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0 pointssmt888y ago0 comments

This is exactly the kind of non-human PR speak that saturates Google's response to customers in all forums. Promises are half-made and always broken. There doesn't seem to be a will or desire to aggregate and manager customers' concerns.

I hope this time is different, and your team really does share more information as it becomes available and relevant. I doubt it, though, and will switch to a mail provider that I pay for and has good customer service (which is my inclination toward all Google services these days).

0 comments

sethvargo8y ago

1. I am a human. I promise :)

2. I apologize if my response came off as “PR speak” as that was not my intention.

3. I am trying to manage customer concerns. It’s why I’m responding on HackerNews and similar sites.

Jaruzel8y ago

As no one else has, I am going to thank Seth for making the time to comment here. He didn't have to, and as he just said, he is human too.

teddyh8y ago

> I am trying to manage customer concerns

You do that by providing actual information, not by corporate zero-information talk.

archon8108y ago

You do realize he has to run the information he can and cannot give out by his higher-ups and possibly legal before he can reply publicly, right? Google isn't a small operation and is very vulnerable to lawsuits.

Also it's a Sunday.

The fact that he's even publicly responding here personally is already surprising to me.

rigrassm8y ago

As mentioned elsewhere in the comments they are still working on actually fixing the issue.

They have already acknowledged it, given some details about what they believe to be the root cause, and implemented a band-aid fix for the time being. I'm sure once they have fully investigated and resolved the issue they will provide more details.

At this point, giving out details based on what they think is the issue now may end up being partially or even fully incorrect and that doesn't do anyone any good.

always_good8y ago

Why do people consistently think that an employee gives a shit about whether you continue using a service?

I'm reminded of the summer I worked at the electronics booth at Target and people would threaten to take their precious business to Walmart.

smt88OP8y ago

> Why do people consistently think that an employee gives a shit about whether you continue using a service?

It's not that I think he does (or should) care. It's that his response reflects Google's public-facing attitude about their products, which are used for extremely sensitive personal issues. If that's not how things are internally, then I'm disappointed he isn't telling us (perhaps because he isn't allowed to).

He (and they) have a right not to care. I have a right to take my business elsewhere and let them know I'm doing it. If enough people speak, maybe it'll be a trend instead of an anecdote and Google will change the way they treat users/customers.

reitanqild8y ago

When I do customer support I care. That's actually what I'm paid to do in thise cases.

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