A bore is a well you wish you'd never fallen into
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Google scores an own goal with Nexus One
POTENTIAL INTERNET OVERLORD Google seems to be having a spot of bother with its Nexus One smartphone.
Apparently some of the buyers of the gadget want to complain about it or get help and Google's telephone help line is total rubbish.
It is not that the phone is breaking, according to the BBC, but just that Google stupidly thought it could run its Nexus One help operation like it does its web pages.
Google is only responding to questions by email and the outfit lacks phone-based support. So of course support forums that Google has set up for the Nexus One are filling up with complaints.
The top query, with more than 500 responses, is about how much people should pay for the phone and whether existing customers of T-Mobile can get the device at a reduced rate. Only new customers of T-Mobile will be able to pay $179.
Others simply want to get more information about how long it will take for their phone to reach them.
But it looks like Google is scoring an own goal by taking ages to respond to queries. Google said it would answer problems via email although any response might take a day or two to arrive.
However that is not the way that phone companies work. Punters want fixes straight away and the promise of an email in a day or so just simply isn't going to cut it.
The situation has not been helped by T-Mobile and HTC bouncing punters back and forth and giving conflicting information about Google's new smartphone.
The common consensus is that for $500 Google could have stumped up for a dedicated help line.
Google said that this is a new way to purchase and support a mobile phone, and that it's committed to sorting out the few kinks that exist. So it is probably not listening and the Nexus One could sink in terms of customer satisfaction because Google thinks it can run hardware sales like a web business.
Having dealt with Google the web business rather than the phone supplier in the past, all we can say is that its email complaint systems do not work well for its web business either. µ
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If you actually look around the forums it seems to be a few (usually stupid and loud) people over and over again.
One thread starts with the poster complaining Google Checkout wouldn't accept his credit card.
This is followed up with complaints about Google not replying to their emails asking where their phone was - the day after it was launched.
Add into that the semi-literate nature of the posts ("weres my googlefone i paid for it i want it know lol") and you start to wonder why it's getting so much press coverage...
Google need a low-cost dialup telephone call center somewhere in the world. Charge customers a very small amount, make the first 10 minutes free from a google mobile phone, and that's the problem solved.
Google can do telephone support using the Dell model, India or cheaper.
No no, you don't talk to Google, Google talks to you, capish? You know we keep track of your search records right? It'll be ashamed if some of those records "accidentally" show up in your family and friend's Gmail accounts. No of course we don't want that to happen now do we. So we keep doing our jobs and you keep on liking your perfect little phone.
Just remember, what life would be without google, and what would the world be like without you. Who do you think people are gonna vote for here.
Regardless of how dumb the questions, the fact remains that Google support sucks, and applying their existing bad support to a consumer product, is just plain stupid.
Even their main money-spinner, AdWords, has bloody awful support... I once received a response to a question, 2 months after it was sent... and don't bother trying to get a real person on the phone.
google intends to continue this way they will fail as a hardware manufacturer. Simple as that.
I reckon Google thought it's customer base would generally have an IQ higher than 75.
Seems it doesnt.
Surprised at how many queries all asking the same simple things.
I'd be intrigued to know who thought they could move into the hardware market and not set up the proper support measures......wow.
While Google seems unable to offer a decent customer support on the phone, The Vole, a couple of years ago, already offered phone support for its software! I needed an unreleased fix for W2K (I never used the two free incidents included in the license price) and decided to call them. They answered in less than 10 minutes. Too bad w2k was already EOLed.
On the other hand, if they offer the same kind of support for w7m.... that would be not too shabby, IMHO.
Google's closed help system is a very bad model to follow for people that need help. Even there section to provide feedback goes unheard. I've had a stock on Google Finance that won't come up BTZ (Blackrock PFD & EQ ADV)on Google Finance but will on MSN, Freerealtime and Yahoo Finance. Go ahead. Try it for yourself. I've sent in two messages to Google and .....nothing. I don't want to buy a product from Google only to have this type of support. At least Dell's first level support which you can reach read's off a script LOL. (I had my own computer tech company 16.5 years). All this to say that Google got it wrong with this one and should revamp there support model.
...they're working frantically on WM7. Or didn't you know that?
Google has hundreds of thousands of people beating at its door, trying to get hold of its Nexus One Android Superphone. The hoards have overloaded the support desk. Crowds are getting bigger, and Google will have to beat them away with a stick.
Meanwhile, over at Redmond, all is very quiet. Nobody is buying the very unwanted Windows Phones. I can hear the lone cricket singing its ode to the lonely phone.