ON THE ROAD FROM DELL HELL TO APPLE HEAVEN

BEATING EXPECTATIONS

Yesterday, I talked about getting ready to install my new Apple TV as soon as I get back from a current trip.

Not long after that, I got an email from Apple that went as follows (excerpted for brevity):

"Dear Apple Store Customer,

You recently received an email to notify you that we have shipped your
order.

We received notification from our carrier that your order has not
been delivered. The carrier will attempt delivery one more time...

Sincerely,
Apple Store Customer Support
Delivery Management"

The first part of the email then went on to give me the option to RESPOND DIRECTLY BACK to the email with an alternate address where I'd be over the next few days.  And offered to change the shipping address automatically.

Now, I've been ordering stuff online for a very, very long time.

But almost never have I seen a customer email that offers the utter convenience of just replying to the email for a change like this. 

Most often than not, it's a form letter sent from a robot email address.

In a similar situation, it would then ask me to either call a toll-free number, or go online to my account, and spend 20 minutes to so dealing with a human or an extended website session, making the necessary changes.

But never, just RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL!

Skeptical, i shot off a quick email with an alternate address and other necessary information.

Not more than 20 minutes later, I get the following reply back from Apple:

"Dear Michael,

Thank you for your quick response.

We have updated the carrier with the address information you have provided.  We anticipate the next delivery attempt to occur within one to two days.

You can access up-to-date information on your order by visiting..."

Thank ME for the quick response?? Are they kidding?

Thank you, Apple for the quick response, averting what could have been yet another annoying delivery adjustment chore into an absolute pleasure to deal with situation.

For this, I give Apple's delivery team a Thriller award.

If you think I'm over-reacting to this, just think back to the bad rap most computer companies have developed in the last little bit.  Remember the whole Dell Hell saga accentuated by Jeff Jarvis two years ago?

So when a company goes a little above and beyond in customer service, it deserves an unsolicited Kudos in a blog post.

P.S.  And Apple, don't think I didn't notice that while the first email to me may have been automated, and addressed to "Dear Apple Customer", the second one was addressed by my first name. 

Now granted, that could have been automated with my order information, but it was another sublte customer service touch nevertheless.

Comments

[brian]

Alternatively, it could be that you are on a VIP list who gets special treatment in the form of bespoke service. I am sure many companies, when faced with customers who are either celebrities, public figures, or have outsized voices in their community (in this case tech), make it their duty to provide them with exceptional care lest they make a stink about it in public and reaching a wider audience.

Jeff Jarvis, when he initially complained about his Dell mishap was not an A-list blogger at the time, but I am sure that whenever Dell recieves his orders in the future he will be getting white-glove treatment.