Where is the Loyalty?

What happened to old fashioned loyalty? Are we really living in a world where it no longer matters?

We’ve heard about customer loyalty for decades.  But in the original context, the topic is about how to get customers to be loyal, returning, consistent, and committed supporters.

In the context of this writing, I am talking about the direct opposite.  What happened to the loyalty FOR the customer?  Let me share an example…..

I became an Apple product fanatic in 2007. I’ll save you the time of hearing about all the nights I spent sleeping outside the cell phone store’s from 2007 onward – just to get the iPhone early. I’ll save you having to hear that in my house there are four people and each of them have their own Apple watch, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, and that every room in the house has an Apple TV.

The problem is that Apple has lost their loyalty to the customer.  Why should they care? If I leave them today, there are millions of other customers out there, that are as fanatical as me, who will keep them in business.

Frankly I’m disappointed.  I have four recent stories (a broken MacBook screen, an iPad that would not charge, an Apple Watch that was blamed on my child for the detached face, and an iPhone trade in that I was told would not power up – yet my son used it up until the day we mailed it in).

In each and every one of these situations – Apple assumes no ownership, no blame, no responsibility. If you have “Apple Care” then they will give you a DISCOUNT on the fixes for their malfunctioning and defective products.  If you do not, then you better be ready to pay near full price for the fixes or replacements.

What led me to write this today was the lack of compassion, the cold insensitive and uncaring attitude that Apple customer care, stores, and support has for their customers. In the early years, they NEEDED us.  The more happy customers they have, the better.  They built a dynasty. They entranced all of their customers to follow them on the technical evolution that would be what Apple is today.

I remember back in 2010 when I accidentally dropped my iPhone and, as you would expect, it landed in the perfect way that broke the screen into a million little pieces.  I took it to the Apple store, my face showing the signs of sadness as i walked up.  They looked at it, and my account, and realized how MANY products I had in my possession – and the support person said “This one is on the house” and gave me a new phone.

Those days are long gone folks.  Even with Apple Care, you have to pay a hefty price to get their broken or malfunctioning product fixed.  But most of all, there is no appreciation and response to loyalty.  As I stated earlier, I am sitting here with 25+ Apple products in my home, an Apple Credit card on my phone that I use heavily, and a reputation of being an “Apple Guy”.

But the recent in compassionate responses from Apple, and the coldness in their support has led me to believe that APPLE NO LONGER CARES IF I STICK WITH THEM OR NOT. If I stay…good.  If I go….we will find a replacement for you.

I’m saddened by this. I’m saddened that Apple has a lineup of products that fit my every need – and they all communicate together and work so elegantly for me. They are all connected, and it makes life so simple.  But God forbid that any of them have an issue – or else I will be left to pay for the fixes and the repairs.

Loyalty is ABOUT the customer, not FROM the customer.  Companies that realize that giving a few moments of attention, love, and support to your customers will pay dividends in the end.  Good companies never forget where they came from and who was there to support them when they were ‘growing up’.

I don’t feel the love Apple….  I’ve tried talking for literally hours with your support team.  I’ve tweeted to Tim Cook and your support twitter account – no one cares, no one responds.  In all four of the recent situations I have encounter, I never once asked for “full refund” or “full support”.  I only asked for SOMETHING.  Something to show you care for me as a customer.

It will never be the same – especially as long as you don’t see the value of keeping one customer happy.  I’ve been true to you Apple.  Since 2007, you’ve been the only one.

But that Samsung S20 is winking at me. Android may be in my future.  I wonder how Samsung would treat me as a customer? I wonder if they would hate to lose me if I began using their phone?  We may have to see…….

Loyalty – it’s about the customer, not the client.  Apple has forgotten the thing that got them where they are.  I’m just a number to them. Sad… I thought we had something….

12 Rules of Success from Steve Jobs

Anyone that knows me understands that I have quoted Steve Jobs many times in my leadership coaching, mentoring, speaking, and training.  I was fortunate to find an article which listed 12 rules of success that he had claimed years ago.  I wanted to share these 12 rules with my readers and followers….

Rule #01: Do what you love to do. Find your true passion. Make a difference. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Rule #02: Be different. Think different. Better to be a pirate than to join the navy.

Rule #03: Do your best at every job. Don’t sleep! Success generates more success so be hungry for it. Hire good people with a passion for excellence.

Rule #04: Perform SWOT analysis. As soon as you join/start a company, make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper. Don’t hesitate to throw bad apples out of the company.

Rule #05: Be entrepreneurial. Look for the next big thing. Find a set of ideas that need to be acted upon quickly and decisively and jump through that window. Sometimes the first step is the hardest one. Just take it. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

Rule #06: Start small, think big. Don’t worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. Put a ding in the universe.

Rule #07: Strive to become a market leader. Own and control the primary technology in everything you do. If there’s a better technology available, use it regardless of whether or not anyone else is using it. Be the first, and make it an industry standard.

Rule #08: People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. Advertise. If they don’t know about it, they won’t buy your product. Pay attention to design. We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them. Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

Rule #09: Ask for feedback from people with diverse backgrounds. Each one will tell you one useful thing. If you’re at the top of the chain, sometimes people won’t give you honest feedback because they’re afraid. In this case, disguise yourself, or get feedback from other sources. Focus on those who will use your product – listen to your customers first.

Rule #10: Innovate. Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. Delegate. Let other top executives do 50% of your routine work to be able to spend 50% your time on the new stuff. Say no to 1,000 things to make sure you don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. Concentrate on really important creations and radical innovation. Hire people who want to make the best things in the world. You need a very product-oriented culture, even in a technology company. Lots of companies have tons of great engineers and smart people. But ultimately, there needs to be some gravitational force that pulls it all together.

Rule #11: Learn from failures. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.

Rule #12: Learn continually. There’s always “one more thing” to learn.
Cross-pollinate ideas with others both within and outside your company. Learn from customers, competitors and partners. If you partner with someone whom you don’t like, learn to like them – praise them and benefit from them. Learn to criticize your enemies openly, but honestly.

I hope you enjoy these, and I hope also that you are already following some of these rules in your life.  I wish you all much success and that you reach all of your goals!

Source of information: http://www.businessbrief.com/apple-ceo-steve-jobs-12-rules-of-success/