Does Google need an ombudsman?

Posted Jul 6th 2006 3:23PM by Brian White
Filed under: Management, Consumer Experience, Google (GOOG)

Could Google benefit by having an ombudsman/customer service department/mediator-arbitrator? Possibly -- and it's clear that as the power of the Internet juggernaut continues to grow, the more it will need a very public face to put out all the fires that are sure to be started in the near future. Make no mistake -- history has shown this to always happen.

This article over at eWeek makes a very good point about Google needing an ombudsman. From being a fire extinguisher for potential lawsuits to highlighting legit customer concerns, an ombudsman could help make Google's "do no evil" mantra a reality.

With more smaller businesses almost solely relying on Google as a revenue source (to me, that's a mistake), there are literally millions of feathers that will continue to be ruffled as Google constantly tweaks its search process. Plus, consider the growing threat of massive click fraud issues and it's easy to see why Google needs a "champion of issues." If you hold GOOG, this is an area you should be asking the Mountain View boys about -- and soon.

Tags: AdSense, GOOG, Google, ombudsman