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The Sonos Community and the Mob


Three weeks after the new app was released, and the Sonos Community has become one huge echo chamber.  1000s of individual posts all saying basically the same things - nobody appears to read what's gone before. 

There's little constructive discussion of solutions, workarounds, or coherent error reports. 

Everything has become buried in a morass of angry, shouting, threatening financial penalties and overflowing landfills.

Not a pretty sight or example for prospective users and customers. 

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9 replies

UKMedia
  • 5116 replies
  • May 26, 2024

Agreed, it’s very difficult to help users looking for help rather than a place to rant!


  • Author
  • Prodigy I
  • 212 replies
  • May 26, 2024

Sonos is a commercial outfit proving a range of hardware and software.  They have as their first objective to maintain or increase their share value.  This is what they do. 

They proceed with this goal and are unlikely to be swayed by past customer appeals or sentiment, except when there may be reputational damage which impacts negatively on the financial outcome.

Existing users have little choice other than to stop using their devices or wait until Sonos provides fixes.  That's the reality. 

 


Forum|alt.badge.img+5
  • Enthusiast II
  • 40 replies
  • May 26, 2024

Who’s fault is this? Consider it a protest. Many people have spent thousands on their gear, largely because of the slick, reliable and great user experience. The new App is a masterclass in poor UI and how to upset your customers. Not holding their hands up and saying ‘our bad, we go it wrong’, rather than saying ‘stop complaining, it’s what you wanted’, and giving us the old app until they have something better is arrogant and insulting. I’ve fallen out of love with Sonos this week and feel like selling up. 


UKMedia
  • 5116 replies
  • May 26, 2024
Badgercop wrote:

Who fault is this? Consider it a protest. Many people have spent thousands on their gear, largely because of the slick, reliable and great user experience. The new App is a masterclass in poor UI and how to upset your customers. Not holding their hands up and saying ‘our bad, we go it wrong’, rather than saying ‘stop complaining, it’s what you wanted’, and giving us the old app until they have something better is arrogant and insulting. I’ve fallen out of love with Sonos this week and feel like selling up. 

I’m also one of those with multiple £,000’s of kit that’s impacted and I totally understand the frustration but I primarily come on the forum to help other users resolve issues. 

Obviously the forum regulars and myself can’t address the majority of issues associated with the latest release but we’re still trying to help users with unrelated issues. I think Sonos have got the message!  I personally would like to carry on helping other users but it’s very difficult at the moment.


Forum|alt.badge.img+5
  • Enthusiast II
  • 40 replies
  • May 26, 2024
UKMedia wrote:
Badgercop wrote:

Who fault is this? Consider it a protest. Many people have spent thousands on their gear, largely because of the slick, reliable and great user experience. The new App is a masterclass in poor UI and how to upset your customers. Not holding their hands up and saying ‘our bad, we go it wrong’, rather than saying ‘stop complaining, it’s what you wanted’, and giving us the old app until they have something better is arrogant and insulting. I’ve fallen out of love with Sonos this week and feel like selling up. 

I’m also one of those with multiple £,000’s of kit that’s impacted and I totally understand the frustration but I primarily come on the forum to help other users resolve issues. 

Obviously the forum regulars and myself can’t address the majority of issues associated with the latest release but we’re still trying to help users with unrelated issues. I think Sonos have got the message!  I personally would like to carry on helping other users but it’s very difficult at the moment.


They totally haven’t got the message though. Their reputation and relationship with their customer base has taken an absolute hammering. Yet they have come out and said it took ‘Courage’ in one of their cringiest damage limitation press releases, and intimated we are stupid for ‘not getting it’. What are these people on, they are just digging the hole they are in deeper. 


UKMedia
  • 5116 replies
  • May 26, 2024
Badgercop wrote:
UKMedia wrote:
Badgercop wrote:

Who fault is this? Consider it a protest. Many people have spent thousands on their gear, largely because of the slick, reliable and great user experience. The new App is a masterclass in poor UI and how to upset your customers. Not holding their hands up and saying ‘our bad, we go it wrong’, rather than saying ‘stop complaining, it’s what you wanted’, and giving us the old app until they have something better is arrogant and insulting. I’ve fallen out of love with Sonos this week and feel like selling up. 

I’m also one of those with multiple £,000’s of kit that’s impacted and I totally understand the frustration but I primarily come on the forum to help other users resolve issues. 

Obviously the forum regulars and myself can’t address the majority of issues associated with the latest release but we’re still trying to help users with unrelated issues. I think Sonos have got the message!  I personally would like to carry on helping other users but it’s very difficult at the moment.


They totally haven’t got the message though. Their reputation and relationship with their customer base has taken an absolute hammering. Yet they have come out and said it took ‘Courage’ in one of their cringiest damage limitation press releases, and intimated we are stupid for ‘not getting it’. What are these people on, they are just digging the hole they are in deeper. 

I’m still just trying to help not justify. :)


  • Author
  • Prodigy I
  • 212 replies
  • May 26, 2024
Badgercop wrote:

Who’s fault is this? Consider it a protest. Many people have spent thousands on their gear, largely because of the slick, reliable and great user experience. The new App is a masterclass in poor UI and how to upset your customers. Not holding their hands up and saying ‘our bad, we go it wrong’, rather than saying ‘stop complaining, it’s what you wanted’, and giving us the old app until they have something better is arrogant and insulting. I’ve fallen out of love with Sonos this week and feel like selling up. 

Can't disagree, but expecting special treatment because you spent thousands is not a strong argument once you have exceeded some statutory warranty period, and gives no more rights than the single device owner.  

At the moment, choices are limited: accept the situation as it is and wait for fixes, switch to an alternative proprietary system. 

Unfair, infuriating and poor customer support?  All these, but that's how it is (as Bruce Hornby once sang)

 

Bruce Hornby - Way it is


Forum|alt.badge.img+5
  • Enthusiast II
  • 40 replies
  • May 26, 2024
Greenland wrote:
Badgercop wrote:

Who’s fault is this? Consider it a protest. Many people have spent thousands on their gear, largely because of the slick, reliable and great user experience. The new App is a masterclass in poor UI and how to upset your customers. Not holding their hands up and saying ‘our bad, we go it wrong’, rather than saying ‘stop complaining, it’s what you wanted’, and giving us the old app until they have something better is arrogant and insulting. I’ve fallen out of love with Sonos this week and feel like selling up. 

Can't disagree, but expecting special treatment because you spent thousands is not a strong argument once you have exceeded some statutory warranty period, and gives no more rights than the single device owner.  

At the moment, choices are limited: accept the situation as it is and wait for fixes, switch to an alternative proprietary system. 

Unfair, infuriating and poor customer support?  All these, but that's how it is (as Bruce Hornby once sang)

 

Bruce Hornby - Way it is


Who is asking for special treatment? wanting core features back (that were advertised btw), and properly usable app - and to not be told ‘we have courage, you’re all stupid and wanted this you just don’t understand’ - is asking for special treatment? 
 

Last night I had a get together with friends at home. None of my guests could use Apple Music (error message after error message, then they couldn’t understand how to use it anyway). It was awful, we ended using an Amazon Echo for music (yes it was that bad, lol). 
 

I get your point, but I make no apology for being angry after spending this amount of money. 


  • Author
  • Prodigy I
  • 212 replies
  • May 26, 2024

No apologies needed.  But the fact is that this whole update affair is covered by the EULA

See:  

 


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