The Sonos App Disaster: How Bad Was It?
Sonos, a company recognized for making high-end home sound systems, felt massive backlash last May when it launched its redesigned app. Meant to be one of the major feature updates, it quickly became an utter nightmare for a lot of users. The new app introduced bugs, missing features, and overall reduced functionality. Sonos CEO Patrick Spence acknowledged that the company moved too fast and didn’t understand how deep some of those issues ran before shipping the app.
Everything from key issues such as broken queue management to lost local library support, the smaller yet similarly infuriating bugs made the May release one that severely hurt the Sonos name. Long-time users felt betrayed, and what was once a very loyal customer base was now riddled with doubt.
It wasn’t just about a broken app; the backlash fundamentally hit at something much deeper-seated in the way Sonos developed, tested, and even communicated with its customers. But Sonos has now announced a wide-ranging plan to regain consumer trust and make such a fiasco impossible to repeat.
A New Strategy for Regaining Trust
To the debacle, Sonos has devised a two-part strategy in rebuilding trust with the aim to make its products better. First, it involves looking inwards: really comprehending how such failure took place and fixing up the corporate culture that permitted the same to happen. Sonos fully acknowledges that it needs to learn from its mistakes and install a culture where quality stands at number one.
The second step is customer-focused: the company initiated a number of undertakings to reassure customers that they were being heard and to demonstrate commitment to improvement.
- Extended Warranties: One such change is the extension of the warranty for some products. If you have recently picked up a Sonos speaker in the last year, you’ll now get an additional year of manufacturer warranty. This includes select home theatre and plug-in speakers such as the Sonos Arc and Sonos Beam, but does not include the portable speaker series, meaning the Sonos Move and Sonos Roam
- More Rigorous Product Testing: Sonos also promises more rigorous product testing before any new hardware or software is released. They also want to open beta programs to a wider range of customers; thus, more different setups will be tested for longer. In this way, Sonos wants to cut down the time for reproducing and fixing the customer’s problem. Spence, the CEO, has come forward to assume responsibility on behalf of the company for releasing the app before it was ready and promised that new features would continue to be pushed into the application over time. This one will also give them a chance to test them first before making defaults. Even the feedback from the customers could be heard throughout the process too. The new mantra is quality standards to be maintained prior to launching any product.
Shop Sonos Speakers for more information on their products and their warranties.
Responsibility by the Leadership
That’s where things take a more interesting turn: it seems Sonos leadership is taking ownership. The C-suite, including CEO Patrick Spence, has pledged to forgo annual bonuses unless the company can right the ship on improving the app experience and rebuilding customer trust. That seems like a fairly inconsequential gesture given their salaries; it’s a move to show just how serious the situation is.
Sonos is also working on transparency inside the house. They are adding a new position: a “quality ombudsperson,” responsible for making sure any concerns regarding product quality or customer experience are escalated and taken care of before launch. That new position will be reporting frequently to Sonos’ executive team and board, in the hope thereby to avoid another debacle like that in May’s app release.
Major Changes on the Horizon
And it appears Sonos is making good on its word. Today, the company says it has reintroduced 80% of those features missing from the app, and expects everything else within weeks. The company will keep pushing out updates to the app to keep making it faster and more stable, even after the current issues are sorted.
With the benefit of hindsight, Spence says the app should have been released as a beta, not immediately replacing the old S2 app. Looking ahead, Sonos promises to roll out major updates more incrementally, giving customers time to get used to them and also provide feedback.
What’s Next for Sonos: New Products
Notwithstanding the app fracas, Sonos hasn’t let new product development grind to a halt. Due out imminently are the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Sonos Sub 4, both of which boast breakthrough technology courtesy of its purchase of Mayht, a startup with some very decent transducer tech. The Ultra soundbar promises even richer sound, with a much more forceful bass than its predecessor.
That’s all distracted from the launch of Sonos’ very first wireless headphones, the Sonos Ace. Those high-end headphones have had disappointing early sales-mostly because the company has been focusing on getting its app debacle straightened out. Sonos is still making adjustments, and it’s going to be an uphill battle to recover some of the momentum from its releases during this chaotic period in the company.
Take a closer look at the latest releases, the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Sub 4, on Sonos.com.
A Step Towards Redemption
Of course, the future for Sonos depends on how well it rebuilds lost trust. There’s no question that an extended warranty program, some renewed quality testing, and more transparency from leadership have Sonos making positive steps in the right direction. However, it will only be a matter of time before one can say if such efforts will reinstate their credibility in today’s highly competitive tech landscape.
In the following months, Sonos will show if they learned anything from their mistake. If they can really deliver on all these promises, they just might win back their loyal fan base. Otherwise, this company may be in danger of slowly fading into obscurity as newer, more reliable competitors take its place.
Final Thoughts
To the technologically inclined, Sonos is, without question, still a powerhouse within the audio sector; however, the missteps of the brand have simply left their scars. Now, recovering from this phase, it’s going to be about their balancing act between innovation and reliability that defines the next chapter in their journey.
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