A business may receive letters at one address and welcome customers at another. The difference can be entirely ordinary: an accountant uses a registered office, a workshop receives parcels through a yard, or a studio shares a building reception. Problems arise when an administrative address is copied into a directory as if it were a staffed customer location. Establish the purpose of each address before deciding where it belongs.
Start with the visitor's purpose
Ask whether the profile supports walk-in visits, booked appointments, deliveries or a mobile service. A customer looking for an appointment needs the actual arrival point and any booking requirement. A postal contact may be appropriate elsewhere on the business website, but that does not make it a suitable visitor address. Keep these uses separate in the internal source record.
Confirm the public-facing location
Have the location manager confirm where customers are expected to arrive. Record the unit, floor and entrance detail that a visitor will encounter on signage. Check whether the premises is routinely staffed for the service described. Do not infer a walk-in branch from an address used for invoices, company administration or occasional room hire.
Choose the appropriate directory fields
Use the platform's address and service-area fields according to its requirements. If customers are not received at an administrative location, avoid describing it as a shop or public office. Where a directory cannot represent the arrangement clearly, check its guidance before creating a misleading place record. A complete-looking profile is not useful if it sends a visitor to a place that cannot serve them.
Keep the distinction consistent elsewhere
Compare the directory with appointment confirmations, contact pages and arrival instructions. A correct map marker cannot compensate for an email that still names the postal address. Explain any difference a customer needs to understand without publishing unnecessary internal addresses. Assign one person to approve changes so accounting and reception teams do not supply contradictory versions.
Test the finished journey
Read the visible listing as someone planning a first visit. Can they identify the address, understand whether they must book and find the right entrance? Check the linked page and confirm that it describes the same location. Record when the arrangement was reviewed and bring the check forward if the business changes its office, reception or fulfilment process. One additional check is the language used beside the address.
A heading such as office can leave customers unsure whether visits are accepted. Prefer a practical statement about the service available there. If an appointment takes place at a third-party venue, confirm the venue and timing before presenting it as a routine branch. Keep any private staff address out of the public explanation. The visitor needs a clear arrival instruction, not the business's entire administrative history.
Review correspondence labels after the next address change as well. A corrected directory entry can become confusing again if the linked contact page later reintroduces the administrative address without explaining its purpose.
| Address use | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Customer visits | Where the service is delivered and how to enter |
| Correspondence | Where business post should be sent |
| Goods deliveries | Which receiving point handles parcels or stock |
Before closing the review
- Visitor purpose established
- Customer location confirmed
- Appointment instructions aligned
- Postal address kept distinct