In the New York Times today, Joe Nocera recounts his sob story about losing a Sony PlayStation3 he orderd from Amazon due to a shipping screw-up:
Nonetheless, I got on the phone with an Amazon customer service representative, and explained what had happened: the PlayStation had been shipped, delivered and signed for. It just didn’t wind up in my hands. Would Amazon send me a replacement? In my heart of hearts, I knew I didn’t have a leg to stand on. I was pleading for mercy.
I shudder to think how this entreaty would have gone over at, say, Apple, where customer service is an oxymoron. But the Amazon customer service guy didn’t blink. After assuring himself that I had never actually touched or seen the PlayStation, he had a replacement on the way before the day was out. It arrived on Christmas Eve. Amazon didn’t even charge me for the shipping.
MacDailyNews Take: That’s it. No facts from Nocera to back up why he would “shudder” if called Apple. No proof that “customer service is an oxymoron” at Apple. Nothing. Just an unsubstantiated opinion thrown in to slam Apple; one that, in fact, runs counter to most every study we’ve ever seen:
• Apple Mac desktops, notebooks top PC Magazine’s Annual Reader Satisfaction survey – again – September 18, 2007
• Apple again tops the field in LAPTOP Magazine’s ‘Tech Support Showdown 2007’ – June 19, 2007
• Survey shows Apple near top of U.S. consumers’ most-trusted brands – April 25, 2007
• Consumer Reports rates Apple best place to shop – November 24, 2006
• Apple again leads Consumer Reports’ survey for notebook, desktop computer tech support, value, more – October 16, 2006
• Apple Mac desktops, notebooks top PC Magazine’s Annual Reader Satisfaction survey – again – August 22, 2006
• Apple far outscores all other PC makers in Consumer Reports Computer Tech Support Survey – May 05, 2006
• Apple Mac desktops, portables top PC Magazine’s 2005 Reader Satisfaction survey – August 24, 2005
• Apple Computer products top PC Magazine’s annual ‘Best of the Year’ survey – December 16, 2004
• Apple Macs top PC Magazine’s ’17th Annual Reader Satisfaction Survey’ – August 10, 2004
• Apple leads PC Magazine’s 16th annual Service and Reliability Survey – July 10, 2003
Full article, Think Before You Click™, here.
MacDailyNews Take: Upon researching Nocera, we found that at one time, he had an iPod hard drive die. The iPod was over a year old, hence out-of-warranty, and Nocera had declined to purchase Apple’s extended warranty. On February 4, 2006, Nocera proceeded to pitch a hissy fit in The New York Times because he was too stupid either to protect his investment or to grasp the concept that a one-year warranty expires after the period of one year. That would seem to be the basis upon which Nocera drops his unsubstantiated, unfair blanket characterization about Apple’s customer service in today’s article.
Nocera seems to think that he’s entitled to receive services beyond which are covered by warranty or for free, because he decided not to extend his warranty. Extended warranties have a value. That’s why they have set prices. If Nocera declined to purchase the extended warranty, why does he still expect to be covered for free?
Undoing the damage caused by Nocera with his unsubstantiated statement, one that is, in fact, very well disproved by multiple surveys and reports, will be tough. We’d expect that, even if The New York Times runs a retraction and/or apology, they would bury it deep within their pages in tiny type.
That said, the contact info:
Joe Nocera:
New York Time Editor:
sounds fishy
He’ll get bombarded by emails, then write a story about the vitriol Apple induces amongst its fans. Can’t win.
People don’t believe everything they read anymore in part because of crapy writing like that.
Apple has the best customer support I have ever dealt with.
However, no company can fix stupidity. The consumer has to be more than a warm body.
Whenever I have had to deal with Apple CS directly, they have treated me better than any other company I can think of. Everyone I have talked to has said the same. They will cross-ship a replacement (meaning they’ll send the new one immediately, before they get the old one from you) and they’ll send you a new, safe, pre-stamped box to send it in.
Now, the retail stores are a slightly different story. I’ve never been treated ‘badly’, per se, but it is definitely less consistent as many employees are clearly inexperienced.
But an ‘oxymoron’? Not a chance. I think he must be thinking of Quark.
… and now I’ll get pounded.
I do customer service for a living and I believe that the Amazon person did the right thing and that whoever Joe Nocera worked with at Apple did the wrong thing. And that if Apple does, in fact, train it’s folks to take a hard line with customers when they come in, then Apple is not long for this world.
Remember Stew Leonard’s two rules of customer service:
Rule 1: The customer is always right.
Rule 2: If the customer is wrong, refer to rule 1.
At the very least, the data shows that if you make a customer angry you can be certain that they will tell 25 friends (or in Joe’s case the readers of the NYTimes) what a horrible experience they had. You, the vendor, have already lost. Was that really worth the $200 you saved the company?
Imagine if every place in JN’s piece, where it said Amazon, it said, instead, Apple. You can’t buy that kind of positive, free publicity. Amazon certainly couldn’t have. They even got free mention of the Kindle thing.
Apple should have a system in place that lets its frontline folks “comp” something if they feel they need to. At the very least, the frontline folks should be able to contact someone (right away) to get approval to comp something.
Peter
@Peter Lin
“whoever Joe Nocera worked with at Apple did the wrong thing”
He never backed up what his bad experience was with Apple!!!
heres my email to Joe concerning our experiences
Hello Joe
I enjoyed your story about Amazon, as we use them a lot and have always had great service.
But I do not understand the unsubstantiated swipe at Apple
“I shudder to think how this entreaty would have gone over at, say, Apple, where customer service is an oxymoron”
Apple has received great reviews and surveys putting them at the top in owner satisfaction and customer service
In the last year and 1/2 our family has purchased 4 computers, 3 iPods, an Apple TV and an iPhone, and have nothing but fantastic customer service! I admit we have never had to use their service for mechanical reasons, as everything we have purchased just worked, and still do. We have used their phone service for answers and help in setting a few things up, and the help spoke english! without an accent.
We even had a similar experience to you last Christmas, when someone signed for my daughters new MacBook at her collage apartment complex, not only did they send a replacement out right away, but shipped it Fed X overnight at no additional cost to us.
“And that if Apple does, in fact, train it’s folks to take a hard line with customers when they come in, then Apple is not long for this world.”
If Apple does, in fact, inject adorable manatees with radioactive sludge and feed Alka-Seltzer to innocent seagulls, then Apple is not long for this world.
Thing is, they don’t do either of these things. Not even if you imply they do.
Oh, and…
“… and now I’ll get pounded.”
It’s best if you don’t hang a sign on your straw-man that says “This Is A Straw Man.”
A few years ago, my G3 iBook’s logic board failed. Because that particular model’s boards were prone to problems, Apple was prepared to replace them for an extended period (three years, as I recall). Mine of course decided to fail a few months outside this period, and my local dealer explained that they couldn’t replace it for free, so it was now a doorstop.
However, they recommended that I ring Apple. The first voice gave the standard reply. I responded with a mild expression of dissatisfaction, and was passed to a second voice, who rang my dealer. After some discussion (evidently involving my longevity as a Mac user), voice 2 returned and said they would replace it for free.
Now, it could be argued that a laptop’s logic board shouldn’t fail after three and a bit years, but I still see the incident as good service. Had there been a different outcome my impression of Apple would have been dented.
So, I guess I agree with Peter Lin. Although I’m not excusing Nocera’s sideswipe, when it comes to customer service, you need all the good publicity you can’t buy.
Peter, you are right you should get pounded.
Customer is mostly right. I could see your point is you were withing say a week of warranty. But to say every time a customer complains that their product stopped working (IE My Apple IIc died last week) the retailer should bend over you are dead wrong.
OK Joe, try this for size…
I bought an iPod touch and after a week it stopped working. I took it back to Currys (UK) and they said they’d send it for repair. I argued that it is 1 week old and I should be entitled to a replacement, but Currys insisted that it will be repaired… I walked out with my broken iPod in my hands.
I then drove to the Apple Store Trafford Centre, showed them my broken iPod and receipt from Currys, and they REPLACED it with no questions asked.
So hows that for customer service Joe? I hadn’t bought the iPod from an Apple Store, but they still replaced it, and didn’t even ask any awkward questions.
Rule.
“The customer is always right.”
“The customer is always the customer.”
These are different. The first is a stupid way to do business and a quick way to piss off your staff and piss away your money. The second is something you should always remember, even when dealing with unreasonable demands. Yes, some customers do make unreasonable demands.
HEY, why not blame the maker of the drive. Contact them, write an article on them, and point the finger at the correct source. Where the hell is correctness in these writers.
What the hell- my Goodyear blew out at freeway speed and I am going to make the auto company pay like hell for there fault!
Yea, way to go…. stupid writer.
For him- find out who made the drive, complain, and maybe they will send him a new one.
“Times” really never change.
My .000002 worth!
I bought a refurb 24 inch iMac from the Apple Store Online and I and some screen problems of which the Genius at my local Apple Store (Santa Monica) corroborated. Apple Support gave me an RMA and I sent my iMac for an exchange. Instead of waiting for the bad iMac to be received, they sent the replacement a day later. They trusted me in sending back the bad unit. That is fantastic service.
@jamie
My friend had the same experience with an iPhone and ATT, it was 2 months old, they wanted to send in for repair, I told him to take it to the Apple store.
As he explained it “they have this genius guy, he looked it over and replaced with a brand new one!”
He spent another hour in the store and came home with a new MacBook, and signed up for the $99.00 yearly fee to help him switch!!
Here’s a whole bunch of “think before you click” links.
Just a little list of this year’s anti-Apple sentiment from Joe. He really doesn’t llike Apple very much. Maybe his regular readers know that and don’t need any evidence for the passing swipe. It is certainly of a piece with his other writings. I don’t think Joe will be won over by a flood of well-worded pro-Apple emails.
Jan. 13 07: Joe says Jobs is a great showman but what about the stock scandal?:
http://select.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/business/13nocera.html
April 28, 2007: Joe gives Jobs more heck for the stock scandal:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEEDA123EF93BA15757C0A9619C8B63
June 30, 07: Joe doesn’t like that the iPhone was hyped:
http://select.nytimes.com/2007/06/30/business/30nocera.html
July 14, 07: Joe doesn’t like the iPhone’s battery.
http://select.nytimes.com/2007/07/14/business/14nocera.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Sept. 8, 07: Joe says the iPhone is teriffic for media and lousy for email and phone calls:
http://select.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/business/08nocera.html
While I would be unhappy if my bit of kit failed just out of warranty, I would not be expecting a free replacement, sure I would be pissed, but I, as a mature and discerning adult can not imagine every company giving away kit every single time a bit goes bung.
This incident is not even on par with an item that did not arrive at the destination, which something that can be validated by the signing off documents.
Out of interest, in your view, what is the cut off point, when you tell the customer “sorry, no can do”.
The company where you do your “customer service” must have very deep pockets.
Please name the company, as this can only be good publicity for them.
Joe Nocera is now seen as a spoilt little brat with issues, Apple must, as they always have to, take FUD like this on the chin.
Thanks though for MDN for at least filling in the gaps.
I have had nothing but excellent service over the decades with all my purchases from different VARs that happened to have some issue.
The VAR never dealt with the issue – Apple did.
I had a bummer of a monitor that sat on my 7600.
It went in to service 5 times. Each time it did the service cost was well over a grand. On the last round – Apple suggested for me to buy another three years plan and they provided me with a brand new monitor. I was overwhelmed. Apple doesn’t like lemons.
BTW – I sent that very monitor to the curb last summer. No one wanted to take it in and give it a good home. Even though after all those years that 17″ with built-in speakers still worked.
That is the type of service I continue to get.
For all those who agree here; no matter what, Apple continues to have the best service anywhere.
If you haven’t realized it yet, this is a reminder: Everything you read in the NY Times should be taken with lots of grains of salt, whether journalist or columnist.
The best things to do are to write to their editor, take them on in many blogs, and be sure not to buy the NYTimes, click on any of their ads, or buy from stores that advertise in the paper edition. Make sure you tell the editor what you’re doing.
As far as I knew, Apple doesn’t have any customer service…unless they hang around all day like the Maytag Repair Man.
Dougless,
Did that 17″ monitor with built-in speakers have a glossy screen? I bet it did because callous Apple doesn’t care about you. I hope you can still see.
Your potential. Our passion.™
Joey (can I call you Joey?)
I have some advice: put that crack pipe down man. Just put it down.
In the second Jobs era, Apple’s CS is second to none. Take this for example: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302181
I’ve personally taken 3 of the G5 iMacs covered under this extension progam to the Apple Store here in L.A., and they’ve taken care of it. No questions. On each occasion, I simply marched up the Genius Bar without an appointment, and the whole thing was handled.
As I brought the last one, a floor manager stopped me and asked if I had an appointment. I responded that no, I didn’t. He said they don’t accept walk-ins any longer. I said “Are you saying I can’t get this taken care of withouth an appointment?” Instead of saying “exactamundo” and making me schlep the thing back to my car, he accompanied me to the Genius Bar, entered my name into the queue, and I was out of there in less than 30 minutes.
I have actually had the exact same experience he refers to with his order of a PS3 from Amazon, except it wasn’t Amazon in my case, it was Apple, and it wasn’t a PS3, it was Mac OS 10.5 Leopard, pre-ordered online when the release date was announced.
What happened was that Apple had for whatever reason kept an old address of mine in the personal details of my account, despite the fact that I had updated it. 3 years later and from a different town, the order I made went to that old address and was both delivered and signed for.
Like Nocera, I knew I didn’t have a leg to stand on. I was pleading for mercy. After all, they could have insisted that it was my responsibility to double check once the order was made whether the shipment address was correct.
However, when the error became obvious to the Apple C.S. agent, all of 5 minutes into the conversation, a free replacement was ordered and shipped.
I’m a happy customer.
I emailed Joe to find out what his issue with Apple was/is. I haven’t recd a reply yet. I’ve been a Mac user for over 20 years and have had excellent service whenever I’ve called Apple.If the blog is correct and he’s upset because of a hard drive that failed on his iPod out of warranty, he should know better. It appears that he’s got a hard-on for Apple and is critical. I suggest he start dealing with Dell and see what that’s like. Wonder what this guy thinks of Microsoft ?
The New York Times is a bunch of losers anyway.
I wouldn’t give this guy a corn cob to wipe himself with.