Skip to main content

Open letter to CEO regarding the company direction/new app

  • 3 June 2024
  • 6 replies
  • 1160 views

Attn: Sonos CEO Patrick Spence,

 

I’m writing this to give my thoughts on where Sonos has got it wrong with the new app and concerns on the companies direction.

 

I, like many people, are Sonos lovers. It started with one device which convinced me of the dream of a single system running music through the house. We all listen to music in different ways and Sonos fulfilled that. I quickly became a marketing tool for the company because whenever anyone came to my house they would experience it. I was a big endorser of your product.

 

But that’s all charged with the new app. It’s not irreversible which is why I’m writing to you, because I want my Sonos back…

 

The biggest frustration for me with the new app is that I’ve been convinced to have a Sonos in every room, but I now struggle to use Sonos in my bedrooms because the new app initially didn’t include alarms but more so that it doesn’t include the sleep timer. This was used nightly in three rooms in my house. I now go to sleep listening to my phone because I can set a sleep timer on it. I’m sure this isn’t the sort of client experience you’d want to hear.

 

My concern is that you’ve forgotten about your strengths and what differentiates you in the market. If you don’t have the support of your cult like users, then you don’t have your biggest marketing tool. And if you don’t give the tools to be able to use the technology in all rooms, then it may as well be any speaker. I feel like the developers of this app, and ultimately yourself as the person steering the ship have forgotten what makes it great.

 

Please return Sonos to its former glory. I’m over going to sleep listening to my phone speaker…

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

6 replies

J
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

I would add that the gleaming reputation that took over a decade to cultivate is being eroded overnight. It does a disservice to your loyal consumers and talented employees that contributed to the company’s growth and success over the years. This debacle was a tactical error plain and simple and will overshadow the Ace launch. Learn from the S1/S2 debacle. Your legacy customers do matter. By sticking to your guns, you are throwing your sw dev team and customer support under the bus. What a shame. This was all self inflicted. I’m from Seattle and this drama is very ‘Boeing-esque’, but it’s not too late to course correct.

D
Userlevel 4
Badge

I think you already explained yourself what is happening. SONOS is working on squeezing their fan base for their personal data. First they get the Sonos speaker to fully rely on their cloud services. Web interfaces, features not working without an internet connection, forcing updates to working boxes, lame release notes, no clear roadmap, the list is long.

When looking at what happened at Redit when they started charging money for previously free API´s, the community revolted for month. But in the end things went back to normal and management got what they wanted.

I am certain, that very similar things will come for Sonos in the future (data is the new gold). It is all about share holder value, stock options but definitely not about us, the consumers.

jgatie

Good grief. 🙄

R
Userlevel 1

Patrick Spence invites customers to contact him personally via his sonos email unfortunately that is the end of the conversation.Unlike a CEO like Jeff Besos who actually instructs a member of staff to follow up emails directed to him,all you receive ( if lucky) is a generic reply your problem is not addressed and no answers received. Sonos would do well to remember a customer is not an inconvenience to be ignored but is the person who keeps the company in business. Riding roughshod over customers and refusing to accept that Sonos are capable of making mistakes is not the way to continue sometimes you have to bite the bullet and admit you are wrong.

M

I have had Sonos speakers from the beginning- well over 12 yrs ago. This is the first time I'm considering using another brand for both my home & my business 

The company and their tech service isn't helping the customers that put them on the map. My system won't recognize the alarm - even though it should by now- July 2024 I was on the phone with the lower level tech for over and hour THEN on hold w/ level 2 tier tech - they finally figured it out - Supervisor was professional and very smart the problem was within the app. He told me if I had any more problems to call back and ask for level two tier Tech team. 1 week later the alarms weren't working again. On hold again for 1 hr - l finally got the tech On the phone and he couldn't help after going back-and-forth for another hour. When I ask for a Tech Support supervisor he told me there was none available. I told him that was unacceptable… He told me that the supervisors were available that they were working with other customers… I told him I would wait I argued back-and-forth with this guy to have a higher tech person try to figure out my alarm issue that I was having for a second time in one week. And that said, I hadn't had the alarm for a few weeks even though they told me that it had been restored. Finally after going back-and-forth with the original customer support person I got a great tech supervisor on the phone who still could not restore the alarms to all of my speakers… I have four in my house and three of them are set to surround sound. For whatever reason those speakers would not set an alarm. The problem is within the app not my speakers. It should  not have taken me requesting- for over an hour w/ a customer support person to get a higher level tech  support person. Each time I told him I would wait and he told me that they would eventually email me back. I didn't want an email I wanted to speak with a higher level tech-support. I have spent thousands of dollars with this company I should not have to practically beg to speak to someone that might be able to help me with the issue that they created.

this whole update since may is just a colossal failure. Not even within the app itself but the way the company is treating their customers. I am seriously considering going back to Bose.  
 

R
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

I would read this letter to all people fired from sonos this year thanks to this wonderful and prepared CEO. For me sonos Is dead. I actually have only two products, roam and arc. As soon as roam will die, as the first one that i have had, i will sell arc and move to another most reliable and serious brand.

Sonos for me has been really the top for this kind of products, today we have all the issue sadly known and  I have to read that due to CEO pressure for Quick app releasing other people will be fired.

Good luck to everyone and I look forward to read about the new deserved millionaire bonus for MR Spence.

 

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings