Apple & Snow Leopard
Apple does it right.
On Wednesday I received an email notice from Apple saying that Snow Leopard, the new operating system was ready to ship. If I ordered right away I could have it by Friday.
Price. I thought about it for a few microseconds and then placed my order. After all, a major upgrade for $29, what a deal. And, the reviews were coming in very positive. A faster, smaller upgrade that solved real problems instead of adding on unnecessary features. And, it was shipping a month early. (Take note Microsoft!)
As Promised. Friday afternoon comes and as promised here comes Snow Leopard disguised as a FedEx delivery person. Right on time.
Customer Service. Ahh, but there is a glitch, a lump of coal in the snow. When I start installing the new system I hit an error. There is a scratch on the CD-ROM and the installation errors out. But, my original system is still intact and running fine. So, I call customer service. Something I don’t normally do. Hey, it’s only $29. (Actually it is $69 because I ordered the family pack license for 5 computers.) I can’t believe it when the Apple representatives answer the phone on the third ring. After some verification of my address I’m told a new CD will be on its way. I should have it Tuesday or Wednesday. “We are so sorry for the inconvenience,” the representative tells me with what sounds like true sincerity.
The snow leopard is very rare. So is a company that ships weeks before a deadline, does fast shipping, offers a product with a low price and increased performance, and has absolutely great customer service if something goes wrong. Now, that’s the way to run a business. Apple shows that this is possible. It’s a shame that the few remaining Snow Leopards living in the remote Himalayan mountains of Tibet are so rare. The world needs more Snow Leopards.
Photo by Dave Murphy. Check out his Flickr photos.
taylorhouston
August 29th, 2009 at 4:29 pm #
Yeah! I’m super excited to receive my copy of Snow Leopard. I ordered my copy a couple of months ago but I haven’t gotten it yet. Didn’t know you were a Mac user either!