http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/technology/companies/13google.html
Summary
Google is seen as the web's most popular search engine but it doesn't even have proper customer service. Nexus One, the latest touch-screen smartphone, was developed and branded by Google and is sold directly by the company to customers. People who have recently bought this phone tried using Google's mobile operating system, Android, but had a hard time fixing problems with their handset. Google was more accustomed to providing little support for its free services. It has been unprepared to deal with the high service expectations of custmers. Because of this, customer forums have been filled with complains about the Nexus One. Complaints such as being unable to call Google for help and the company warns that it make take up to 48 hours to respond to email messages. Some people haven't even heard from the actual people either. Even though it is the webs most popular search engine, Google does not appear to have built a significant infrastructure to provide customer support. There is no phone number for support, for example and customers who send an e-mail message may wait for days to hear back. Katie Watson, a Google spokeswoman, said no one was available to speak about the service problems. But in an e-mail statement, she said, “Solving customer support issues is extremely important to us.” Andy Rubin, Google vice president, announced last week that the company needed to improve. “We have to get better at customer service,” Mr. Rubin said during an on-stage interview at the Customer Electronics Show. Instead of taking three days to respond to e-mail messages, he said, “We have to close that three-day gap to a couple of hours.” But Mr. Rubin said that the release of the Nexus One had gone smoothly. With the Nexus One, Google aims to extend the reach of its Android operating system for mobile phones. And it hopes to eventually change the retail model of the cellphone market in the United States by becoming a major seller of Android phones made by various manufacturers. But if that is the goal, it will need to impose a better customer support strategy, Mr. Ganguly said.
Connections
The marketing book says that customer service is a form of assistance or a service offered to customers by a retailer in order to maintain existing business or to attract new business. Also, to provide customers with information, offering price, service and quality gurantees. Google fails to meet this customer service expectation. Google does not have a proper form of assistance or a service that is offered to customers. Customers are complaing that Google doesn't even reply to emails and doesn't have a phone number for them to call for techincal help. They are not providing any information for customers that are having problems with their Next One smart-phone. Their service isn't even proper service, customers are struggling with trying to reach Google for help. Customer shouldn't need to struggle, finding help should come easy but Google lacks this. Google states that "solving customer support issues is extremely important to us," but they fail to reach do what they say. Their bad customer service is leading them to customer complaints and bad impressions.
Reflections
I find it silly how google can't do something as simple as giving proper customer service. Isn't the first step in building a business to attract and help customers to their needs? Google, I'm sure has been running for a long time, now that they are expanding their business to something like developing a new phone, they should be more efficient with their policies and customer services. I'm sure Google has enough money to hire people to provide customer service. Reading this article gives me a different impression on Google, I now see them as a company that just wants to attract people and gain more business but not caring about customers after they purchase their merchandise. They care only about how much they sell and not about helping their customers that are having problems with their products. I personally think that in order to have a sucessful business, the first thing you deal with is how you're customers will think of you and how you will help your customers with their needs. If you can't satisfy the customer then in the end you'll just lose that customer. You have to work hard to get what you want, but you also have to remember that even if you got what you worked hard for you should still work hard and keeping it. Google is working hard at getting their customers but they are not working hard at trying to keep their customers satisfied.
