The OEM has apologised to consumers through full-page adverts concerning the Note 7 recall.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Techspot reported on the full-page adverts in newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, stating that “you’ll find that many companies avoid saying sorry”, and “may apologise for not communicating better”, such as with HP Inc’s recent apology for the firmware update. Other companies might apologise “that some people found their words or actions offensive, but it’s very rare that you’ll get a full-on, grovelling, ‘we’re incredibly sorry’”, and Samsung “wants everyone to know just how sorry it really is”.
The OEM recently estimated that a “negative impact” from ceasing production and sales of the Note 7 smartphone could cost it “approximately” W3 trillion ($2.6 billion/€2.4 billion) in operating profit from the fourth quarter of 2016 through to the first quarter of 2017. Techspot noted that the “exploding handsets” and their recall have “done a huge amount of harm to the company, both financially and in terms of its reputation”, with property damaged and “users suffering burns”.
The adverts are said to be an attempt “to stop once-loyal customers from abandoning Samsung’s products for other brands”, with other ads published in the New York Times and Washington Post, with the advert text stating that “an important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality. Recently, we fell short on this promise. For this we are truly sorry”.
The US ads are signed off by Samsung Electronics North America’s CEO Gregory Lee, though Techspot added that the Note 7 “isn’t the only Samsung product to cause injuries”, with the advert also mentioning the recent recall of 2.8 million washing machines. Around 85 percent of Note 7s purchased in the US have been returned to Samsung, and “the remaining 15 percent left in the wild will have their batteries capped at 60 percent” through an update to stop them “catching fire”.
The OEM reportedly “still doesn’t know what caused the overheating issues”, even after “several months of examinations and tests”, but “promises that it will find out – eventually” in the letter, noting: “We will re-examine every aspect of the device, including all hardware, software, manufacturing and the overall battery structure. We will move as quickly as possible, but will take the time needed to get the right answers.”