Google's Hard Lesson

Ars Technica reports: Google Inc. is quickly learning that supporting an actual mobile device requires more interaction than supporting users of its Web services.

The communications giant has been the subject of increasing criticism as new and would-be customers evaluate the just announced Nexus One and accompanying business model. As with any new device, there's sure to be some frustration upon launch, but Google is learning the hard way that customers expect responsiveness and answers when it comes to their phones—not just emails and endless wait times.

The first week's worth of complaints seem to mostly fall into two categories: those who are confused or frustrated with 3G issues and those who simply want timely answers on everything else—eligibility, how long it will it take to ship, whether it will work on various cell networks, etc. For the former, numerous customers have reported that their Nexus Ones seem to be fluctuating between 3G and EDGE on T-Mobile's network (while others report that the network seems to disappear altogether at times). On the T-Mobile forums, however, the company says that it's aware of the issue and that it is investigating it.

The latter problem—Google's responsiveness—seems to be the more pressing issue, at least if you go by the volume of complaints online. Google has set up support forums for customer inquiries and has a page set up for those who need a more direct line of contact, but people have found themselves limited by these options.

Customers who already bought the Nexus One—especially an unlocked one at full price for $529—feel they should be able to call a customer support line instead of waiting on Google to respond via email, whenever that may be. Google has said that it may take days to answer inquiries online, but that's not fast enough for dissatisfied customers.

What's worse is that customers are apparently being bounced between Google's partners, HTC and T-Mobile, with vague and conflicting answers to questions. From the outside, it seems as if this group doesn't quite have its act together when it comes to dealing with Google's new attempt to sell phones directly to customers; most U.S. mobile users are used to just dealing with the carrier, but Google's marketing prominence has led it to be one of the major points of contact that customers go to first. Even in the case of iPhone, Apple offers supplementary support to AT&T by allowing customers to come into retail stores to get help. Google doesn't have much else to offer besides its Web presence.

(In addition to customer complaints, some developers have expressed frustration with Google's handling of the Android 2.1 SDK, which would allow them to develop apps specifically for the Nexus One. Since mobile applications are so hot lately, this has been an annoying sticking point for both developers and users.)

Google admits that there have been some bumps in the road when it comes to customer support, but says that it plans to improve. "We've worked closely with our Nexus One launch partners to make support available through a variety of channels," a Google spokesperson told the BBC. "This is a new way to purchase and support a mobile phone, and we're committed to sorting out the few kinks that do exist."