Consumers increasingly turn to X (formerly Twitter) to voice grievances about product defects or poor service, often tagging brands directly in their complaints. While most receive responses from dedicated support teams, one woman’s complaint about a faulty pillow prompted a direct reply from Frido’s CEO, Ganesh Sonawane—within hours.
An X user posted a side-by-side comparison of the product she had ordered versus what she received from Frido. Tagging the company, she wrote, “What I ordered VS what I received.”
Accompanying the post were two images. The first, a screenshot from Frido’s website, displayed a large, firm, triangular wedge-shaped pillow. The second image, however, showed a flat, deflated, and misshapen product that barely resembled the advertised version.
Frido’s founder and CEO, Ganesh Sonawane, quickly acknowledged the issue, responding within hours. His first reaction was "Da*n." He then followed up with an apology, stating, "Apologies for the inconvenience."
Explaining the likely cause of the defect, he wrote, "In very rare cases, the vacuum gets stronger, and it doesn’t unroll fully within the expected time." He assured the customer that his team would resolve the issue promptly.
The CEO’s quick response sparked a debate among social media users. While some appreciated his transparency and willingness to engage, others criticised the company’s quality control and logistics.
One user called out Frido’s quality assurance standards, writing: "Mr. Sonawane @ganeshunwired, this reflects your quality assurance standard practices for end customers. So much hype on marketing, but logistics went on a holiday, as seen from the user experience. Didn’t expect this."
In response, Sonawane acknowledged the challenges of large-scale operations while highlighting efforts to improve: "The more we centralise our operations, these issues are reducing with time. But at our scale, a 1% logistics issue—which is nearly unavoidable—means 40-50 people get disappointed every day. Quality issues are extremely low, and we're working to bring them near zero in the next few quarters."
While some criticised the company, others defended it, sharing positive experiences.
One user explained that Frido’s wedge pillow arrives in a highly compressed form and takes time to expand: "The Frido Wedge pillow is received in a highly compressed form. It takes a few hours to gain its expected shape. I bought it for my wife, and she just loves it. We have also gifted it to a few senior relatives, and they appreciated it very much."
Another user praised Sonawane’s leadership: "I like CEOs who admit an issue and quickly resolve it."
Originally from Maharashtra, Ganesh Sonawane studied engineering at the National Institute of Technology, Calicut. He started his career as an R&D Assistant Manager at Bajaj Auto Ltd, where he worked for four years before founding Frido in 2015.
Meanwhile, Frido specialises in products designed to enhance daily living, including ergonomic cushions and mobility aids.
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