Google Places - Confirmation by Phone or Postcard? Tips and Secrets

You have just finished filling out all the blanks on the Google Places local business listing form.  With equal parts pride and wariness, you push the submit button.  Instead of the message you might be expecting that "an email has been sent to your email address.  Please open that email and confirm your listing by clicking the link as instructed," you are told that you will have a choice.

Your choice is to get your Google Places listing confirmation by phone or by postcard.  You are warned that it will take up to two weeks to get the postcard.  If you want to get confirmed by phone, you need to be ready to answer the phone listed on the form.  You also have the choice of providing an alternate phone for the purpose of this confirmation. 

1. You are almost always going to want the phone confirmation.  Who wants to wait two weeks?  So if the phone confirmation is offered, click the little circle and continue.  At this point you will be notified that if you continue, your phone will ring right now.  It will.  And a robot will give you a 5 digit number that you will use on the form now in front of you to confirm your listing.  Easy, fast, no problem. 
2.  If you choose to use the phone route, don't use and alternative phone number.  Don't ask?  Just always use your primary number
3. When you press go, the phone will ring almost immediately.  If you have multiple lines, the call may be answered by someone not expecting a robotic voice to give a five digit number.  So, alert your staff in advance that the next call is yours.
4. If you blow it.  If someone else does pick up, or if you get the number wrong, or if anything goes wrong, you can go back and resubmit, and generally you will still get the phone option.
5. For reasons known and unknown, sometimes you won't get the phone option.  Go ahead and click the postcard option.  In two week or less you will get the postcard which will have the five digit code.  Go back into your listing area and put the number in to complete the process.
6. After agreeing to the postcard method, wait an hour and go back to edit your listing.  Go to the bottom of the page and submit.  You may now get the phone option.  If not, try again the next day.