Google Transit Comes Through: Best Customer Service EVER
I’ve heard the Goog take some lumps for not engaging in social media that much. Well, they just got pretty damn social with me. And I’m impressed.
While at SXSW, I tried out the new Google Transit service. I was far away from the hotel and wanted to find an efficient way to get back. Well, Google got me close, then expected me to cross an eight-lane highway on foot. Um, no. I had to explore for a long time to find a way to get across the damn thing and back to my hotel. I bitched at my blog.
Today, I got a package from Google at my workplace. At first, I saw the hand-written “Google” return address and thought “anthrax”, but figured, what the hell. I ripped it open. I was treated to the single greatest customer service experience I had ever had. Enclosed was a hand-written note from Joe Hughes at Google. The note said:
Dear Superman,
Reading your blog post about Google Transit at SXSW made us wonder if you were losing your powers—I mean, how hard could it be to leap over a simple 8-lane highway intersection, man of steel? We’ve enclosed a new cape—hopefully it will help you find your powers again.
…seriously, though, Adam, we’re sorry that Google Transit sent you on such an expedition, and we wanted to let you know that we’ve since improved our routing, so that it returns more plausible walking sections at the start & end of transit routes.
Cheers,
Joe Hughes
Google Transit
Wow. Just, wow. Google is listening. The read a blog by little old me. They addressed my problem. They found a way to make me smile about it. And the best part… Ella now has a Superman cape.
Cheers to you, Joe.
That is a great story.
By the way you should ask how they cam across your blog.
Wouldn’t it be funny if they were reading/filtering and aggregating every blog on earth and yours popped up because of your anti-google skreed.
Don’t be evil my ass.
You thought “anthrax” ?? I suppose corporate media has succesfully frightened the panties off everyone. Mr. Murdoch would be pleased to hear this.
I was considering getting a Google tattoo somewhere and see if I get a gift from them.
I do buy a lot of stuff from the Google Store (the black polos are NICE)
I was hoping for a couple of lava lamps and some beanbags for my home office just so I look way cool when I get my small business clients around.
Also some Google Coffee Mugs would be nice too.
Dare I do it??? Can I get into trouble for getting a Google tatt??????
David
UK in USA
Google is Listening……
A while ago, Adam Darowski complained about that the Google Transit wanting him to cross an eight-lane highway on foot, which made him missed a lot of fun at this years SXSW.
To show that they are sorry for the _____ service they offered, Google’…
Haha, that’s priceless =P
sell it on ebay and buy a car with the money from the auction!
[…] Además, la carta estaba acompañada de un regalo, tal y como nos cuenta en este otro post: un kit (capa incluida) de Superman. […]
[…] Not only is Google Transit working to resolve this software shortcoming, but they’re trying to help Adam get over those highways. Yes, from the people who brought you acetaminophen relief for Google Adwords headaches, this time for your transit woes, it’s Superman! Or, at least his cape. Joe Hughes at Google Transit sent him a humorous and apologetic letter as well as a Superman cape—because, obviously, that would have been the only way Adam could have followed their directions. […]
[…] Not only is Google Transit working to resolve this software shortcoming, but they’re trying to help Adam get over those highways. Yes, from the people who brought you acetaminophen relief for Google Adwords headaches, this time for your transit woes, it’s Superman! Or, at least his cape. Joe Hughes at Google Transit sent him a humorous and apologetic letter as well as a Superman capeâbecause, obviously, that would have been the only way Adam could have followed their directions. […]
[…] Además, la carta estaba acompañada de un regalo, tal y como nos cuenta en este otro post: un kit (capa incluida) de Superman. […]
[…] El conocido blogger bostoniano Adam Darowski fue uno de los primeros en probar y comentar el servicio de itinerarios de Google -Google Transit-, que es el clásico “llévame del punto A al punto B”. El caso es que Adam quería ir en autobús desde su hotel al lugar donde se celebraba un certamen al que él iba a acudir, y sorprendentemente, Google le recomendó que fuera a una parada situada a 1 kilómetro de su hotel y para llegar a ella debía pasar por encima de una autopista y unas vías el tren. Ante este panorama, Adam publicó en su blog: “¿Se creen [en Google] que soy Supermán?”. Dicho y hecho. Joe Hughes, uno de los responsables de Google Transit le mandó una capa, haciendo gala, cuando menos, de un gran sentido del humor. […]
[…] Adam Darowski, es un blogger con cierta reputación procedente de Boston. En Marzo Adam fué a una conferencia en Texas. Para saber la ruta desde el lugar donde se celebraba la conferencia hasta su hotel, tal y como cuenta aquí, usó el servicio (Que todavía esta en pruebas y no es la versión definitiva) Google Transit. Lo curioso es la ruta que le recomendó el programa, pues la parada del autobús donde tenía que bajar se situaba a un quilómetro del hotel. Ese quilómetro del trayecto lo tendría que hacer a pie, cruzando una vía del tren y una autopista. Sorprendido, Adam se preguntaba si era Superman. Hasta aquí todo normal. Al fin y al cabo Google Transit esta en beta y es perdonable. La parte curiosa, es que unos días despues un paquete llega a su buzón. Dentro había una carta con disculpas escrita a mano por Joe Hughes, que es uno de los responsables de coordinar el servicio Google Transit. Y aparte, también hay un regalo; un disfraz de Superman con la capa. Aunque este último es para edades de hasta 7 años. […]
Cool story. Well done Google. Unlike Coke, who when I complained about their product, sent me a lousy £5 voucher.
I was hoping for a Coca Cola Hot air balloon or something.
Wow. I would be so grateful if that happened to me.
I love Google, they are just so amazing. I mean, I wouldn’t expect a Google’s executive sending me a hand-written letter telling me that because of me they improoved google transit. Maybe if it was an alpha, it would sound more reasonable. They have the best user support I think.
Well, the thing is that here in Mexico, I could even screem in television that Google, or Microsoft, or Apple, or something else sucks, and nobody would send me anything, not a voucher, or a letter.
Víctor… yes, that is a totally different issue altogether. It’s kind of interesting… I didn’t really check out the Spanish speaking blogs linking to this story until I eventually tried translating in Google. And there’s some really good stuff there that I also probably would have ignored had it really not been a vanity search.
That’s the way we Americans work, unfortunately… if it is not in our language, we ignore it. I’ve got to get better about that myself.
Thanks for commenting.
[…] read this today: Google Transit Comes Through: Best Customer Service EVER and was very impressed with the second coming of the evil empire, aka Google. For the price of a […]
At least they didn’t tell you to swim across the Atlantic.
What good is Google Transit, when it doesn’t work with Boston, Chicago, and NYC transit systems- the most popular systems in the country?
Ya gotta start somewhere. It’s still beta, so perhaps they were just using some more manageable areas first. I’m sure as it becomes more robust they will add more metros.
[…] Al leer esto, uno de los responsables de "Google Transit" llamado Joe Hughes le escribió una carta que decia: "Estimado Superman. Lamentamos que Google Transit te enviase a esa excursión, y queríamos que supieses que tu queja nos ha hecho que mejoremos el servicio, para intentar que los recorridos a pie desde los puntos de inicio y fin de las rutas sean mucho más aceptables". Pero la carta no venia sola, sino con un Kit de Superman, con capa incluida. Así lo cuenta en este post. […]
[…] 还得扯回来. Google Transit 现在在中国区支持北京, 上海, 广州, 杭州和南京五个城市, 含地铁 (杭州还没有地铁吧?). 大家可以试用一下, 看看 Google 会不会也建议你变成超人? […]
[…] achtbaans snelweg liet oversteken, laat Google haar gebruikers ook 5572 kilometer zwemmen. Darowski kreeg van Google een Superman costuum om een poging te ondernemen de snelweg over te steken. Blijkbaar beschikt Google over de nodige […]
[…] I have stated that Yahoo will fail sometime in the near future in previous articles (on this site). Yahoo will fail due to their apparent disregard for customer service and willingness to correct their problems or contact customers with something more than a generic replay. Well here is some proof that at least Google understand what they are trying to do. I will continue to say that Google will take over everything eventually with this kind of response. Check out the article here. […]