Infinite Path

For all the money invested in the PR machine by companies in the fast-moving world of technology, the success or failure of any new product depends largely upon something very simple: consumer trust.

When it comes to purchasing a new mobile phone, or a new computer, or the latest gadget which will no doubt be rendered useless within the space of a few months when something more efficient and cutting-edge comes in to replace it, trust is everything. Consumers want to know that they are investing their money in something which will run like clockwork and largely expect this from the most trusted brands on the market.

It must come as something of a hammer-blow to Google in the light of this fact that their Nexus One phone has been damned in some quarters by users who have had difficulty operating the model. A variety of different technical problems with the phone have been reported, whilst some have also questioned whether it is worth the hefty price tag attached to it at the moment.

Unfortunately for Google, a feature that was intended to be an attractive selling point has turned into something of a nightmare for them. The phone was intended to offer consumers more choice than is usually available in the mobile phone market; the Nexus One can be purchased via Google or on a contract with a mobile operator. However, this has led to confusion as to who should be contacted regarding usability issues with the phone. Many consumers have therefore flocked to forums and blogs on the internet to look for help, thus adding fuel to a primarily negative PR campaign created, inadvertently, by Google themselves.

Amid all the hype of the Google Nexus One launch, the last thing the search company wanted, or expected, was to be hit by criticism so quickly. It now lies in their hands to prove that as well as providing consumers with something technically different, they can provide users with an improved level of customer service.