I\u2019m a great fan of Apple, and not just because I use their products. For years, Apple has distinguished itself as a company that knows how to build an emotional connection with its customers. Because of that connection, Apple claims legions of loyal fans.<\/p>\n
But with its recent missteps in its handling of iPhone battery issues, one has to wonder: has Apple lost touch with its customer base?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In case you haven\u2019t been following along, here\u2019s what happened. A software update last year slowed the performance on some \u201colder\u201d iPhones. Users with iPhone 6 and 6s models (which, honestly, are not all that old!) reported long lag times in switching between apps and making phone calls. Apple said the slowdown was intended to preserve battery life and prevent unexpected shutdowns, but critics suspected that Apple was throttling phone performance in its older models to get people to upgrade to the new iPhone x (which carries a $1000 price tag).<\/p>\n
Poor Communication Leads to Unhappy Customers<\/strong><\/p>\n In my view, the real problem was Apple\u2019s lack of communication. Customers weren\u2019t warned or given a choice about upgrading to the new software, and so they were caught off guard by the problems. Furthermore, \u00a0Apple was slow to apologize or make amends. Under pressure, it eventually dropped the price of its battery replacement service from $79 to $29.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where the communication went from bad to worse. Because it turns out that Apple didn\u2019t actually have enough replacement batteries to accommodate everyone.\u00a0Media reports<\/a>describe customers making an appointment for a battery replacement at the Apple Store or an authorized Apple retailer, traveling there, and then being told that there were no batteries to be had! In some cases they were told there wouldn\u2019t be a battery for four months. Apple\u2019s website doesn\u2019t publish the phone numbers for its store, so it doesn\u2019t even seem possible to call ahead and confirm there is a battery available.<\/p>\n This is absurd and unnecessary. It makes iPhone owners feel that Apple doesn\u2019t care whether they have a functioning phone or not. It also says that Apple is perfectly willing to waste people\u2019s time making appointments and traveling to a store that doesn\u2019t have batteries in stock. Or as one customer\u00a0said to the New York Times<\/a>: \u201cI feel like I\u2019m waiting at the back of a club and the bouncer won\u2019t let me in because I\u2019m not fashionably enough dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been a faithful Apple customer for years, this kind of thing hurts. It creates a negative impression that\u2019s not easily forgotten, and these impressions are one of the ways that\u00a0customers evaluate an organization<\/a>. This is so important it was the topic of our recent\u00a0podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n Creating a negative impression is very unlike Apple. One of Apple\u2019s great strengths has been its ability to empathize with customers and anticipate their needs. Store employees \u2013 from the salespeople to the genius bar staff — are trained to read and respond to body language and forge an\u00a0emotional connection<\/a>\u00a0with customers. This has made Apple a leader in customer experience<\/a>, and a brand that others have sought to emulate.<\/p>\n Will Apple Suffer Long-Term?<\/strong><\/p>\n One has to wonder whether the corporate folks designing the updates and new product launches have become tone deaf to the loyal Apple fans who don\u2019t necessarily want to plunk down several hundred dollars for a marginally better phone every couple of years. They seem to have made a decision without considering the emotional reaction from people who had a perfectly fine phone before the update, and a wildly dysfunctional one after.<\/p>\n Apple is working on a new update that will allow users to turn off the battery-saving feature, and it is\u00a0considering offering rebates<\/a>\u00a0to people who replaced their batteries at the original $79 price. But is this enough? Will this debacle ultimately hurt Apple\u2019s brand?<\/p>\n I\u2019m betting it won\u2019t. Apple\u2019s in-store experience has not fundamentally changed, and Apple has done such a fabulous job of integrating its devices with one another that loyalists will not be quick to leave the Apple world. But Apple needs to be careful to avoid missteps like this in the future. Future communication issues could send a message that no matter how pleasant and caring the in-store staff seem, they\u2019re not backed by a corporate policy that puts the customer first.<\/p>\n Have you been caught up in the iPhone battery drama? Tell me about it in the comments box below.<\/p>\n If you liked this blog, you might also enjoy these:<\/p>\n The Apple Store Will Be No More!<\/a><\/p>\n Apple\u2019s Customer Experience Geniuses: Finding New Ways to Facilitate Empathy?<\/a><\/p>\n Apple: Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery<\/a><\/p>\n Colin Shaw<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is the founder and CEO of<\/em>\u00a0Beyond Philosophy<\/em><\/a>, one of the world\u2019s leading Customer experience consultancy & training organizations. Colin is an international author of six<\/em>\u00a0bestselling books<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and an engaging keynote speaker.<\/em><\/p>\n Follow Colin Shaw on Twitter\u00a0<\/em>@ColinShaw_CX\u00a0and on the\u00a0<\/em><\/a>Intuitive Customer Podcast<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019m a great fan of Apple, and not just because I use their products. For years, Apple has distinguished itself as a company that knows how to build an emotional connection with its customers. Because of that connection, Apple claims legions of loyal fans. 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