You’re No Apple

December 16th, 2009 by Kirk Skodis under Customer Service, Response, Social Media
Photo: kyz

Photo: kyz

We here at Trustworthy are all big fans of Apple. And yes, we know this fact flies in the face of everything we believe about social CRM. Apple has chosen not to engage with their customers in the social web. That is not to say they don’t love their customers. Their in-store service and user group support is top-notch. That also doesn’t mean they don’t listen. Steve Job’s open letter to customers offering store credit after the first big iPhone price drop (that made all the early adopters – the ones who gave the iPhone its momentum – feel swindled) was proof of that.
Apple doesn’t need to be on Twitter because of the 33-year history, the cult of personality, the highest brand and repurchase loyalty (J.D. Power ranking), and let’s not forget superior products and trans-industry innovation. They are the tech anomaly.
Don’t base your social web strategy on the Apple paradigm. If the atypicality of their position doesn’t strike you, at least consider that only until relatively recently, Apple was a struggling company with a market share under 5%.
Yes, you should strive to attain that kind of rare advantage with great products and services, but you’re taking a huge risk if you don’t also participate in a human relationship with your customers on their terms.
To echo Senator Lloyd Bentsen’s remark to Dan Quayle during the 1988 debate: I know Apple, and you’re no Apple.

We here at Trustworthy are all big fans of Apple. And yes, we know this fact flies in the face of everything we believe about social CRM. Apple has chosen not to engage with their customers in the social web. That is not to say they don’t love their customers. Their in-store service and user group support is top-notch. That also doesn’t mean they don’t listen. Steve Job’s open letter to customers offering store credit after the first big iPhone price drop (that made all the early adopters – the ones who gave the iPhone its momentum – feel swindled) was proof of that.

Apple doesn’t need to be on Twitter because of the 33-year history, the cult of personality, the highest brand and repurchase loyalty (J.D. Power ranking), and let’s not forget superior products and trans-industry innovation. They are the tech anomaly.

Don’t base your social web strategy on the Apple paradigm. If the atypicality of their position doesn’t strike you, at least consider that only until relatively recently, Apple was a struggling company with a market share under 5%.

Yes, you should strive to attain that kind of rare advantage with great products and services, but you’re taking a huge risk if you don’t also participate in a human relationship with your customers on their terms.

To echo Senator Lloyd Bentsen’s remark to Dan Quayle during the 1988 debate: I know Apple, and you’re no Apple.

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