The Cattery

The Cattery

Do Not Discard These Coupons

23 February 2005
Filed under Mac, Technology, Text

When I purchased Apple's iWork a couple of weeks ago, I was rewarded with yet another sheet of Apple Software Coupons. Having been an Apple customer for all of my adult life (and an Apple user for almost 25 years), I've got a drawer full of these things. They come three to a page, with helpful perforations and a note: "Important: Do not discard these coupons." I've used not a single one, and in fact have yet to be rewarded in any significant way (other than continuing computer stability, beauty and lack of viruses) for my loyalty to all things Apple.

It seems to me that beneath the veneer of super-cuddliness that Apple displays, there's not a whole lot of customer service going on. They've traditionally relied on a strong brand and fabulously-designed high-end products to retain customers for whom these things are important above all else. But I wonder if, as the Apple customer base expands to include people the company hasn't traditionally embraced (those on low incomes for example, as well as Windows PC users accustomed to being courted for their affections with competitive prices - people, perhaps, for whom the Apple brand is not such a powerful siren-song), they might need to starting sucking up a bit more.

Among the things that have pissed me off over the last few years are:
a) that I've been required to purchase at full price every one of the frequent operating system upgrades, rather than qualifying (with my Apple Software Coupons, perhaps) for a discount. By mid-year, that'll be over $600 AUD spent on my operating system alone over 3 years,
b) ditto for iLife 04 to iLife 05 - a particularly nagging irritation given that the only one of the suite of programs I use with any frequency is iPhoto
c) That a .Mac subscription gets you nothing in the way of software or hardware discounts - not even on special occasions (like "This week only: .Mac users get 5% off Airport Express" or similar), and
d) That of the $1200+ I've spent on Applecare over the last 10 years, I've never ONCE had a support question answered to my satisfaction. In fact on two occasions, I've resolved reasonably complicated technical issues myself WHILE ON HOLD.

The Software Coupons seem to imply an intention to reward customer loyalty, but somehow, the intention never becomes reality.

Views from the Floor

Tom says:

Ah yes. It all begins to unravel. You Mac fanciers have too much faith. You've got used to a company clawing its way back from behind and doing everything it can to keep people happy. Now they're big and important and have all sorts of iProducts and ways of selling you more iStuff.

The honeymoon's over Mac people! They have become big and evil and nasty and all I can say as a PC user is welcome back to the real world. *cackles with glee*

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