Crisis communication

Samsung Galaxy 7 Battery Explosions

Samsung Galaxy 7 smartphone batteries started bursting in August 2016, just one month after they were released on the global market (Jordan, 2016). More than 3 million people bought the phone during the first two weeks of its availability because of its rumored benefits, including its sexiness, battery life, screen sturdiness, and superior sound system. Additionally, advertisements suggested that the phone could bear extreme pressure and endure filthy conditions. The majority of Samsung Galaxy 7 users as of the end of July 2017 were in the United States. However, there were conflicting opinions when a sizable percentage of the scattered 7 suddenly exploded. In some cases, the phone could blow in the hands of the customer or within the customer's premises. The worst cases were observed when the phone could explode during charging or communication (Vox Media, 2016). 7 death cases, several injuries, and electrocutions were reported due to the explosion of the device. The frequent battery explosions called for a thorough research into the causes of device failure, and it was found out that the batteries experienced unusual deflections of the anode. It was further explained that the cells were that prone to failure since their parts were manufactured by different companies, hence in most cases, the pieces could not precisely fit or rhyme with the various chemical compositions. Moreover, the battery components were susceptible to attacks by ultrasonic waves, hence could easily explode when exposed to the same (ZDNet, 2016). The recall of the phones cost the company close to $5.4 billion.

Samsung Inc. LTD's Response

Samsung Inc. LTD appropriately handled this crisis by establishing an 8-test device testing laboratory for all its phones before dispatching them to customers.

Samsung Inc. LTD inappropriately handled the crisis by delaying device recalls through the company C.E.O., Mr. Tim Baxter.

References

Jordan, G. (2016). Samsung knew a third replacement 7 caught fire on Tuesday and said nothing. The verge, 3-5.

Vox Media. (2016). Samsung recalls Galaxy 7 worldwide due to exploding battery fears. The Verge, 3-5.

ZDNet. (2016). Samsung-powered Galaxy S7 suffers from sluggish GPU. ZDNet, 12-14.

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Crisis communication.

Crisis "Appropriate" Paragraph

Samsung Inc. LTD acted appropriately to the crisis by establishing an 8-test device testing laboratory for all its manufactured phones, before dispatching to the customers (Ars Technica, 2016). The company liaised with the University of Cambridge professors to form a specific consultant group for the battery production. The group consisted of technical advisors from the chemical engineering department of the University of Cambridge. Grey Clare and Ceder Gerbrand were consulted on material science issues. Oher members of the team were professionals including Toru Yi from Stamford University, school of engineering. The company also introduced new quality assurance policies to improve the processes of design and manufacture. Quality control procedures were also modified to seal the loopholes behind the manufacture of counterfeit batteries. Samsung Inc. LTD did not only limit the policies to the firm-parts manufacturers were also obliged to abide by the procedures to ensure that the end product is safe for customer use. The 8-test laboratory test for the Samsung phones was laid down to ensure that every aspect of the functionality of the phones and technical parameters are first checked, and this included the use of an experimental prototype manufactured from the standard production line (Engadget, 2016). The eight steps of quality check included tests for durability and in this analysis, the prototype was subjected to extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. The impact testing was also enacted to ascertain the extent of device resilience. Visual inspection and X-ray tests were adopted to establish the internal behavior of the battery when subjected to heat and extreme electric current (Martin, 2016). The device further went through a discharge and charge test, as well as the behavior of the battery during normal usage and accelerated usage. The move saved the company from consumers' lack of confidence in its products.

References

Ars Technica. (2016). Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge bring refinement to a proven design. Ars Technica, 13-14.

Engadget. (2016). Samsung Galaxy S7: 5 Things you may not know about Samsung's new flagship. Engadget, 3-5.

Martin, C. (2016). Samsung Galaxy S7 review: The best phone of 2015 just got even better for 2016 with most of our prayers answered. PC Advisor, 6-8.

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Crisis communication.

Crisis "Inappropriate" paragraph.

Samsung Inc. LTD inappropriately handled the crisis by delaying the product recalls through the company C.E.O., Mr. Tim Baxter (Jordan, 2016). Recalls for the Samsung galaxy Note 7 was done almost a month after it was reported that most of them were exploding. The first explosion of the device was experienced within the United States of America-Virginia, and this was enough evidence to alarm the company of the potential dangers of the device. Moreover, during the official release of Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the company chief executive officer asserted that the new breed of Samsung phones had the best user interface and could efficiently meet customer requirements. Another case of Samsung galaxy Note 7 explosion was experienced in Ohio, followed by a similar one in Nigeria. Even after hearing of such cases and having substantial evidence that the phone was not safe for consumer use, the managers of Samsung Inc. LTD did not immediately look into the matter (CNET, 2016). The persistent explosions of the device caused material damages and risks to human life, especially in high-temperature areas and areas with electric power fluctuations. For example, a user in Dubai lost his household electronics due to a circuit defect caused by a burning Samsung Note 7. Some users also got injured by the electric currents when the phone exploded during use. Other users also reported that Samsung Note 7's battery explosions emitted gases that caused skin burns and respiratory problems (The Guardian, 2016). More than 1 million Samsung galaxy Note 7 devices were sold after cases of its explosions were reported, and the company took action only when the instances of phone explosions were too frequent.

References

CNET. (2016). Samsung recalls Galaxy 7 over battery flaw. CBS Interractive, 13-14.

Jordan, G. (2016). Samsung knew a third replacement 7 caught fire on Tuesday and said nothing. The verge, 3-5.

The Guardian. (2016). Samsung delays recalls after shipment of 2 million Galaxy 7 phones. The Guardian, 7-9.