Google Plumbing & Dr Google are both like your drunk friend – dramatic & unreliable.

Google Plumbing has no Queensland plumbing licence issued by the QBCC. Likewise, Dr Google has no registration as a medical practitioner issued by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to ensure the delivery of safe and competent health services.

As good as Google can be for searching everything and anything, I guarantee no one at Google ever completed a plumbing apprenticeship, a medical degree, or an electrical apprenticeship.

One of the main reasons Google Plumbing should not be trusted as the ultimate authority on plumbing is that it is easy for anyone to post information online, regardless of their qualifications or expertise. This means that the information you find may not be accurate or reliable. Additionally, many online sources of information are not specifically tailored to your individual situation, which means that the advice you receive may not apply to your plumbing problem.

Another issue with relying on Google Plumbing for plumbing advice is that it can be difficult to distinguish between credible and non-credible sources. For example, a quick Google search for plumbing tips may yield mixed results, including blog posts, forums, and videos. However, not all of these sources will be equally reliable. For example, a blog post written by a professional plumber will likely be more credible than a forum thread started by a non-expert.

Google frustrates service delivery

I was chatting with my GP recently, and she voiced her frustrations with patients that Google their symptoms and then make an appointment to see her. Almost invariably, Dr Google is wrong. Usually, the patient has typed-in symptoms that frequently give an utterly incorrect diagnosis of multiple possible ailments. She said even more frustrating is that she then spends most of the appointment convincing them Dr Google was wrong.

 She was so happy when I told her as plumbers, we go through the same issues daily. Everyone I know in a service industry with a consumer focus has the same problems and frustrations of being an instant expert thanks to Dr Google or Google Plumbing or Google Electrical.

 We all agree Google is excellent, especially for product searches. But when you are in business, it can also be incredibly frustrating when clients tell you they have Googled the problem and you are wrong. Ultimately, for doctors, plumbers, or electricians, all we can do is diagnose the issues based on the information presented and eliminate possible causes.

Online symptom checkers are almost always wrong

The headline above compares Dr Google to a drunk friend I just had to adapt and use it after I saw it in a column by Tony Shepherd of The Adelaide Advertiser just after discussing Dr Google with my GP. It amused me as the description is perfect – dramatic and unreliable. You can read the entire column by clicking here; it is a great read. The first lines are “Cyberchondriacs, step away from the search engine. Online symptom checkers are almost always wrong and should never replace a real medical professional, writes Tory Shepherd.”

This advice equally applies to plumbing because it can be difficult enough to diagnose plumbing problems when on site, alone on a computer or over the phone. As I continually reiterate, no professional plumber can diagnose issues over the phone or give you an accurate price. There is only one way to diagnose plumbing problems: having a real plumber on-site to investigate. Even then, complex issues become a process of elimination.

From the plumbing and, ultimately, health perspective, the most frightening issue we’ve seen with COVID-19 is all of the online suggestions on DIY installations of bidet seats and douche sprays. For example, Google searches during the “toilet paper crisis” increased tenfold for bidet seats due to multiple social media posts and newspaper articles on alternate toileting devices. But, unfortunately, Google will only give you generalised answers tailored to you as Google tracks you online with artificial intelligence.

Tony Shepherd correctly points out – “Maybe it’s best to think of Google not as a medical professional but as Librarian Google, who holds plenty of information and might be able to help you find it, but might also be miffed at the amount of noise you make so just points you in the general direction of some stuff.”

My favourite lines after that are – “Or Friend Google who, after three champagnes, will tell you everything’s going to be great, but at 2 am starts crying into their whisky about how you’re going to die.”

The lines above describe the daily frustrations many consumer-focused service businesses experience. The old saying about computers of rubbish in, rubbish out is correct. The flawed Google searches of an inexperienced person create multiple issues, as nonsense input into a Google search will guarantee nonsense results.

Google Plumbing is not yet reality

The lines above describe the daily frustrations many consumer-focused service businesses experience. The old saying about computers of rubbish in, rubbish out is correct. The flawed Google searches of an inexperienced person create multiple issues, as nonsense input into a Google search will guarantee nonsense results.

Ultimately, Google is a tool or research assistant that can help you put things together logically or throw a real spanner in the works. But unfortunately, a Google search cannot replace a doctor, electrician, or plumber, no matter how good Google’s artificial intelligence is.

In conclusion, while the internet can be a valuable tool for gathering information about plumbing, it should not be relied upon as the sole source of knowledge. Instead, always seek the advice of a qualified and experienced plumber, like the team at Whywait Plumbing, for accurate and reliable information about your plumbing needs. We’re here to provide you with professional and efficient service, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any plumbing issues.