What Google Didn’t Do
Posted by Joe Hussey on 5-Sep-2009 - Filed under: Sourcing IT Solutions , also relevant to: business and IT consultancy, Cloud Computing, costs savings, Data Privacy, Google Apps, IT, technology, virtualization - 6 Comments
That’s the question posed by best -selling business author and arch blogger Jeff Jarvis in his excellent book ‘What Would Google Do?’.
Interestingly, Jeff who glorifies Google in his book (a bit like hagiography on a company at times!), suggest that many companies in his book (and I tend to agree with many of Jeff’s premises by the way), should do what Google would do in areas such as customer understanding and focus. For example he talks about engagement with customer on the basis that your worst customer could be your best friend (if dealt with sympathetically for example).
Well, I have to say that Google has disappointed me big-time. Diarmuid Keane of Via Consulting wrote a blog recently entitled ‘Hey Google Get o’ my cloud’ and challenged Google in terms of the data ownership issue for companies wishing to adopt Google applications as part of a cost effective alternative to the Microsoft model for example. We gave Google the opportunity to set out their stall in advance of the blog being put up on our website. We then pursued Google through one of their representatives (who had coincidentally contacted me regarding embracing their Google apps some weeks previously) and also and through Twitter. What was the result? Google prevarication and references to having to check with their PR department and the net result? Nada , save for another set of terms and conditions sent on to Diarmuid.
For me, this is very poor indeed. All Google had to do was to provide a blog to Via Consulting with their own position clarifying the area around Diarmuid’s concerns. But no, they ran for cover and failed to do what Jeff says that Google does better than most – engage, understand people. I’m sorry Jeff but on this occasion it was what Google Didn’t Do!!!
What did you think? We'd love if you would leave your opinion in a comment below, or contact Via directly.
6 Responses to “What Google Didn’t Do”
commented on 8, Sep, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Hi Joe. Interesting post.
I would be a fan of the way that Google operates i.e. with apparent openness and willingness to listen, as well as providing a really excellent service to all. I am surprised and more than a little disappointed that they chose to go back to the standard “big company” approach when challenged. Essence of MS methinks – which I would have thought would have been the worst insult to the folks at Google.
The essence of Diarmuid’s blog invites Google to set the picture straight and/or to ensure any mis-understandings are ironed out. It is highly unlikely that they have not considered data protection and ownership as part of their transition to being a true cloud provider for business. With this in mind, I would have thought a reciprocal blog or statement would have been a simple way to alleviate the concerns raised.
It will be interesting to see whether you do eventually get a response – keep us posted!
commented on 8, Sep, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Barney,
I agree with you on the broad front re. Google. I myself can’t understand why Google wouldn’t pass the blog on internally to someone to answer clearly the points raised by Diarmuid. I suspect it’s their size and this lack of response is not typical of their underlying ethos. I’m also surprised that Jeff Jarvis hasn’t picked up on it – dissappointed actually. By the way his book is worth a read – much to glean from it.
commented on 8, Sep, 2009 at 8:30 pm
While I agree with your sentiments, what amazes me is that you got any response at all.
I haven’t read “What Would Google Do” but in my experience Google are notoriously bad at communicating directly with individuals.
As you point out yourself, the size of the company must make it incredibly difficult to respond individually, but given that you did get a response, you would expect (as Barney says), a document to already exist which lays out data ownership policy.
commented on 16, Sep, 2009 at 11:04 am
Joe,
Diarmuid’s blog post was very interesting and well thought out. I’d have to agree with Frank’s sentiment though and I’m surprised you thought they would respond!
Jeff Jarvis may be a proponent of individual engagement, however his book is misleadingly named and would be more aptly titled “What Jeff thinks you should do”…
I think it’s a pretty tall order to expect a company with hundreds of millions of users to respond to the queries of every customer, which is why I don’t agree with Jeff and his “Dell Hell” approach. To me this is nothing more than cyber bullying as companies are forced to deal with the issues of those with the loudest voice. It’s unlikely that Dell would have been as qucik to respond to Granny’s complaint as to a blogger with a huge following – this I personally feel leads to a biased and unjust approach to customer service and customer engagement….
commented on 17, Sep, 2009 at 4:24 pm
John,
Surely it’s always going to be the case that a company will respond quicker to someone who has an audience than a lone voice.
To call that “biased and unjust” seems to me to come from an impossible position – one that will never be adopted as a strategy.
WWGD is surely a great title – if you want to sell the book? When I read it, I was clear that I was reading Jeff Jarvis view.
Better go read Diarmuid’s story.
commented on 17, Sep, 2009 at 4:36 pm
After reading Diarmuid’s article, I must say it’s thought provoking. Challenges Google in an area for which they may not yet be ready.
Gets to the heart of decision making, trust. What assurances have we that Google will look after our stuff as if it was their own?
As someone who’s recently started using Chrome, I wonder if I should think more about what I’m giving Google in return?