[Ti] Apple Store Service blows

[Henry Kalir]

On Wed, 9 Apr 2003, Michael Bigley wrote:

> >The TiBooks were not allocated to other resellers until weeks or 
> >months after the Apple Stores had them. Apple told retailers that 
> >they, Apple, could do this. But a small quantity of the 17" Big Al's 
> >were delivered to these other stores as soon as the Apple Stores had 
> >them. This change might have had something to do with the class 
> >action lawsuit.
> >
> ><http://www.thinksecret.com/news/dealercontracts.html>
> >--
> 
> <RANT>: This is the reason that Apple remains an "also ran" in 
> computing. They have GREAT technology, software, hardware, et al. But 
> they consistently botch the business side of things.  Not do start a 
> side debate on the value of lawyers, but Apple has essentially 
> empowered and embraced lawyers to hurt their business!  If you want 
> to know what is really going on in a company, read their 10k. Unless 
> you work for Enron, if you lie to the SEC, you go to jail.  With 
> Apple acknowledging in their 10k that losing these retail outlets 
> will hurt their business, where is the logic? You want to eliminate 
> your liability? Do the right thing!  Don't let a bunch of 
> anal-retentive lawyers devise a contract that is so airtight that the 
> people who have to sign it will suffocate! That is not "tough, real 
> world business tactics" that is stupidity!</RANT>
> 
> Apple needs to have a presence in these retail outlets more than they 
> need to sell Apple products. Not only will this have a real effect on 
> Apple's bottom line, but it will feed the still-present misconception 
> that Apple is going out of business; hence, a reversal of the 
> switcher campaign. Do you think these big chains will tell the public 
> that it is an unreasonable contract dispute?  I am willing to bet 
> that we will here statements like "We do not think Apple's 
> marketshare and future is viable enough to devote retail space to 
> their products." This is a PR nightmare waiting to happen.

Mike,

So very true...and, yes - it will also further hurt the market share. We
should all tell Apple that we are no longer their "cheerleaders at any
cost" and that they should truly start to "THINK DIFFERENT(ly)"!!!

Best,

Henry