Steve Jobs Personally Resolves Customer Complaint

An anonymous reader writes "The Consumerist recently published a story about an Apple customer who went through support hell with a broken Macbook. After escalating the issue up the support chain, and a month wait for his Macbook, the guy gave up and simply wrote Steve Jobs a blistering flame-mail. So, was he surprised when Jobs' executive assistant responded back the next day! He got both a brand new Macbook, as well as his old one to copy the hard drive. The guy also responded in a comment, and he turns out to be a slashdotter! He even wrote a journal entry here about the story."

Re:Did I miss something?

[StuBeck]

I e-mailed "him" about a year ago when I had a problem with my iPod that took a month to get resolved. They called me and said they were sorry, but that it wasn't "their fault" that they didn't put my new order into the system, so I had to prove to them that I in fact ordered something from them two weeks earlier. Also that their support staff really does know what is going on despite the fact that they sent me back the same iPod I had had earlier, with the same error, and it came back scratched to hell too. I wasn't very pleased with their lack of "sorry that we suck" response.

Re:Letters to the top always produce some effect

[Anonymous Coward]

Richard Branson

Re:Steve keeps it real; mum's the word

[ratsnapple tea]

Here's the text of that email thread between Steve and some blogger, regarding opinions on Cocoa/Objective-C vs. C#/VB/.NET [slashdot.org] (warning, top-posted). And for good measure, another anecdote about Steve's personal touch [tedlee.net] (diehard cynics will note there's no proof of Steve's personal involvement with this one... but, absent reason to doubt, I'm a believer).

So again—and yes, I've come to terms with my implied elitism here—let's not ruin a good thing by blabbering about how amazing it is that Steve replies to personal emails. Please.

Re:I completely agree

[maynard]

Actually, he never responded to me at all. I never spoke with him, or had any communication with him at all. I didn't need to. The guy who contacted me called and worked out a resolution over the phone. He was courteous and professional. He just fixed the problem. He did say, however, that Mr. Jobs received the email and asked him to contact me to resolve the complaint.

Apple Corporate is 3000 miles away from me. I have no idea what really went down. *shrug*

the other way this could have played out..

[rollthelosindice]

Bring macbook to local Apple store (cambridgeside galleria perhaps) instead of dealing with phone support.

Mac genius fixes macbook the same day.

rejoice.

This is normal

[chasisaac]

I hate to say this . . . but this is normal.

I have had two situations with Apple and problem laptops.

An extended warranty iBook died a couple of weeks after warranty with the same screen problem that was covered.

My sixteen year old wrote (hard copy) letter to Steve. A worker at Apple called him and problem resolved. No Steve did not call him. A second time, had a problem with an out of warranty book and it was fixed. However, once one works up the food chain, the letter goes along way.

This letter was polite and nice and asking for help. No threats. No Apple hating. Just a simple request.

Apple is the BEST company when it comes to customer service. Yes, we all have problems with first level responders. However, Apple is really good when it comes to CS.

Re:Personally?

[maynard]

I can confirm this. Apple had no idea I had BCC:d the Consumerist until was published. Then the assistant called me to say he would have preferred I had not included Mr. Jobs' email address. It was a somewhat awkward conversation. Mostly because I realized that what I had done in BCC:ing the Consumerist had no effect on the resolution and will instead cause an unnecessary headache for Apple.

Look, I'm just a customer. I had a problem with a company and got pissed. So I tried to make a stink. But before the stinkbomb went off, the company quickly resolved my problem. And then the Consumerist published the story. I suppose I shouldn't blame the Consumerist, they're just doing their job as journalists.

*sigh*

Re:Did I miss something?

[elrous0]

My other /. ID is actually a negative integer. I was a homeless guy living in the building that would eventually become /. headquarters. I was there two years before Taco.