I know this is "old news", but I figure it's never too late to state an opinion...
Apple decreased the price of the iPhone which has caused some ruckus:
"...the iPhone is a commodity like any other phone, not original enough even in its own designer's eyes to maintain a premium price. We thought the real Apple was better than that." -- Joseph Pine and James Gilmore (Harvard Business Online)
"His responses to the questions seem rather unsympathetic and the words were definitely not as carefully chosen as they could have been." -- Service Untitled
"The key is to not give price protection to early buyers (that's unsustainable as a business model) but to make them feel more exclusive, not less." -- Seth Godin
"Had we known that they were going to do this, we wouldn't have bought the devices upon release. " --Student Tech News
And of course, let's not forget the customers who like to let it be known over at YouTube...
I especially like that last comment because it says something about the future of Apple. Apple has lost their customers' trust and trust is so important in the relationship. So, when Apple comes out with a new "must-have" device, do you think customers are going to be running to the front of the line to get the next best thing? I don't think so.
However, if you'll allow me to play Devil's advocate for a moment...
I know that Apple customers are vocal - I learned that early on when I first blogged about the company. However, c'mon people, retailers are always dropping the prices of their products. That's the nature of the electronics business. Every piece of equipment I own has gone down in price, but you don't see me crying a river.
But then, these companies also didn't offer me a $100 credit, so maybe Apple did do some good...Perhaps it is good that Apple customers do voice their opinions. Can I get some HP customers together to yell at HP so my computer can get fixed?
Read the letter that Steve Jobs wrote to iPhone customers...Any thoughts?
Yes, with the price cut, Apple have lost the trust of its customers.
But they have quickly taken action to remedy it and re-assure them, so hopefully, this will not hurt the sales of any new product/service in the future. That may be one reason why millions of their customers keep being loyal to them.
Posted by: secret33.com, (On Did Apple Lose Customers' Trust?) | September 12, 2007 4:55 AM | Permalink to Comment