Nokia’s shabby treatment of Indian consumers costs it dear

News of the poor performance of Nokia in the current economic downturn is not surprising. Although it continues to have among the best user interfaces and intuitive phone-use software, the mobile handset major neglected one of its best markets, India.

Cashing in on the poor consumer awareness in the country, Nokia has been peddling handsets with shockingly poor build quality, at a time when its rivals were pushing forward with features and aggressive price points.

Even more distressing is the after-sales support for customers from Nokia in India. We have had occasion to mention before that the plasticky phones sold in India tended to break easily, delivered poor value and ultimately, represented a disappointing experience for value-conscious customers.

Let us see whether Nokia has learnt its lesson, now that it appears like the hare in the mobile race. It must do better with customer support, show greater respect for Indians buying millions of its phones, adopt uniform standards in phone charger integration, audio-jack configuration (3.55 mm) and above all, build quality and support. The carpetbagging days are over. Get down to work now.