The audio giant Sonos has just experienced the worst crisis in its history. His solution? A total overhaul of its product and customer approach.
It all started last May, when Sonos launched a new version of its application, essential for the operation of its products (including the new headphones). What was supposed to be an important update turned into a nightmare for users. Missing features, repeated bugs, unintuitive interface… The list of problems seemed endless.
To understand the scale of the disaster, you need to know that the Sonos application is not a simple gadget: it is the brain of the brand’s entire audio ecosystem. Without it, it’s impossible to control your speakers, manage your playlists or access your favorite streaming services. Overnight, thousands of users found themselves with high-end audio systems… almost unusable.
Between mea culpa and reconstruction
Faced with this critical situation, Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos, unveiled a two-pronged strategy to try to emerge from the crisis. And the least we can say is that the company doesn’t do things by halves.
First step: clean up internally. Sonos has launched a vast investigation to understand how such a fiasco could have occurred. And it doesn’t just concern the technical aspects. The company will also examine its corporate culture and management processes. Clearly, no one is safe, not even senior managers. Moreover, Patrick Spence announced that management’s annual bonuses would be conditional on the resolution of this crisis. A hell of a lot of pressure!
But Sonos isn’t just looking for blame. The company also announced a series of concrete measures to regain user trust. First of all, an extended warranty: all Sonos products purchased in the past year will receive an additional year of warranty. A measure that could cost the company millions, but which shows its desire to make a strong gesture.
Next, Sonos is tackling the overhaul of its testing process. No more rushed launches. Company promises longer testing periodsinvolving a wider and more diverse panel of users. The objective? Detect problems before they hit the market. In the same vein, Sonos now opts for iterative development. No more big updates that shake up everything. The approach will be more gradual, with more frequent but less invasive updates.
To further involve its community, Sonos is expanding its beta program. Users who wish will be able to preview the new features. A way to involve the community in the development of the app and collect valuable feedback before the official launches.
Internally, the company is creating a mediator position. This new role will be responsible for raising developers’ concerns directly to management. One way to ensure that technical problems will no longer be ignored. Finally, Sonos is setting up a user committee to give more weight to the opinions of its customers in its strategic decisions.
Still big challenges…
While these measures seem to be going in the right direction, Sonos is not out of the woods yet. The company faces several major challenges.
First, there is the purely technical aspect. According to Sonos, the new version of the app now supports 80% of the features of the old version. It’s better, but still not enough. The company promises to reach 100% in the coming weeks, but there is still a long way to go.
Then there is the question of trust. Sonos may increase its gestures towards its customers, but the damage is done. The company will have to work hard to win back disappointed users and convince potential new customers that its products are reliable.
Finally, there is the financial impact. This crisis has already cost Sonos dearly, and the measures announced (such as the warranty extension) will further weigh on the accounts. Not to mention the impact on sales: the launch of the Sonos Ace was weighed down by this bad publicity. Additionally, the launch of new products was delayed.
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