Google hit with flood of Nexus One complaints

[*LTD*]

Google hit with flood of Nexus One complaints

"Google support forums are awash with people looking for help for problems with their Nexus One phones -- and unable to find it," Nancy Gohring reports for IDG News Service.

"Google is selling the phone directly to end-users. That means many users are turning to it first, and the search giant doesn't have the kind of customer support that mobile-phone users are accustomed to.," Gohring reports. "Google appears to be only accepting e-mail customer queries, to which it pledges to reply in one to two days -- far too long, say most people who are complaining online."

Gohring reports, "Many people are also turning to T-Mobile and HTC, but getting little help there. T-Mobile is often referring people back to either Google or HTC for answers to questions. HTC is often referring people back to T-Mobile, according to complaints online... One customer going by the name Roland78 said he was transferred between T-Mobile and HTC four times, spending a total of one-and-a-half hours on the phone with customer service."

"Several people on one thread regarding poor 3G performance on the phone report being told by HTC customer service people that the Nexus One doesn't support 3G, although the phone does. Another got an e-mail response in five hours from Google suggesting that the user try restarting the phone to see if that solves the problem," Gohring reports.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/186399/google_faces_deluge_of_nexus_one_complaints.html

 

[ArrowSmith]

If that's true, it's a disaster. I can't believe Google rushed out the Nexus One before putting Apple Care-level tech support in place. Apparently Schmidt is not as smart as he thinks he is. Brin/Page have some soul-searching to do. Google could even look at MSFT for how to do tech support right.

 

[neiltc13]

Satisfied customers are usually very quiet.

 

[clevin]

end users already have N1 in hand now? thats fast.

 

[IndustrialSpace]

Doesn't bother me...

I LOVE my iPhone!


...but yeah, Google is risking their reputation by not living up to their Googleness. They're putting their hand into too many cookie jars.

 

[steve2112]

This is one advantage Apple has over other its competitors. They control the whole process on the iPhone: hardware and OS. No, they don't control the network, but they do control everything else. I'm a fan of Android, but as long as Google is using third party manufacturers, they will run into these problems. They are putting their reputation at stake relying on all these third parties.

 

[MTI]

I wonder how long it takes before you can just Google all the possible tech support issues . . .

 

[bruinsrme]

I am sure every Apple launch of thier phones has gone without any issues.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I am sure every Apple launch of thier phones has gone without any issues.

I was going to say the same thing. People seem to quickly forget all of the problems they have. You also have to think about how many people really have this phone and how many are complaining. The numbers are quite low I believe.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

The Nexus One sucks. Simple as that. The method of purchasing it and the plans associated with it are just confusing and not very well thought out. No customer support either, which adds to the non preparedness.

 

[Music_Producer]

I was going to say the same thing. People seem to quickly forget all of the problems they have. You also have to think about how many people really have this phone and how many are complaining. The numbers are quite low I believe.

Right, but let's not forget that the iPhone was practically a must-have item even a few weeks before the launch - there is no such 'craze' for the nexus one - mass activation by hundreds of thousands can bring any server/s down - the point here is that the customers had someone to talk to - either at the Apple store, or calling Apple customer support.

IMO, launching a product - especially a first of its kind for Google - they should have geared up to provide some sort of support. The whole nexus one page looked so drab that I just closed the window in fact - sort of like, 'we made the phone - we don't care if you like it or not.. or you want to buy it or not'. They should have made *some* effort. Even my black and decker drill comes with a leaflet with customer service options, etc

 

[agl82]

Good Lord, some more *LTD* flamebait. Is this guy seriously for real? Does it hurt your feelings so much that Google is becoming successful in the mobile space? Pretty pathetic...

 

[kate-willbury]

Good Lord, some more *LTD* flamebait. Is this guy seriously for real? Does it hurt your feelings so much that Google is becoming successful in the mobile space? Pretty pathetic...

lol. i love how *ltd* is instantly recognizable for being a complete mac sheep here.

 

[*LTD*]

Good Lord, some more *LTD* flamebait. Is this guy seriously for real? Does it hurt your feelings so much that Google is becoming successful in the mobile space? Pretty pathetic...

That "flamebait" is about to hit frontpage news on MR. You know it. Does bad news about the other guy hurt your feelings?

News is news. Not all of it is good, irrespective of anyone's intentions in posting it.

 

[Jon-Luke]

Well there's where you have to applaud Apple not only is the customer support good but the iPhone just works - to start off with it maybe didn't have all the functions that we wanted but those it had worked properly. I'm sticking to my iPhone for a while thank you very much.

 

[clevin]

The Nexus One sucks. Simple as that. The method of purchasing it and the plans associated with it are just confusing and not very well thought out. No customer support either, which adds to the non preparedness.

for a guy who never even get hand on a device, to categorically claim a device "sucks", is just amazing.

but again, you are SL2008, fanboyish statement isn't necessarily surprising.

 

[*LTD*]

A bit of comic relief (might contain objectionable language):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7SzB58qHI0&feature=sdig&et=1263049057.9

Love it!

 

[kdarling]

I am sure every Apple launch of thier phones has gone without any issues.

Indeed. The first two major launches had huge registration delay problems.

Worse, the original 3G model baseband software was buggy and caused cell power setting overloads, which forced other users offline. Areas with lots of iPhones became almost unusable.

And don't forget the day when they massively dropped the iPhone price after milking the first adopters. Apple censors deleted hundreds or even thousands of angry posts from their own iPhone forum, until they finally had to give up from the sheer numbers of complaints.

 

[*LTD*]

Indeed. The first two major launches had huge registration delay problems.

Worse, the original 3G model baseband software was buggy and caused cell power setting overloads, which forced other users offline. Areas with lots of iPhones became almost unusable.

And don't forget the day when they massively dropped the iPhone price after milking the first adopters. Apple censors deleted hundreds or even thousands of angry posts from their own iPhone forum, until they finally had to give up from the sheer numbers of complaints.

This is true. Except it's far easier to forgive Apple, and we're quicker to do it. Only Apple can make these kinds of mistakes and get away with it. Partly because our perception of what their products bring to the table seems to override a lot of the negatives (provided there are negatives.) I doubt so many consumers would have put up with AT&T to the extent they did if it was for any other phone. An odd situation, but there you have it.

 

[steve123]

A bit of comic relief (might contain objectionable language):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7SzB58qHI0&feature=sdig&et=1263049057.9

Love it!

That was way too funny. Kinda crude, but funny.

 

[ethical]

A bit of comic relief (might contain objectionable language):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7SzB58qHI0&feature=sdig&et=1263049057.9

Love it!

Haha that was very good. The iPhone app ad at the end was the money shot!

 

[kdarling]

This is true. Except it's far easier to forgive Apple, and we're quicker to do it. Only Apple can make these kinds of mistakes and get away with it. (...)

I cannot disagree with that. They should be nicknamed "the Teflon company", if they aren't already!

 

[ntrigue]

Indeed. The first two major launches had huge registration delay problems.

Worse, the original 3G model baseband software was buggy and caused cell power setting overloads, which forced other users offline. Areas with lots of iPhones became almost unusable.

And don't forget the day when they massively dropped the iPhone price after milking the first adopters. Apple censors deleted hundreds or even thousands of angry posts from their own iPhone forum, until they finally had to give up from the sheer numbers of complaints.

Be it as it may, I could always visit the Genius Bar or connect with Applecare support within 5 minutes.

The article is largely highlighting the lack of accountability.

 

[ss957916]

A bit of comic relief (might contain objectionable language):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7SzB58qHI0&feature=sdig&et=1263049057.9

Love it!

Awful. Not funny.

 

[*LTD*]

I cannot disagree with that. They should be nicknamed "the Teflon company", if they aren't already!

It's an oddity, that's for sure. And sometimes it does work against the consumer.