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Apple Silence on iPhone Issues Likely to Bite Its Ass

Analysts predict nearly 5 million iPhone sales this quarter, and the Wall St Journal reports that the iPhone Apps Store averages a million dollars a day in sales. But the damn things don't seem to be working for a lot of people, droves of whom as reporting iPhone 3G connectivity problems, dropped calls, and blue screens of death (hey, i thought that was a WIndows thing?) For example:
Twitter
Google Trends
Google News
Chris Pirillo and others on YouTube

And what has Apple said to its customers? Nothing. Nada. Silence is deafening. That's long been Apple's way of responding to information requests, and this time, I think it's going to bite them.

Steve Jobs doesn't do interviews, neither do his lieutenants, much to the consternation of just about every tech writer on the planet. Apple products are generally great, but silence when a product isn't great has cost other companies dearly in the past and Apple is not exempt.

Ask Dell. Ask Kryptonite.

Even giants of American industry have been humbled by the power of customer-driven media. Yet Apple has always gotten a pass. It's always been because the products are great. But teaming up with AT&T may have been a big mistake. I know I'm not alone in waiting until AT&T isn't my only choice of carrier. Partnering with AT&T means Apple, for the first time, can't call all of its own shots. Google cell phone anyone?

Dear Apple: We're not sales stats waiting to be marketed to. Resisting the voice of the customer is futile. We're already talking about you. We’ll keep doing that whether or not you respond. We'll cost you money. Just wait and see.

But if you do respond, you have the opportunity to surprise and perhaps even delight customers who might otherwise never have bought from you again.

Categories: B.L. Ochman, Customer Service Issues, Don't Believe the Hype, Internet strategy, Public Relations, Social Media, Worst Practices

BL Ochman | Aug 15 08 3:11 | TrackBack (0)

Comments

C'mon, BL. To characterize 3g probs as widespread is inaccurate. The ONLY people I've heard jeer the iPhone are folks who don't have one. "Bite its ass"?... "Likely"? Doubt it. There will be a drought in Redmond before Apple stops growing its army of loyalists.

Posted by: Mark at August 17, 2008 11:35 PM

Don't shoot the messenger Mark. I *reported* issues raised by unhappy iPhone owners. I didn't create them.

And silence from Apple *is* the wrong answer.

I'm an Apple fan. I love my Mac. But I'm not buying an iPhone until I can choose my carrier.

And, doh, the phone has to work.

Posted by: BL Ochman at August 17, 2008 11:44 PM

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About BL Ochman

Blogger, social media strategy consultant to Fortune 500 companies, and sought-after corporate speaker B.L. Ochman heads the creative team of whatsnextonline.com. She also publishes the Ethics Crisis blog for SRF Global Translations

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