Samsung is trying to restore some consumer goodwill after the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7. The company ran full page apology ads in three major US daily newspapers today. The letters, which appeared in Monday editions of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, were aimed at English-speaking consumers, according to The Korean Herald.
The letter is signed by Gregory Lee, the president and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America. “An important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality. Recently, we fell short on this promise. For this we are truly sorry,” the ad reads. “We will re-examine every aspect of the device, including all hardware, software, manufacturing and the overall battery structure. We will move as quickly as possible, but will take the time needed to get the right answers.”
The company says it’s continuing to investigate the device’s development and manufacturing processes to fully unearth what exactly went wrong and caused the device to catch fire and combust. The Note 7, which was initially released back in August, suffered from critical flaws in its design that led to overheating. Samsung initially recalled millions of units in early September, but permanently discontinued production a month later after replacement phones began exhibiting the same issues.
As of last week, around 85 percent of all devices have been returned, the company says. All in all, it’s clear Samsung leadership feels the need to mend bridges. “Most importantly, safety remains our top priority,” the ad says in conclusion. “We are grateful for your ongoing support and again, we are truly sorry.”
