How Apple blew the launch

[dmaul1114]

Apple has a lot to consider when deciding when to launch a product. In the weeks leading up to the launch how much did we hear "When will the new iPad launch?" There are a lot of new tablets coming out and Apple needs to make sure that those potential customers don't go to Motorola, HP or somewhere else. Whenever Apple announces a product but doesn't launch it soon thereafter we also hear a ton of whining.

There was a reasonable supply of iPads. Clearly it didn't meet the demand but there is no guarantee that to be the case in 2 weeks. Right now Apple needs to ensure that customers buy an iPad rather than something else. This was strategically done and I believe they are happy with the launch. I don't know why they didn't allow the reserve at the store option. It is possible that they wanted the lines and the media attention. Again, that would be a strategic decision that they think will increase sales of the iPad or future products. Steve Jobs didn't say to Tim Cook, "haha, let's ******* with our customers and make them all wait in line for nothing."

Apple has become the second largest company in the nation as measured by market cap. They also have launched a number of successful products so I'm confident that Jobs and co. know what they are doing. They will never satisfy everybody.

All true. But even with wanting to launch fast, they still could have done preorders to make the process smoother.

They chose not to to generate even longer lines and get more free publicity. Smart business sense in terms of marketing, not the best way to keep customers happy by making things as easy as possible for your most loyal customers who want to buy at launch.

Look, Apple did everything they could to give customers an opportunity to get an iPad. They chose Friday, the beginning of spring break, at 5 pm. They could have been real dicks and launched earlier in the day, before people got out of school and work, but they didn't. If you truly wanted one and didn't take the whole day off, then you should have known that your chances of getting a good spot in line were infantismal.

Or they could have launched on Saturday when more people don't have to work and could have lined up if they so desired.


Anyway, on all these issues....some are annoyed by that a lot, some just slightly annoyed like me, and others don't care at all, and others defend Apple to the death because they're fanboys, other's bash them to death because they're haters of Apple etc.

I'm really none of the above as I ordered online and have a Thursday deliver so I'm relatively happy. Would be happier if there were online preorder so we got them right at launch like with the iPad 1, but I can live with a week delay. But sucks for all those that ordered with in minutes of the online sale time who haven't even shipped yet. Also think they should have used 2 day shipping (or at least give the option for faster shipping we could pay for!). But in all, it's minor to me.

And that's pretty much the point I'll leave the thread with as I've said my part.

 

[Surf Monkey]

You make far too many assumptions about what Apple could or couldn't do IMO

 

[zacheryjensen]

Nearly 300 people lined up outside of a Best Buy waiting for tickets is the practical definition of a successful launch.

I bet they announce another "fastest" or "biggest" launch ever in a few days.

Perhaps it presented some inconveniences for some but that is hardly a factor in success for this kind of thing.

 

[corriewf]

You make far too many assumptions about what Apple could or couldn't do IMO

What assumptions? How many Apple launches have you been a part of? They have done all of these things before, but decided they wouldn't do it this time. Poor customer service IMO.

 

[steadysignal]

Perhaps it presented some inconveniences for some but that is hardly a factor in success for this kind of thing.

some.

those who did not get the device...and stood in line for hours.

 

[dmaul1114]

some.

those who did not get the device...and stood in line for hours.

Having to stand in line for hours, or wait a week or more for online orders, is an inconvenience for everyone other than the few who actually enjoy waiting in lines.

Just a matter of whether it's an an inconvenience worth being irate over. I'd argue it's not--it could have been much smoother with pre-orders etc., but at the end of the day it's a toy/gadget and not the end of the world if you have to wait a while if you're not will to hassle with lines or order online in the wee hours etc.

A mild annoyance at most IMO. I'd have liked pre-orders etc. as I've said repeatedly, but not worth being bent out of shape over like some are either.

 

[samurais]

No doubt Apple had a very successful launch. But it failed to its loyal customers. Apple Knew it has a lot variety on IPAD2 models and short on supply. They still choose to massive launch without preorder and reservation. It shows how they are careless for their customers and only care for publicity exposure.

Nearly 300 people lined up outside of a Best Buy waiting for tickets is the practical definition of a successful launch.

I bet they announce another "fastest" or "biggest" launch ever in a few days.

Perhaps it presented some inconveniences for some but that is hardly a factor in success for this kind of thing.

 

[JayMysterio]

Ultimately I guess it boils down to how you define 'successful' launch. On a marketing standpoint, Apple maintains their fervor for their products, and iPad is once again the most in demand electronics product per se. Happy fans are intensely happy fans. On the other hand, if you're someone who participated in that frenzy and didn't get an iPad, it doesn't seem unreasonable for you not to be to enamored with Apple right now.

As someone who did the stand in line thing last year & was absolutely giddy, I look at this year and wonder if I seemed as loopy as people do this year. When you're caught up in the latest Apple product excitement, nothing was too out of the way to get your item, or could Apple do wrong. When you're not caught up in the excitement, your view of Apple understandably sours.

The problem is, all those consumers who did NOT get an iPad2 ( and there were many ) do they buy in the future? Do they learn from the lessons this time, and line up earlier, feeding the frenzy & general pain in the assness? Or do they become one of the many legion of Apple haters? At some point, this policy of mystery & dangling exciting new product will hit a tipping point, and the backlash on Apple maybe considerable.

It isn't too out of the question for Apple to take a look at how this launch went, compared to iPad 1, and maybe make some needed adjustments.

 

[thesiren]

What assumptions? How many Apple launches have you been a part of? They have done all of these things before, but decided they wouldn't do it this time. Poor launch planning IMO.

Fixed.


I think you're confusing "customer service" with "launch planning". How Apple chooses to roll out their products and manage their release is not a reflection of their customer service. You walking out of the mall empty handed does not constitute "poor customer service" because you chose to get in line so late on launch day. For all intents and purposes, you're not a customer until you b u y something, and if you wait in line, you're just a p o t e n t i a l customer. They don't owe you anything. They didn't force you to line up.

You can't judge their customer service as "poor" just because they sold out before you got to the front of the line.

 

[SiMBa37]

Having to stand in line for hours, or wait a week or more for online orders, is an inconvenience for everyone other than the few who actually enjoy waiting in lines.

Just a matter of whether it's an an inconvenience worth being irate over. I'd argue it's not--it could have been much smoother with pre-orders etc., but at the end of the day it's a toy/gadget and not the end of the world if you have to wait a while if you're not will to hassle with lines or order online in the wee hours etc.

A mild annoyance at most IMO. I'd have liked pre-orders etc. as I've said repeatedly, but not worth being bent out of shape over like some are either.

Agreed, in the scheme of things its just a luxury electronic device. And that's all.

However, I still feel bitter about Friday. I could only get out of work by 3:30 pm on friday, and I (mistakenly) decided to hit my local Apple store. Mistake #1, b/c its located in very affluent neighborhood, and its a stand alone store (not in a mall). I was 200 people deep when I got on. Waited until past sundown, and by 6:45 pm I was turned away empty handed when they ran out of vouchers 50 people in front of me. I was so cold, I was just happy to go back to a warm home.

But it seems like Apple employees were not allowed to open the sealed, blacked out shipping crates until right before launch. Therefore each store really had no idea how many of each of the 18 models they had.

I was watching through the windows as the store manager was frantically trying to get his employees to match a specific product box to a sticker and then to a voucher card. But the were soooooo slow. It took them about 2.5 hours to do that, which is why I didn't find out until about 6:45 that they had no more.

But that decision came from the top of Apple retail to blindfold everyone as to actual inventory. In the end, it does really piss of people like me waiting in line in unfavorable climate and to go home empty handed.

But Apple retail knows that we will all buy anyway, and some of us may upgrade to a model that we didn't initally want just to get one.

Still, I don't think I'll ever stand on an Apple line again. It was a miserable experience. All the people around me were cold, bitter, and some people were literally yelling at the store workers about how unorganized they were. I saw a mother and daughter who had not brought coats huddling and shivering just to stay warm. They went home empty handed too. In our line, no coffee, no water, nothing. Hardly a fun experience.

 

[Surf Monkey]

What assumptions? How many Apple launches have you been a part of? They have done all of these things before, but decided they wouldn't do it this time. Poor customer service IMO.

I've been using Macs since my first Mac Plus. I've been to three iPhone launches and the original iPad launch.

One of the central assumptions you're making is that the event was completely engineered by the marketing department. You refuse to entertain the idea that other factors (unit availability for example) may have been in play. You keep saying "they should have offered pre-orders" as if it would be as simple as clicking a button, but you have no idea why pre-orders weren't offered outside of rank speculation.

 

[AMDGAMER]

bottom line is they should have had enough of a 500-800 dollar product to go around.

 

[goMac]

One of the central assumptions you're making is that the event was completely engineered by the marketing department.

Speaking for myself, I don't think it was engineered.

You refuse to entertain the idea that other factors (unit availability for example) may have been in play. You keep saying "they should have offered pre-orders" as if it would be as simple as clicking a button, but you have no idea why pre-orders weren't offered outside of rank speculation.

I can't think of a good reason not to do pre-orders... In fact, it would help them with production targets.

As posters above have noted, the Apple Store staff with heroic, but there were tons of organizational issues. Why on earth would you not tell your stores how many units they are getting in?

 

[King Luis]

see sig.

also, if they had 1000 ipads, they'd still sell out and if they even did pre-orders or reservations they'd still have line ups and they would have either pushed the release date to meet pre-orders or not be able to meet pre-orders therefore making it a botched launch.

regarding production, they can only make them so quickly. you make them fast and QC may drop. also, you can only ship so many to so many locations. say you want more transport ships or trucks to ship them, then you need to pay more to have them shipped and that means the price of the ipad will go up.

 

[MikePA]

I agree with the OP. Apple clearly blew the launch, they only sold 500,000 units.

 

[Surf Monkey]

bottom line is they should have had enough of a 500-800 dollar product to go around.

Yeah, and money should grow on trees too.

The world isn't an ideal place. Those who insist on thinking it is will find themselves continually disappointed.

 

[steadysignal]

A mild annoyance at most IMO. I'd have liked pre-orders etc. as I've said repeatedly, but not worth being bent out of shape over like some are either.

very correct, esp. if you have (had) an iPad 1 or if you rolled a MBA.

when i had both, often i questioned the need for both at the same time.

since i paid for neither, it was like having a deep toolbox.

anyway, the no pre-orders situation is interesting, almost a step backward.

 

[vincenz]

Quite the opposite. They got people standing around and waiting to buy their product. That's a success, not a failure. If you had been lucky enough, this thread would not exist.

 

[AMDGAMER]

Yeah, and money should grow on trees too.

The world isn't an ideal place. Those who insist on thinking it is will find themselves continually disappointed.

My point is that not everyone ran out yesterday to buy something this expensive, it was a 99 dollar deal where thousands lined up...my buddy who went to our apple store said they ran out in 45 minutes. I dont think THAT many people bought them, I think Apple only send a handful to each store.

 

[phpmaven]

What assumptions? How many Apple launches have you been a part of? They have done all of these things before, but decided they wouldn't do it this time. Poor customer service IMO.

I assume that you are referring to preordering. I read in another post that perhaps they didn't do it so as not to undercut the sales of the other partners that were also selling on launch day. That seems like a reasonable explanation to me.

I agree with the OP. Apple clearly blew the launch, they only sold 500,000 units.

We should get the actual number next week. I think it will be closer to a million.

 

[phpmaven]

.

 

[dmaul1114]

I assume that you are referring to preordering. I read in another post that perhaps they didn't do it so as not to undercut the sales of the other partners that were also selling on launch day. That seems like a reasonable explanation to me.

Though they could have just told them their allotment and allowed them to do their own pre-orders if they wanted. That's how it tends to work with video game console allotments. But those have a lot more than 2 weeks from announcement to in-store date.

Ideally for the next one they'll find a way to make pre-orders work again. I don't care personally as I don't see anything that's going to get me to upgrade in a year or two given my very basic uses for a tablet. I'd have an iPad 1 and be sticking with it if it had a webcam (that's the main reason I held off--that and hoping someone else would make a better/equivalent tablet as I don't like supporting Apple very much).

 

[corriewf]

very correct, esp. if you have (had) an iPad 1 or if you rolled a MBA.

when i had both, often i questioned the need for both at the same time.

since i paid for neither, it was like having a deep toolbox.

anyway, the no pre-orders situation is interesting, almost a step backward.

Same situation here. I didn't need the iPad 2. With that said I hope Apple sees the complaints and adjust future launches to be more organized.

The reason I said customer service is due to the fact that I'm an apple customer. I have many of their products and didn't appreciate the run around.I have never had faced such disorganization before with Apple. They would have sold 500k iPad 2s regardless. I don't see how sales numbers are relevant to any of my points.

 

[AMDGAMER]

Also they let walmart, best buy, target, online stores all sell ipad...but Amazon doesnt?? Must be something with kindle I'm guessing?

 

[Surf Monkey]

My point is that not everyone ran out yesterday to buy something this expensive, it was a 99 dollar deal where thousands lined up...my buddy who went to our apple store said they ran out in 45 minutes. I dont think THAT many people bought them, I think Apple only send a handful to each store.

So, you think it's a conspiracy. Sure, that makes sense.