers on corrections four months later.
How to Correct AI Business Info: A Practical Guide with Real-World Tips
Fixing “ChatGPT wrong info” problems deserves a systematic approach, or you’re left chasing shadows. I’ve found three main actions that help businesses regain control over their AI visibility.
First, audit all online mentions of your business hours, not just Google or your website, but also smaller platforms like Apple Maps, Foursquare, Bing Places, and specialized local directories. Fixing one source doesn’t cut it because AI pools information widely.
Second, register for and maintain control over data aggregator profiles like Factual, Infogroup, and Neustar. These firms provide data to much of the AI ecosystem but have inconsistent update speeds. Taking responsibility here reduces misinformation propagation.
Lastly, keep an eye on newer AI feedback loops. Some platforms now allow businesses to submit corrections or flag wrong info, though these features are uneven. For example, Perplexity integrates user feedback into its improvement cycle, but it may take weeks for your edits to reflect.
Document Preparation Checklist
you know,- Official business license or registration document (short, essential) Accurate screenshots of your website’s contact page and hours (longer, with URLs and timestamps) Emails or correspondence confirming hour changes (sometimes overlooked but surprisingly useful)
Working with Licensed Local Agents and Data Providers
Some companies find value hiring specialized local data management firms, especially if they operate multiple locations or franchises. These agents can push updates across key platforms quickly, but be warned: this approach is costly and may be overkill for small businesses.
Timeline and Milestone Tracking
After submitting corrections, expect results in 3-4 weeks on many AI platforms. Shorter for Google corpuses (48 hours), longer for less-coordinated sources. Track progress with weekly checks by querying ChatGPT and similar products to see if your corrected hours appear. It’s a game of persistence.
It’s worth noting that during a 2023 campaign with a fitness center client, initial fixes on top data sources took 2 weeks, but full ChatGPT alignment came only by week 5, frustrating, but normal.
Addressing Complaints About ChatGPT Wrong Info: Advanced Insights on AI Visibility Score and Beyond
You might be wondering what the prospects are for better management of AI-driven business info. The concept of an AI Visibility Score, measuring how accurately and prominently your data appears across AI models, is gaining traction in marketing circles in 2024. This score blends metrics like source trustworthiness, update frequency, and correction responsiveness.
Brands that score higher see fewer complaints related to “my business info is wrong on AI” because their data flows through more reliable channels. Combining human creativity with machine precision is key. You can’t just feed the AI and hope it ‘gets it right.’ You have to monitor, correct, and even educate your internal teams on the nuance of AI data maintenance.
2024-2025 AI Program Updates to Watch
OpenAI and competitors are ramping up real-time data verification. For example, Google’s new AI-driven Knowledge Vault updates aim to reduce stale data in local business profiles. ChatGPT has hinted at more interactive correction mechanisms, but it’s still early days. Updating your info will likely become more automated, but until then manual vigilance is required.
Tax Implications and Planning for Data Management
Interestingly, some businesses have discovered that expenses connected to ongoing AI data corrections, like subscriptions to data management services or staff time dedicated to updates, can be classified as marketing costs for tax purposes. Though this isn’t universal, it’s worth running by your accountant since it can offset compliance costs.
On the flip side, ignoring AI visibility can lead to indirect revenue losses, something not always factored into budgets but significant. A healthcare provider in my network estimated they lost roughly $15,000 monthly when ChatGPT showed wrong hours after a holiday season change.
Look, managing your AI info is no longer optional if you want to keep your edge in 2024. The search landscape has evolved from pure ranking to recommendation. And the difference between what AI ‘recommends’ and what customers see is huge.
So, before you start pushing new content or chasing backlink campaigns, first check your AI visibility. Monitor your business hours across at least five AI data sources. Fix errors at root sources. Otherwise, your shiny marketing might not matter when customers ask ChatGPT if you’re actually open.