Seriously dude, what's wrong with you? Are you just that arrogant and detached from reality? I'm beginning to think you're socially inept. Awkward around us normal folk. Most genii are I suppose.
For years I thought that Apple's "no comment" position was just part of the mystique and aura of one of the world's most coveted brand. Apple was the popular kid. The snob. Take it or leave it. If you don't like it, get lost. And so on and so forth.
Apple confounded all the social media critics, experts and mavens who preached the importance of "joining the conversation". But Apple did not. Apple refused to. Apple turned a cheek and looked away. Apple ignored Twitter. Facebook. And all the other must-have bright-and-shiny-objects of BrandLand for both corporate brand and specific products like their iPhone.
Some people speculate it's all part of an elaborate plan. You always want what you can't have.
Now I'm seriously beginning to doubt that this is nothing more than one man's tyrannical rule over an entire company. A rude, rude man without a clue and without a plan (at least when it comes to treating his customers with a shred of respect, decency and kindness).
I'm referring to the recent kerfuffle, where a college senior by the name of Chelsea Isaacs - after trying numerous times to get a response from Apple Media Relations regarding help on a college paper on use of iPads in Education - e-mailed Steve Jobs himself ([email protected]) and the following exchange ensued:
Chelsea: "The completion of this article is crucial to my grade in the class...my deadline is tomorrow."
Jobs: "Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade. Sorry."
Chelsea: "Thank you for your reply. I never said that your goal should be to "help me get a good grade." Rather, I politely asked why your Media relations team does not respond to e-mails."
Jobs: "We have over 300 million users and we can't respond to their requests unless they involve a problem of some kind. Sorry"
Chelsea: "1. I AM one of your 300 million users. 2. I DO have a problem - I need answers that only Apple Media Relations can answer. Now can they kindly respond to my request. My polite and friendly voice can be heard in the first 5 or 10 messages in their in-box. Please, I am on deadline."
Jobs: "Please leave us alone."
Say what? Please leave us alone? Are you kidding me????!!!!!
This behavior and attitude is unacceptable.
I only wish that every single one of his customers respected his wish and "left him alone" by stopping to purchase his products. Teach him a lesson.
Unfortunately for us, his competitors are pretty much unanimously clueless when it comes to giving him a run for his money. Palm Pre anyone?
This incident brings up several critical questions:
- When is not ok for a "rogue" or "renegade" CEO to respond publicly to customers?
- At what point does an entire brand's reputation/halo get tarnished based on the actions and mandate of one cranky and out of touch executive (even if it IS Jobs?)
- Does Apple have the right to refuse this kind of request? Or put differently, do customers have the right to ask questions and get answers to their questions? Is this is a RIGHT or a PRIVILEGE?
- Conversely, is this an OBLIGATION that a brand has to its customer base, consumer and community?
- Is randomly monitoring and responding as bad as not monitoring and responding at all i.e. an ad-hoc versus a comprehensive/thorough approach?
- In this particular case, should Jobs have just ignored Chelsea rather than engaging her in a "pissing" mis-match? How hard would it have been to simply forward Isaac's request to the appropriate person in Media Relations?
- Should Steve Jobs go for "sensitivity" or "media relations" training (perhaps he could share the investment with the Jets?) Should Apple's shareholders demand this from Jobs?
Apple is the nemesis of Flip the Funnel and at some point, one wonders when all of their luck and pixie dust will run out.
...or as @apple might say, "there was an accident"; "nothing special". Prophetic words perhaps?
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