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How does your organization detect and put out fires? Between 2011 and 2013 there were a handful of reports to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC ) regarding cell phone explosions. Of the 51 telephones, cell phones & accessories related complaints received by the CPSC in 2013, 32 (62.7%) were for Apple iPhones. Of the 32 complaints, 29 (91%) were complaints about swelling and/or exploding batteries. Given the hundreds of millions of smartphones sold around the world, this isn’t statistically significant, but the exploding batteries are worth taking note of as they are a major health hazard and Apple’s handling of this situation has been weak at best. This issue puts a magnifying glass to Apple’s lack of tracking and reporting of these instances on behalf of their consumers.

A closer look at the product concerns raised by consumers in regards to iPhone battery explosions and overheating risks. Of the 32 complaints, 29 were specifically in regards to the iPhone 3G batteries swelling and/or exploding, one explosion was attributed to a 4G model, one 5G adaptor was said to have overheated and one iPhone charger (not related to any series) overheated.

A closer look at the product concerns raised by consumers in regards to iPhone battery explosions and overheating risks. Of the 32 complaints, 29 were specifically in regards to the iPhone 3G batteries swelling and/or exploding, one explosion was attributed to a 4G model, one 5G adaptor was said to have overheated and one iPhone charger (not related to any series) overheated.

A Smoldering Mess

Were there any signs that battery swelling/exploding issues existed before 2013? Looking back through the CPSC’s consumer complaint data for the iPhone 3G, in 2011 there was one official complaint referencing an exploding phone. In 2012 that went up to 15. Then there is a jump in 2013 to 29 complaints about swelling and exploding batteries. When you go to Apple’s community support site, you can see there is a thread dedicated to this topic with over 214 comments between 2012 and 2014 with over 74,059 views.

Apple hasn’t denied the exploding phone problem, but they haven’t fully addressed it either. In 2009 they did an official investigation into exploding iPods and iPhones and determined the issue wasn’t the battery, but physical pressure on the phone/device. In January of this year a teenager in Maine was injured when her iPhone 5 exploded in her pocket. Her family is filing an official lawsuit. Another iPhone 5 user was able to document his battery explosion and, at Apple’s request, took pictures to show the damage. Apple has yet to comment on the battery issue, or the lawsuit. This has been the more frustrating part for loyal Apple customers. They feel Apple has a responsibility to forewarn consumers of this hazard and to be more forthcoming about the health risks associated with the exploding batteries. As this 2013 news report “Bloated Batteries; When Tech Gadgets Turn Dangerous” points out, disposing of an exploded battery requires fire retardant gloves, and access to an electronics recycling facility.

This is How You Get Burned

Michael Kelly, CEO of the Marketing Research company, TECHTEL has been very vocal about his experience dealing with Apple in trying to rectify his exploded phone issue. After he felt he got the runaround from Apple’s support desk, he posted his exploded phone to the auction site eBay. San Jose Mercury News writer, Troy Wolverton reached out to Apple’s PR department to get their take on Mr. Kelly’s experience and they made it pretty clear to him they didn’t know anything about it. The customer support person that Kelly had been communicating with had “no way to send any additional information to other departments and no way to handle it himself.”

Make Sure You Have a Fire Alarm in Place

So, here we have a tech giant like Apple, who has revolutionized the way we use technology to communicate, unable to communicate between departments.  By implementing a product quality and consumer complaint alerting system, any manufacturer or retailer can avoid the abyss, road block, or time lapse between consumer concerns being captured and a manager getting around to telling leadership about it. Automated alerts are triggered by data within your customer’s complaints so that all instances of concern are reported instantly. Communication and alerting systems allow you to manage quality control and brand image so you can avoid having things blow up in your face.