Apple, post-Jobs, isn’t the same. Or, is it?
Everyone, it seems, has some ideas about what Apple needs to do to regain its shine, presumably tarnished by competitors such as Samsung.
So, if you were at the helm and ruled Apple, what would you do?
Make the camera and photography apps in the iPhone even better? Some forward-thinking camera companies have already written apps that will allow you to control your camera remotely using your smartphone. We saw one new (as yet unannounced) and advanced app and it’s amazing the level of control that you can now have [sorry, we’re under NDA]. Various photographers have already written about their ideals for a connected camera which includes the smartphone.
Tech analyst Rob Enderle weighs in with advice on just how to get Apple back on track: Do not introduce a low-end iPhone and dilute the Apple brand; spend more on advertising to counter Samsung; sell related products in Apple Retail stores to increase foot traffic between launches.
Sounds good. Common sense. What do you think?
Read the article at: CIO.
I know that my experience visiting an Apple Store may not be typical. I visited three times this year, and all three times to bring back a broken Apple product for repair and/or replacement. I find that customer service can sometimes be self-destructive. For example, they forced me to make an appointment with a Genius 2 weeks from now to exchange a broken product. Do I need to meet a Genius? Will he or she offer me a better deal? No, just a replacement for so many dollars. So, why can I not do it now at the sales counter? I was practically begging them to SHADDUP AND TAKE MY MONEY NOW! but they insisted on waiting 2 weeks. Customer service reps at the store basically are very well behaved and polite as they tell you in a syrupy voice to take a hike (“We can rebook you with another Genius rep if you prefer — another 2 weeks from now”) if you dare to even say a negative (but true) word about the product and/or the service (at one of the visit, a missing part on my MacBook was not replaced and no one wanted to take responsibility for the oversight or even apologized for making me waste a one-hour drive to their store). Whoever is in charge of the retail store needs to revisit customer service. I certainly do not feel a valued customer — and, from where I sit waiting to be “serviced,” I cannot believe my eyes (and ears) at the number of people also waiting to get their Apple products repaired — and most of the time I overhear the reps telling them that it cannot be fixed and they must fork out quite a bit for a replacement. This is one of the thing I would fix at Apple.
