Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!brunix!omh From: omh@cs.brown.edu (Owen M. Hartnett) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: Apple OS 7.0 - Cost? Message-ID: <23943@brunix.UUCP> Date: 2 Jan 90 04:23:59 GMT References: <35036.2598DF8A@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG> <37516@apple.Apple.COM> Sender: news@brunix.UUCP Reply-To: omh@cs.brown.edu (Owen M. Hartnett) Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science Lines: 77 In article <37516@apple.Apple.COM> rewing@Apple.COM (Richard Ewing) writes: > >Second, the Apple dealer network *is* supposed to be factory supported >that maximizes service to the customer. The problem is in the >"policing." Our dealer organization is too large for us to >monitor as closely as you would like, but they are monitored, and >customer comments or complaints are carefully tracked. However, >many dealers and dealer sales people forget the path that they >are supposed to take in solving a customer problem. > Frankly, speaking, there is no way that the current setup could ever "maximize service to the customer." Let's look at the setup as it stands: First of all, there's a dealer at the bottom who sells Apple equipment only parttime. There are undoubtedly few authorized dealers who sell exclusively Apple - all of the dealers, including the large chains, have a mix of product lines to maximize their profits. It is unrealistic to expect that every dealer is going to support the Apple line in the ways Apple would like it to, and where that support fails, so does Apple's perceived image. Second, let's look at the upper links of this chain: Apple is one of the worst companies in returning phone calls - bar none. There seems to be a perception throughout the company that most phone calls do not need to be returned, particularly when the caller is unknown. Now, I can't speak with experience about the dealer support setup, but if it's anything like the rest of the company... Guy Kawasaki used a running joke in his talks: You want customer support? Call 996-1010 (or whatever the main Apple number is) For example, if a customer approches a sales rep with a question he/she >can't answer, and no one else in the store can answer it, then >the rep is supposed to call the Apple distribution center in their >territory for the answer. We have a staff of people at each site >whose sole purpose is to answer customer questions from the dealer. >Get them to use it!!! DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT ask for the number >to the dealer Q/A hotline because they are NOT supposed to give it >to you. We don't have enough people to handle individual customer >problems and complaints. And if the distribution center staff >can't answer your question or solve your problem, then they are >supposed to call Cupertino and solve the issue. The system works... >I've seen and used it myself. Just remind your dealer that it exists >and is available for their use. And if they are clueless enough not >to know what the phone number is for the distrbution center (a reprehensible >crime), then have them call their local Apple office, who will have the number. > Now, this is a horrible attitude. "DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT" Gee, you wouldn't want to have to deal with actual users, would you?? Look, why not do yourself a favor? Set up a room with about 50 or so people in it with a bunch of 800 lines - they're really cheap now. Answer the user's calls. Expedite the channel of support instead of inhibiting it. If a customer has a problem, follow it up. Think of the PR benefits, they'll pay for those 50 people fast! Sure, you'll get a lot of calls like "What is the Finder?" but, once you've answered them, you'll get a satisfied user who'll tell other ones. You call up IBM and you'll very quickly get a salesman who'll try to sell you a computer (or one that will call you back). You call up Apple and you'll get a runaround. Now, you'll tell me that Apple doesn't have the resources that IBM does, and I agree, but if you ever expect to grow as large as IBM (and I certainly hope you do), then now is the time to set up the support (*and* sales) network. >believe it or not, Apple's support organization does exist, and has >a specific way to access it. Make sure your dealer remembers >how and when to use it. I've even had to remeind certain dealers >of its existence. They can forget! The above statements typify the quality of the support channel. It really won't cost you that much in the long run, other companies do it, and it will put you in the same race as the big boys. Owen Hartnett omh@cs.brown.edu.CSNET Brown University Computer Science omh@cs.brown.edu uunet!brunix!omh "Don't wait up for me tonight because I won't be home for a month."