Self-inflicted Wound

Samsung is trying to recall 2.5 million Note 7 phones because of exploding batteries, but the way the company is going about it is a self-inflicted wound to its reputation and brand.  The problem is confusing and missing information in instructions to the public for replacing their phones.  What Samsung needs to do is to make the exchange as simple as possible. Turn off your phone, hand it to Samsung, and we will give you a replacement.  Instead, Samsung is hedging its recall pending an official decision by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  It has also issued a software fix that limits the Note 7 to a 60 percent charge, but it hasn’t made that generally available.  Finally, Samsung says it needs more time to study the cause of the explosions.  Leaving the device in the hands of consumers while one tries to figure out the problem is equivalent to pulling a pin on a grenade and handing it to a customer.  There is no doubt Samsung’s recall is massive and complex, but it needs to protect consumers first and by so doing, guard its brand.  It doesn’t work the other way around.