Well actually I should explain more, but the Q above still stands.
But here's the deal IMHO on the hide your address rule. Google maybe would not like me saying this but again this is just how I see it.
What the rule says does not matter a whole lot. AND what the reality is for that business does not matter a whole lot either.
The rule says IF YOU DON'T see customers at your location hide your address.
The key is WHAT IS THE ALGO going to think? The algo does not understand every real world situation or investigate or know one carpet cleaner has a drop off location and another does not. The algo also in general is not very good at making exceptions or analyzing unique situations. The aglo usually paints with a pretty broad brush and lumps everyone into the same category.
The algo (again IHMO) is a fairly dumb software problem programmed for general mainstream business cases. Carpet cleaners NORMALLY go out to service clients. So that's what the algo is trained to think. Carpet cleaners and several other SABs also tend to be very spammy categories and tend to often be residential offices. So businesses like carpet cleaners already have many strikes against them I think in the eyes of a very generically defined algo.
The reason I asked what the location looks like, is because if they trip a filter or just are in a location or an industry where Google is doing a manual sweep, I think the moderators look at the location on maps. Both street view and sat view. Then based on what they see decide on next step. (An instant whack, verification call or whatever.)
So if it's a residential office I say DEF hide. I don't care if they allow customers to drop off, it's just too risky and there is a high chance they will get whacked.
BUT if it was my client, knowing everything I know and seeing thousands of businesses that have been down for months, many crying that they could go out of business - even if it was a commercial office, staffed full time, I would still advise being safe rather than sorry and hiding address. Again that's only if they are in those very specific service area businesses that normally only service on-site AND the industries Google seems to be targeting. Off the top of my head, those industries are carpet cleaners, pest control, plumbers, roofers, taxis, towing companies, moving companies, locksmiths, those types of companies.
Since hiding address does not affect ranking, I'd rather have a hidden address and still be listed than risk having no listing at all.
So my candid 2 cents. And I realize I am a little one-sided because I live in the G forum where all the problems show up so I mainly see lots of problems. There are probably lots of businesses that have gotten away with NOT hiding address. I just think it's a big risk. And it sounds like your client may have gotten whacked.
Have you tried searching for phone on maps? Because sometimes that link just does not sync and the listing is fine. Have you tried a poke?
Did you keep a record of the CID OR FTID? If so there is some stuff we can research in MapMaker.