[Reply to Shel Israel's post Shel Hell Dampens my Mac Envy]

I work for Apple.

Apple is all about the product. The company hierarchy reflects this, in a similar way at Dell where it all starts with the sales organisation.  Anything that gets in the way of a sale is top of the list at Dell. Apple is a different animal.

The result of this focus for Apple is great and desirable products.  My background is with Windows, and OS X on Mac is comparatively a better experience.  To avoid any resulting jihad from the Windows vs Mac camps (and vice versa) my premise here is it's not just about the product.  Notebooks are one of the tools we use to "produce", whatever we do in our work and day to day lives.  Something like 80% of all notebook production comes out of Taiwan and China ... contract manufacturing for all the leading brands. Sure cool industrial design and better usability matter, but as the market continues to commoditise the emphasis shifts to "the other things" or ecosystem around the offering.  It is true that any of the top brands (and a number of the smaller niche players) can provide you a notebook that will get the job done.  But if there's one thing to get right, its is supporting the user. Nothing dismantles a brand quicker than the focus unhappy users and their ability to create a tipping point in general opinion.
 
I'm not sure anyone gets this 100% right.  Dell, aside from it's recent slide, use to do a great job comparatively ... and grew like crazy in the marketplace as a result. And their product, while reliable, was anything but inspiring in design.  Apple also places well in comparative user satisfaction surveys.

I think there is something missing though.  It's to do with relationship and trust.  Let me try and explain.

I did my weekly grocery shopping at my local Sainbury's Supermarket yesterday.  I used their self-scan handset that let's you scan items as you select them from the shelf. This means the checkout process is quick and painless.  For the third time in a row, their "system" dictated all the items be re-scaned at the checkout.  Ahhhh!  Turns out my purchase of 1/2 dozen re-usable carrier bags after the self-scan handset had been "loaded" at the checkout at a previous visit was flagged as a variance in items scanned.  The "system" had flagged me as someone they need to double check.

I worked out I spend over (US)$10,000 a year at Sainbury's.  They left the customer relationship to be managed by the most junior and probably the lowest paid employee's in their business and a flag in the database.  A flag that was indiscriminate to a legitimate at check-out purchase.  A great service (self-scanning) followed up by customer service that questioned a $10k pa customers integrity.  Do Sainbury's understand what happened yesterday?

I wonder if I offered the owner-operated deli, green grocer and general store on the local High Street their share of my $10k spend.  How different would my relationship with those businesses?

Two points:

Is the above supermarket scenario any different with the computer vendor support organisations?  Is the customer interaction handled by a junior member of staff and arbitrated by fixed process?  How do we develop a better trust relationships between vendor and individual to set and meet expectations (for those of us who are not bloggers of influence)?

I know there are many talented and passionate individuals in the AppleCare organisation, behind the Genius Bars in Apple stores, and in Apple's channel.  How do we ensure they understand what a failed notebook means to an individual that will have 500 people in an auditorium for the keynote presentation the next morning?  How do we empower them to help?

My guess it's similar to the relationship and trust I would build with the owner of the local deli as we got to know each others needs.  Is there a repeatable way we can make this work with the bigger support organisations?  How do we replicate the two-way conversation that makes the relationship with the deli owner more powerful than the checkout clerk at Sainsbury's?

To Shel Israel ... by a MacBook Pro.  You won't regret it.  But help me as I work from the inside to help Apple get into the conversation for the benefit of all.