How I Got Lucky and Stopped Hating Apple/The New New Coke

[mcdj]

I called Apple customer service this morning to vent about the price drop. They gave me another number to call. The people at that number said that outside of the 14 day policy, refunds/credits were at the discretion of the individual store managers. So I called my local store.

I got a very nice manager, whom I will not name. I told him I bought 2 iPhones, one for me and one for my gf, after waiting 7 hours in line on June 29th, that I felt more than a little betrayed by the new pricing, and that the folks I talked to at Apple told me refunds/credits were at his discretion.

He told me that actually the decision was up to customer service, not the store. I felt like a ping pong ball, and told the manager so. I also told him that all I really wanted was a store credit, not a refund. With no further prodding, he simply said, "Ok. Come see me." An hour later, I walked out the store with a $400 Apple gift card.

10 minutes after I left the store, I saw online that Stevie J. had issued the $100 credit statement. Had I waited 10 minutes to go to my local store, it would have cost me $300.

My faith in Apple is pretty much restored, and I would feel this way even if it was only a $100 credit. But the cynic in me can't help but wonder if we've all been party to the greatest PR scheme since New Coke.

Not a whole lot gets past Apple. I can almost hear the chatter in the board room, pre-price drop...

Accounting guy: "We need to sell more iPhones."
Marketing guy: "Let's drop the price by $100"
Steve: "No. We'll drop the price by $200".
Marketing guy: "Are you kidding? Do you know how many people that will pizz off?"
Steve: "Of course I know, you idiot. Listen, we drop the price, pizz everyone off for 24 hours; let 'em stew overnight and create a serious buzz. The pizzed off people get us a bunch of free press, and a day later, we "cave in" and give them all a $100 store credit. Everyone feels all warm and fuzzy again, we get more free advertising than money can buy, and we sell our millionth iPhone by the end of Q4. Any questions?"
Marketing guy: "I'll get right on your "apology" letter.
Steve: "Meeting adjourned."

 

[Leemo]

Accounting guy: "We need to sell more iPhones."
Marketing guy: "Let's drop the price by $100"
Steve: "No. Well drop the price by $200".
Marketing guy: "Are you kidding? Do you know how many people that will pizz off?"
Steve: "Of course I know, you idiot. Listen, we drop the price, pizz everyone off for 12 hours; let 'em stew and create a serious buzz. The pizzed off people get us a bunch of free press, and a day later, we "cave in" and give them all a $100 store credit. Everyone feels all warm and fuzzy again, we get more free advertising than money can buy, and we sell our millionth iPhone by the end of Q4. Any questions?"
Marketing guy: "I'll get right on your "apology" letter.
Steve: "Meeting adjourned."

I'm pretty sure that's exactly how it went.

They aren't stupid.

-Leemo

 

[sonictonic]

You're greedy.

If you weren't comfortable paying the full price on 6/29, you shouldn't have. No one put a gun to your head to force you to make that purchase. You're lucky Apple was so kind to you. You sound like a jerk to me.

 

[mcdj]

You're greedy.

If you weren't comfortable paying the full price on 6/29, you shouldn't have. No one put a gun to your head to force you to make that purchase. You're lucky Apple was so kind to you. You sound like a jerk to me.

Yes, I am lucky. Thank you for reading my subject line.

And thank you for the much anticipated update of your opinion of me.

Can I assume from your comment that you will not be taking Apple up on the $100 store credit? $100 buys a lot of violin music on iTunes...

If you do decide to take Apple up on their offer, then of course, you're only 50% as greedy as me. Congratulations on your triumph.

 

[Sobe]

I called Apple customer service this morning to vent about the price drop. They gave me another number to call. The people at that number said that outside of the 14 day policy, refunds/credits were at the discretion of the individual store managers. So I called my local store.

I got a very nice manager, whom I will not name. I told him I bought 2 iPhones, one for me and one for my gf, after waiting 7 hours in line on June 29th, that I felt more than a little betrayed by the new pricing, and that the folks I talked to at Apple told me refunds/credits were at his discretion.

He told me that actually the decision was up to customer service, not the store. I felt like a ping pong ball, and told the manager so. I also told him that all I really wanted was a store credit, not a refund. With no further prodding, he simply said, "Ok. Come see me." An hour later, I walked out the store with a $400 Apple gift card.

10 minutes after I left the store, I saw online that Stevie J. had issued the $100 credit statement. Had I waited 10 minutes to go to my local store, it would have cost me $300.

My faith in Apple is pretty much restored, and I would feel this way even if it was only a $100 credit. But the cynic in me can't help but wonder if we've all been party to the greatest PR scheme since New Coke.

Not a whole lot gets past Apple. I can almost hear the chatter in the board room, pre-price drop...

Accounting guy: "We need to sell more iPhones."
Marketing guy: "Let's drop the price by $100"
Steve: "No. We'll drop the price by $200".
Marketing guy: "Are you kidding? Do you know how many people that will pizz off?"
Steve: "Of course I know, you idiot. Listen, we drop the price, pizz everyone off for 24 hours; let 'em stew overnight and create a serious buzz. The pizzed off people get us a bunch of free press, and a day later, we "cave in" and give them all a $100 store credit. Everyone feels all warm and fuzzy again, we get more free advertising than money can buy, and we sell our millionth iPhone by the end of Q4. Any questions?"
Marketing guy: "I'll get right on your "apology" letter.
Steve: "Meeting adjourned."

I think that the haphazard way that refunds were issued still leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth that was not sufficiently lucky, pushy, rude, kind, or whatever combination of attributes made some managers interpret the rule one way and others another.

Honestly, I don't blame Apple for this nearly as much as I blame the customers.

I paid $600 willingly. If they want to drop the price later, that has no effect on me.

For the time it would take me to even potentially get a $200 refund, I'd probably have to spend $30 on gas, and 3 hours on the phone and 2 hours driving.

$100 gift card tells me that they know it bothered me and recongize that.

I'm fine with that.

 

[lovemyiphone]

Yes, I am lucky. Thank you for reading my subject line.

And thank you for the much anticipated update of your opinion of me.

Can I assume from your comment that you will not be taking Apple up on the $100 store credit? $100 buys a lot of violin music on iTunes.

If you do decide to take Apple up on their offer, then of course, you're only 50% greedy as me. Congratulations on your triumph.

I agree with you. And if someone wants my address to send there gift cards to that think we are whiners then I will provide.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

Accounting guy: "We need to sell more iPhones."
Marketing guy: "Let's drop the price by $100"
Steve: "No. We'll drop the price by $200".
Marketing guy: "Are you kidding? Do you know how many people that will pizz off?"
Steve: "Of course I know, you idiot. Listen, we drop the price, pizz everyone off for 24 hours; let 'em stew overnight and create a serious buzz. The pizzed off people get us a bunch of free press, and a day later, we "cave in" and give them all a $100 store credit. Everyone feels all warm and fuzzy again, we get more free advertising than money can buy, and we sell our millionth iPhone by the end of Q4. Any questions?"
Marketing guy: "I'll get right on your "apology" letter.
Steve: "Meeting adjourned."

I think you just hit the nail on the head.... with a sledgehammer.

 

[sonictonic]

I agree with you. And if someone wants my address to send there gift cards to that think we are whiners then I will provide.

You two are missing the point. Of course I am happily going to accept the $100 Apple Store credit. The difference between yourselves and me is the expectation that you're entitled to this. I was happy before this announcement, and I am happy now. This was a really nice gesture on Apple's part and was completely unnecessary, not to mention unprecedented. I wasn't bitching and moaning and complaining like you guys obviously did, because I got exactly what I paid for and wanted on June 29th, at a price I felt was fair to pay. If I had a problem with that, I would not have bought the device in the first place.

 

[mcdj]

The difference between yourselves and me is the expectation that you're entitled to this.

What you don't know, my internet pal, because you don't know the first thing about me, is that I approached the entire situation from a "hey, who knows?" attitude, which is pretty much how I approach everything. This time it worked. That doesn't mean I didn't genuinely feel a little betrayed, like countless others, by the price drop. But I didn't go into the store on my hands and knees weeping, or throwing a tantrum, or with the slightest air of entitlement. I learned long ago you get more bees with honey, and that it never hurts to ask.

Last month I "complained" to T-Mobile about their $200 ETF when I dropped them for the iPhone, even though I knew full well they'd attempt to charge me. Despite my documented complaints of no signal in my apartment, they charged me the $200 fee, and I paid it. I didn't mount a smear campaign. I didn't make a youtube video telling everyone to boycott them. "Hey, who knows?" didn't pan out for me that time.

Greedy? Entitled? Nah. I'm just an occasional coupon clipper on a slightly larger scale.

 

[kdarling]

1) If anyone deserves anything, it's the very first buyers who deserve the most for going out on a limb. The compensation program is exactly backwards, IMO.

2) If they'd simply sold the iPhone at the $200 off price to begin with, think how many more sales they would've had. Instead, they got greedy.

3) Dropping $100 a month means that the phone should be free in six months. Very much in line with other cell phones, which are often subsidized at the start. People should not forget that iPhone is not just an iPod (which can stay one price)... instead, it's competing in the cell phone world.

 

[sanford]

You two are missing the point. Of course I am happily going to accept the $100 Apple Store credit. The difference between yourselves and me is the expectation that you're entitled to this. I was happy before this announcement, and I am happy now. This was a really nice gesture on Apple's part and was completely unnecessary, not to mention unprecedented. I wasn't bitching and moaning and complaining like you guys obviously did, because I got exactly what I paid for and wanted on June 29th, at a price I felt was fair to pay. If I had a problem with that, I would not have bought the device in the first place.

Wait until people who already talked ATT into crediting them $200 to their bills sign up for the store credit, too. And you know that's going to happen.

 

[kellen]

I had the same thing happen to me. Got my return within hours of them releasing the new pricing scheme.

If you will notice, your warranty was reset as well.

 

[mcdj]

I had the same thing happen to me.

Welcome to the club you big greedy entitled jerk!

 

[bousozoku]

Thanks for sharing but there is no reason to have another of these threads.