Back in the 1980s, my school computer classes were conducted on Macs, using floppy discs, et al. Once I hit high school and college, PCs were all the rage, so I followed suit. When I started working for GT and my PC crashed, publisher Fran Gallagher put me on the Mac track once again. His guidance led me in the right direction. I started using Apple computers again six years ago and I haven’t looked back. In fact, I have turned my sister-in-law and mother into full-fledged Mac users.
Last weekend, before departing on my trip to Amman, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, I needed to pick up a new battery for my beloved Mac. It was the Saturday after New Year’s, in the afternoon and in midtown Manhattan. It was one of the busiest shopping afternoons, but I had no choice but to enter Apple’s Fifth Avenue store with the mobs. I walked down the clear spiral staircase like a sardine surrounded by tourists. I held my breath for what I thought would be an excruciating experience. Once I entered the store, I spotted a salesperson. I asked where I could find a new battery. He showed me to a wall display, handed me the battery and rang me up on the spot since I was paying by credit card. He asked if he could email me the receipt; I said no problem and within two minutes, I was in and out of the store. I was beyond thankful for the ingenuity and efficiency offered by Mac.
I believe any great product goes beyond the product itself. A great product needs better customer service to further back it up. I experienced Apple’s great customer service again today in Amman. When I boarded the plane at JFK, I realized I left part of my computer charger in the Royal Jordanian Airlines‘ VIP lounge. The lounge found my charger, but it was too late to make it through security before departure. Upon landing in Amman, I found the Apple Store, overpaid quite a bit for the piece, but nonetheless experienced a seamless customer service process. Thanks to Apple, I will be able to work on my Mac while on this business trip in the Middle East.
— Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
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