Nexus One
Well, as expected, it appears that smart phone buyers who wanted to be the first in line for Google’s Nexus One have been out-Googled. Google customers with support issues, handled only by the Google Nexus team, are exchanging emails about technical issues, while T-Mobile and HTC are attempting to calm the surge of complaints about 3G, signal strength and other tech issues.
Meanwhile, Nexus One early adopters are in cardiac arrest on Twitter, wondering what went wrong. Welcome to the world of super phone computing in the post iPhone era.
In my HTC Hero Android post the other day, I wrote about T-Mobile’s 3G network not withstanding the onslaught of the latest mobile computer. Yet I didn’t expect that the network would fail so quickly. Nexus owners are not only losing broadband faster than water draining a sink, signal strength, a known problem with T-Mobile, is falling like a rock.
Google and Customer Support
But the bigger issue, raised in a 2009 post about Apple, is how unprepared new phone manufacturers and carriers are when launching sophisticated smart phones. The Google debacle is even worse than the Apple launch because Google didn’t even make the phone other than the operating system.
Compounding today’s cries of outburst from unhappy customers is HTC’s inability or unwillingness to get in the middle of the mess. Actually, HTC’s reluctance is not unexpected. Like RIM, first-line Blackberry support is provided by the respective carrier. RIM only steps in when a problem is directly related to RIM’s email servers.
Like a Voice Crying in the Wilderness
Responding to Troy Wolverton’s December , 2009 San Jose Mercury News article about the Google Nexus One release, I wrote:
“In all the articles and comments I’ve read about Google’s proposed release, no one is writing about technical support of a multi-tasking, complex smart phone. Despite the generally negative attitudes by consumers of the wireless carriers, they–not the manufacturers–are responsible for customer support. Like your desktop computer, cable, satellite or Internet service, the bottom line is telephone, email or chat service when something goes wrong.
As mobile computing devices become more complex, carriers are increasing the knowledge level of the first and second line tech support reps. Without the reps and a tech support department that’s fully equipped to handle device and network problems, customers are dead in the water, whether they own an iPhone, BlackBerry or Google Android phone.
Good technical support costs money, which is probably why T-Mobile and Google decided to offer the device through T-Mobile, I assume, at a subsidized price. The alternative of buying the phone through Google online and activating it through a GSM carrier without a service contract is crazy. When consumers complain about the iPhone or other smart phone’s cost of ownership, they should realize that their monthly service charges (voice and data) also include customer support.
Troy refers to the Wall Street Journal article which I also read. I’m not clear whether Google has already established service agreements with carriers. Google in its press release also referred to using the device “on all carriers.” To my knowledge, however, the HTC Android phone they’re releasing is the GSM–not CDMA–version of the phone, which means (yikes) AT&T and T-Mobile are the only national carriers.
Regarding customer expectations of the phone, wireless customers who are now upgrading their feature phones to smart phones are expecting superior performance, mobile Internet access and applications–something they’ve never had. The iPhone set the bar. Now a massive influx of smart phones are scheduled for release in 2010 and customer expectations are high. Let’s hope the manufacturers and carriers can meet the new wave of mobile consumers.”
I rest my case.
Click here to take give feedback on this article–only 3 questions, I promise
You must log in to post a comment.