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As more people switch over to the Mac, Apple will have to be more
diligent and responsive to consumer needs. This is would appear to be
self-evident. If there are more consumers, there are more people to
get annoyed with your products or what might be perceived as
corporate arrogance.
Apple is surely familiar with this idea. After all, it's desire to
control the computer market led to its spectacular downfall.
Users want what?
Whatever.
Whatever indeed.
The new switchers have less incentive put up with problems from
Apple than the old guard. Years of Apple's corporate shenanigans and
general disregard for its user's concerns has dulled some of the
anger that would normally appear when a product is inadequate,
overpriced, or just plain bad.
This is not new. In the software industry, people are resigned to
their fate and believe that the darn computer just doesn't work,
wasn't meant to work, and never will work. For example, in the last
two weeks I've had to troubleshoot five Windows machines - two for
Internet connectivity problems, one for a scanner issue, and one for
a hard drive failure. These types of problems are considered normal
to Windows users.
Enter Apple and the Switch
campaign. Apple has built itself up to be better than the
competition. Better by a long shot. I personally believe that this is
true.
However, switchers are moving from a bad experience and expecting
something a whole lot better. This will definitely reduce their
tolerance of glitches and general computer issues.
The .mac problem that's plagued Apple last weekend is a prime
example of this. Users are paying a premium for the service and
receiving sub-par performance and reliability. In addition to this,
Apple has more or less distanced itself from the problem. Does this
remind anyone of a certain software company (besides Apple, that
is)?
While long time Mac users more or less swallow the bitter pill
after an initial protest (.mac subscription prices anyone?),
switchers may not. After all, the reason they went with Apple was to
escape corporate arrogance and computer problems.
Switchers also differ from the traditional Mac user in that they
are willing to switch. Many Mac fans have the attitude that their
fingers must be cold and dead before you can take their Mac from
them. While not nearly as zealous as that, switchers may have given
up a lot to join the Mac crowd. They were willing to restart their
computing experience from scratch.
After successfully switching, the fear of switching may disappear,
making switchers more susceptible to switching back.
In other words, Apple must work harder to hold on to the
switchers. To do so, they must focus on customer needs more than ever
before.
And that means that, if Apple plays its cards right, all Mac users
will get better service in the long run.
Stephen Van
Esch is the founder and president of
the
E-learning Foundry, an online training
resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual,
since he's also fluent in Windows and French.
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