KWM V

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Finally Back

Moments before i click the send button, the service centre called me for my collection of the over due laptop. It's finally done. I'm left with no choice but to buy the applecare protection plan because the repair costs aggregate to an amount greater than that of the laptop itself. I don't want to be left shivering in my pants when the laptop fails again. The letter below is that which i wanted to send to the forums, though poorly drafted, reflects my unhappinesss.

To Apple Asia Pacific

Provide better service for premium goods

As Apple enters a near saturated notebook market, she must be aware of the importance of managing customer relationships. The competition in the industry has intensified over the last two years. Apple barely distinguish herself from her competitors at the core and tangible product level. To stay ahead, she must start taking the augmented benefits (service) she provides seriously.

Any marketing guru will tell you that customer oriented approach is the key to sucess and the most fundamental aspect of this approach is to be responsible for the promises you make to the customers. I would like to bring your attention to the incident i have with an authorised service centre of Apple recently.

The powerbook, which has a warranty of 52 weeks, has been in custody of the service centre for a whole three weeks. The service centre initially replaced a faulty part with yet another faulty part. When the machine failed again, I was promptly told that the part in question was out of stock. To my horror, i was told to wait for an "indefinite" period of time for the part to arrive before i could take back the product which i had paid a premium price for. A quick check with Apple Asiapacific found that the part was in stock then and the executive relations officer promised that the product would be returned shortly after the Christmas break.

It has been three days since the break, an awfully long time to replace one faulty part.

I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of sub-contracting the after-purchase service. The authorised centres are representative of the company and they should uphold the reputation instead of tarnishing it. The quality of the service provided will seriously affect the re-buy decision of the customer.

Best Regards
Chen Yiren