Apple Computer, real issues & a challenge to Masked Blogger

Well, I seem to have stirred up a bit of stuff with my earlier post on Shel Holtz' Hell with Apple Computer. I also botched the link, which is corrected here as in the earlier post.

First off, I triggered not one, but two, anonymous bloggers, both who left comments supporting Apple overall. One of them, a masked blogger claims to be an Apple employee and makes a good point that Apple is a product-driven companies with a terrific track record of retaining loyal customers. He also wonders how you can provide great customer support when junior people interface with customers.  Most recently, he wonders what's wrong with being anonymous and further wants to know how blogging has improved support anywhere.

All good issues.  But, as he has learned, being anonymous itself creates a distraction from even the issues he raises. Another blog has started a guessing game of who the masked blogger is and yet another blogger speculates that the culprit is Keith Collins, a London blogger . As it turns out, Rick and I are having dinner in London with Keith Saturday night and he flatly denies the charge pointing out that he is not now, nor has he ever been a member of the Apple Computer team. He says the smoking gun was tracked into his hand because Keith's blog is the only Masked Blogger site link, and the erstwhile detective followed the wrong trail and made a bad assumption.

To me, the mystery search is just an unfortunate distraction. To me there are two key issues, neither of which have been fully explained:

(1) Has Apple delivered a faulty product in the Mac Pro? There is some evidence that this is the case and that it's support has botched the very real problems of trusting customers.  There is also pretty good evidence that Apple has a long history of providing superior support, which makes the case even more disturbing.

It seems to me that the best way to resolve this is for Apple to step forward and have real person tell the real story and answer all the questions that are being raised. The best place to do this is on a blog where a dialog can be public ally held and legitimate questions can be answered.

(2) Why do loyal employees have to blog anonymously.  Masked is obviously intelligent, cares about the products, cares about the tarnish that is appearing on Apple's shiny image and given the chance might champion Apple successfully in the blogosphere.

Masked, until you show yourself, you will lack credibility.  Just look at the comments you are receiving.  Until you show yourself, you will make finding you a game. Meanwhile, people are buying the Mac Pro every day and I'm curious to know what percentage of them are going to end up frustrated and angry as did Shel Holtz who is hardly the hot-tempered type. As did Marc Orchant, who has been a Mac enthusiast for more than a decade.

As far as the rest of the issues, you raise, Masked, I feel like being a bit tart and say that either my book or Shel Holtz' book would answer a great many of the questions you raise. Dell Computer is a poster child for a blog improving the company support and public perception of it. Transparency is an old saw on the blogosphere because people who hide their identity often turn out to not be who they say they are. Companies provide great support through junior people by having company leadership demand great support and by training your team to be great at it.

Masked, I'd be happy to give you greater detail, but we would have to go offline. I pledge Here and now in front of all these people that I will not reveal your identity, but I'll be very happy to answer any ten of your challenging questions, if you will answer ten of mine, letting me publish them on this blog, while keeping your name private.

Comments

[RichardatDELL]

Dear Shel,

Appreciate your noting that " Dell Computer is a poster child for a blog improving the company support and public perception of it." We are working hard, still making mistakes and have a long way to go...but we are listening, explaining and discussing.

I have to let you know, those of us directly involved in these efforts, learn every day. And, as we work with our colleagues throughout Dell, both what we are learning and the contacts/value we are bringing to all aspects of our business are proving to add benefits every day and in many ways.

Perhaps we at Dell are somewhat advantaged as we refocus on the roots of the Dell direct model. While so many others assume that that business model is all about operational efficiency, it really is all about the fundamental importance of the 1:1 relationship with customers -- no middleman, just Dell designing, manufacturing, supporting and recycling its products. The customer chooses technology that is "build-to-order" and there is a single point of accountability.

Have we made mistakes? Sure. Shel, you know how we made mistakes. Whose perfect? And, at 20+ years old, we are learning. Who does not at that age? But, the important thing....we have always learned and emerged stronger.

Today's actions on the web are really a natural extension of the Dell direct model and our own re-awakening, what we call Dell 2.0. You know, I recall the days when Michael Dell talked about direct being "in person and over the phone" and then along came the world wide web. At that point, Michael talked about "in person, over the phone and on the web," seeing the web as a great vehicle to extend our direct connection with customers.

Today, with our blog and other activities we are reaching out to more fully realize what Michael recognized back in the 1990s.

Given your expertise, and not that you need support, but if you require information for your proposed meeting with "Masked" about what we have learned and how we find this beneficial, we would be happy to provide that to you.

In the meantime, thanks for the recognition. But more importantly, for your, and so many others, constructive commentary along the way as we have embarked on this journey.

[Michael Walsh]

Dear Shel,

There is nothing like a good debate. One that gets to the heart of the problem by letting both/all parties publicly express their own personal side to the story and then letting the public decide the “winner” on merit.

The same is true in business, where competing companies market their products as best they can and are either loved and embraced by the buying public or ignored and rejected.

Opinions can be formed (anti-Microsoft anyone?) and changed (Scoble strikes again!) in a matter of months (or overnight) but the debate is only fair and impartial when everyone is represented. With the imminent coming-of-age of social networking, this principle has never been more fundamental. Anything else is a kangaroo court.

Dell has its own, specific business model, HP another, Acer another still, but this did not start nor I believe was it intended as a debate on the effectiveness of one business model over another within IT. That is for the analysts to interpret and for the markets to decide.

Dell is 100% direct. HP is 50:50. Apple I believe is the same. Acer 100% indirect. The percentages may differ yet the numbers do not in any way reflect the importance these companies give to communicating and interacting with their respective markets, how much time and energy they dedicate to fine tuning their products in line with market needs and trends, nor do they indicate the level of support each provides its considerable customer base. In short, they simply do not mean that one listens to the customer while the other simply ignores him.

For clarity, this is not a dig at Richard’s generous post. He and I both work in the communications side of our respective companies and if anything, I envy the fact that he can participate so openly. But, by having an official presence on the blogosphere, Dell is the only company represented in this open discussion. Some might argue that everyone else is lagging behind or plain avoiding discussion and therefore do not deserve a presence. Up until two days ago Intel didn’t have a blog. Does that mean they have only had “credibility” in this circle for the past 48 hours?

Shel, you underestimate yourself. You are what Godin calls a sneezer which gives you a much broader audience than the rest of us and, as a consequence you wield far more influence on the collective consumer mind (CCM) than you are possibly aware of. This also necessarily burdens you with the responsibility to preserve an equilibrium, a balance that leads to clarity by examining of all the facts, listening to all the voices, and hearing all sides of the equation.

I agree with Richard’s closing comments, and just like Masked Blogger, openly admit that I have learnt far more about the importance and implications of constructive commentary in the past 48 hours than in fifteen years working in communications. So, in the interests of parity and good old-fashioned debate, I hope many more join in.

[Michael Walsh]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for your reply and, I must say, warm-hearted openness. It's reassuring to see that in this new medium, we all have the opportunity to share and benefit from each other’s thoughts.

Funnily enough, my previous post was spurred on by Shel's book and the misfortune suffered by Kryptonite, NOT by some hidden agenda I may have tucked away.

In the book, Kryptonite weren't represented. They were accused, found guilty and sentenced without them even knowing about it, or at least without the ability to defend themselves.

As we're discussing the blogging fate (for want of a better word) of some seriously large enterprises, I just felt it was only fair to consider those who aren’t yet up to speed.

Having said that I have just noticed that HP has several blogs going (silly me for not checking). The argument we're all talking about (customer service) even has it's own, unhappy thread. Maybe we should ask Mr. Socci to join us, he would certainly have an easier time over here ;-)

Each company is, obviously, free to choose their own communication medium, and the non-presence of some on the blogosphere right now is not, in my opinion, sufficient grounds for “blame”. There have been a number of major corporate U-turns in the past, and I'm pretty sure non-blogging companies will eventually join in, even if it is because they are forced to.

Corporate politics aside, there are also geographical and cultural factors to consider while considering when and how IT companies are going to start blogging and Shel himself (or was it Scoble?) dedicated a chapter to this aspect. Dell is an all-American company, Acer Inc. has an Italian president, Fujitsu Siemens a German CEO and so on… I’m sure this plays a relevant part in a company’s decision to go ahead or not, even we pay it only lip service.

Back to us though. I am thrilled to see eye-to-eye with a “competitor”, someone who, under normal circumstances, I would never have the opportunity or reason to communicate with on such an even level. Blogging has created this occasion and I am convinced blogging will give us many more things to talk about, Shel permitting of course!

[Marc Orchant]

Shel: Just a clarification - I've actually been an Apple user since the venerable IIe and so have been using Macs for more than twenty-five years. Also, despite my unhappiness at the problems palguing the new MacBooks and the concerns this raises for Apple's current quality control, I am, as of today, the very happy owner of a new iMac 20" with the new Core Duo processor and it is an utter delight.

My last Mac was a G5 dualie with Cinema Display and I was equally happy with it. So I feel the need to qualify my concerns to the laptop issues that have been cropping up since the introduction on Intel-based laptops and not to the company's entire product line.

BTW, it was great seeing you at the Office 2.0 Conference and I wish you bon voyage and safe travels as your adventure with Rick begins.

[Michael Walsh]

Hi Shel,
I know you're having fun choosing the best kilt to suit what remains of your lost luggage but can I ask what happened to Richard's reply to my first post?
This thread is now quite bare without it - and Richard agrees with me here - and his missing input completely validated his company's position and attitude towards this argument.
It's a shame it's gone AWOL.
PS STAY AWAY FROM HAGGIS! DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT TASTING IT! IT'S THE STUFF OF LEGENDS AND QUITE POSSIBLY THE SOLE REASON VERY FEW LIVING LEGENDS EXIST TODAY.

[Michael Walsh]

This is quite funny as it seems this conversation has moved on and I'm talking to myself.
However, this topic is relevant (to me at any rate) as I try to formulate a plan to get my biggest client blogging.
Masked showed how IT companies are approaching the whole blogging business: Apple is distant, Dell is very active and there are many in between.
Yet one I wanted to point out was HP. I mentioned earlier about Dan Socci who, if I'm not mistaken, holds a very similar position to Richard's over at Dell.
I mentioned him before as on the HP blogs he was getting some serious flak over customer support. Never has tough love tasted so bloody! (http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/socci)
Well, unless it's a server glitch, HP has pulled Socci's blog and the apologetic-sounding "'socci' is not a valid blog location" screen appears in his place.
What that means is that currently at HP, either customer service doesn't have a voice, or they decided to limit damage by hiding all the negative feedback they've been getting.
If the latter is the case, and sets a precedent as nobody noticed, then this could throw a generously-sized spanner in Masked's attempts to change things from the inside over at Apple, and set me back a few months in the process too.
Hope it was a glitch...

[John Haug]

Toronto Computer Support knows what makes a business successful, because we’ve been serving GTA’s small to medium sized businesses since 2002.For more information visit: -http://www.structuredit.ca/