Two months on, a westernised Samsung puts out newspaper ads to apologise to US customers

Yes it has been a good two months or 68 days since Samsung put out its official statement announcing that it will replace every single Galaxy Note 7 handset out there with a new one. Back on 2 October, Samsung in the same statement also stated that the faulty battery was the cause of the mishap, something which it would regret a few weeks later when the second batch of safe Note 7 devices began to catch fire as well. Indeed, this hints at Samsung’s failure to protect its customers after which the company began sending out body bags (fireproof boxes) to its customers to safely return the second batch of faulty Note 7 devices. While Samsung has yet to conclude as to what was the actual problem (it had no clue) another mishap with its washing machines took place and today we have heard that Samsung has put out a formal apology letter in three US newspapers. [caption id=“attachment_337865” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Image: Hui Renjie[/caption] “An important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality.” This a bit worrisome when it comes from a company who sent out the supposedly “safe” Note 7 units to customers, which started catching fire once again. How we wished that Samsung would have taken some more time before sending out its second wave of supposedly safe smartphones. https://twitter.com/RurikBradbury/status/795681530551173120 Samsung still has no clue about what has caused the Note 7 phablets to catch fire. “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,” said the statement in print.  Coming to the washing machines, Samsung was quick this time around and decided to quickly recall the faulty machines, which was a good gesture. The Korean Herald reports newspaper ad mentions that the Korean company recalled a total of 2.8 million washing machines to ensure customer safety. Samsung is currently working on a remedy for a mess up. Indeed this shows us two sides of Samsung, one that was rather different from what happens in the East. Faulty products are immediately taken off shelves and they usually never return. A flaw where the damage is done to such an extent is considered to be a disgrace to consumer-friendly brand. As the New York Times plainly puts it, “Life can literally begin and end with Samsung: One can be born in a Samsung hospital; attend a Samsung university; honeymoon in a Samsung hotel; stock a Samsung-built apartment with Samsung appliances bought with a Samsung credit card; take children to Samsung amusement parks; and have one’s body, upon death, taken to a Samsung funeral center.” So yes. In the east these details and gestures do matter by a large margin. [caption id=“attachment_340688” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  An employee checks an exchanged Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 7 at company’s headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. REUTERS[/caption] A rather westernised Samsung took its own sweet time with the Note 7. Which is a somewhat confusing move. The company either had loads of confidence to come out and apologise that its hero product in years was faulty, or it simply was a bit too lazy and slept over things, which is risky when it comes to consumer trust. Love Samsung products or simply hate them (now), 2016 will certainly be a turning point for Samsung with one of the most expensive (and controversial) recalls pulled off in smartphone history. Samsung has confirmed that ‘nearly 85 percent’ have already exchanged their units via the Note 7 Refund and Exchange Program. And, it also claims that most of these users have opted for another Samsung device. Samsung’s profits however have not taken a hit as its last earnings report showed despite its Note 7 issues, the company’s chip and display business has been doing very well.