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Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

Justin Dean — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:31:01 -0000

This is stupid. Any paying Google customer knows that one of the best things about being a paying customer is that you get phone and email support from Google. I've had to email them on several issues over the months and I always get a personalized response the same day. Phone support is obviously even faster and more personalized.

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

danspring — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:58:12 -0000

...oh and Google calendar

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

danspring — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:55:57 -0000

I live and breath Google tools (Gmail, Docs, Maps, iGoogle, Notes, Reader, Analytics) - god help I don't get locked out.

Serious issue for Google to sort out, obviously.

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

yuval adam — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:22:36 -0000

I agree totally.
The fact that these companies can act like this is terrible. Soon a lot of them will think that it's acceptable behavior!
Shame there will never be a group of disgruntled customers in their parking lot.
IT's hard to drive there from asia, europe and such...

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

chrisbrogan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:29:36 -0000

Here's why they say they knocked him out:

http://tinyurl.com/6ylrmp

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

Burak — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:37:29 -0000

In the end, it's not about learning from start-ups or small companies or big companies, it's about learning from ANY company that knows how to treat its customers.

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

Adrianna Tan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:41:52 -0000

While I haven't had the bad luck to have this happen to my Gmail (where I live..), Gtalk suddenly stopped working for me about three months ago. Not all of it -- the most impt person I talk to on it (i.e. the person I'm dating), has suddenly stopped appearing on Gtak, and she can't see me on it either. We've both disappeared off each other's contact lists. Nothing life threatening, nothing business threatening. But I love Google, and I love Gtalk, and it's a bit sad that we've had to switch over to... (good god) MSN Messenger to keep up a long distance relationship. (We use Adium on the Mac, so that's fine, but I'd still rather use the Gtalk protocol)

Got friends working at Google to file bugs for me. Nothing. Been told privately that because I was the only one suffering from this strange Gtalk problem, they haven't paid it any attention.

Sent in troubleshooting request via the very difficult to find Help/Contact us form. Nothing.

I love Google, I just wish they could afford the time to pay attention to the little things that won't necessarily change the world, but might make someone -- or a few people -- happy. Or hire someone to do this, dammit.

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

chrisbrogan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:27:10 -0000

So, there are two things to this story:

1.) Once you're locked out of Google accounts, if you're like me and you live in the clouds, you lose access to a lot of things. In MY case, it would be deadly:

*mail (yes, I have backup)
*calendar
*docs
*reader

to name a few.

2.) Without SOME sense of contact with a human, this is a bit upsetting. Nothing in Nick's account was mission critical to the business, but it *was* a tool he was using for doing things on the web. Aren't lots of us?

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

Ling — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:59:20 -0000

This is exactly the kind of thing that makes people hate companies like Paypal. They've grown so comfortable in their supremacy that they'd rather lose paying customers than be bothered to try and provide customer service.

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

chris — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:17:29 -0000

Yea right. It would probably more trouble than it's worth to invest in customer service now. Think about it...if the satisfactory level stays above a certain level, then customer service is a waste of time and money. And because they're google and incredibly large already, they don't really need the value add to woo us to their products/services. Sure it sucks, but that's the way it is.

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

Anil Gupta — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:55:46 -0000

This is really true. I himself have my primary account created on gmail. But Google disabled that account without any reason. And when I tried to consult them, got no response from them. This looks really frustrating

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

modemlooper — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:43:43 -0000

@Aaron Your missing the point. Google does not have any customer service at all. There is no way to contact them about anything. If you have a problem you will get an automated response like its stated above. Not something they should want, to be known as a brand that could give a shit about its users. Users are where the moneys at especially when they are trying to buy up social sites.

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

Todd Vernon — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:45:21 -0000

Thanks for the mention and the recognition.

Lijit knows that service and value to our publishers is a major differentiator that we can and will provide. Google is an amazing success story (and a great partner of ours), but i can imagine it becomes increasingly more difficult for them to provide the personal touch that is lacking in the internet space.

It's just the challenge of "getting big", really, really big!

Todd Vernon / CEO Lijit

Re: What Google Should Learn From Startups

modemlooper — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:19:33 -0000

yeah happens to me and you can do nothing as they hgave no support. Really is sucky for google to do this. Cmon all those bucks. Quitting buying up sites and spend on customer service!