Cost of Taking Money from Consumers
Google may be risking its reputation with the Nexus One phone. Reports are showing up indicating customers are directing their support questions to Google now instead of the carriers who typically handle customer service.
Not many consumers like their customer service experience in general — phone calls can be a frustrating experience and email-only support can leave people feeling helpless. Customer service nightmares can tarnish a company’s reputation as consumers tell others about their experience.
This is why until now Google has enjoyed enviable brand loyalty and love. Nobody pays anything for Google Search, Maps, Gmail, etc. No one can really complain too much when a free service goes down for a few hours a year. Everyone had been getting tremendous value for no cost and the relationship was perfect.
Now that money is involved, consumers need to be heard. I’m not sure there are algorithmns that will substitute well for a person on the other end appearing sympathetic to your issue and willing to resolve it.
It will be interesting to see how Google responds to the growing volume of consumers paying it money and the issues that come with it. If they can’t handle customer service, expect their $100 Billion brand to decline.
