why doesn't anyone at Apple read these community issues and problems to ensure that people ARE actually getting help?

Question

Level 1

10 points

why doesn't anyone at Apple read these community issues and problems to ensure that people ARE actually getting help?

in some of the threads in this community, where people are voicing genuine concerns about issues with the new updates, we are being told that nobody at Apple even reads these threads.

Is that true - and, if so, that's a serious failure to grasp both the traditional longterm relationship between Apple and it's customers and the best way to design and adapt it's products to fit the intended marketplace.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jan 3, 2013 12:54 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Chamar

Level 4

2,169 points

Jan 3, 2013 12:57 AM in response to grufnmuf

This is a peer-to-peer support group and, as such, works well. It would be extremely difficult/labour intensive for Apple to monitor these discussions. Remember the user base here is global.

There are plenty of links available to Contact Apple directly.

Reply

Answer 2

Jan 3, 2013 1:05 AM in response to grufnmuf

Indeed, the great majority of the post here are because people don't understand how to do something and are either not able to do it are are making a mistake of some sort. As a result, most of the answers amount to tuition rather than locating a problem which is actually of Apple's making (and about which an answerer can't do anything anyway). If there is an actual fault condition people can be referred to Apple's support processes.

An analogy sometimes used is that you expect the firm who makes or sells your car to deal with faults in it, but you don't expect them to teach you how to drive. On here we can advise when people don't know how to do something, but if there is an actual fault then Apple have procedures in place to deal with them, either free under warranty or paid for when out of warranty - just as with other types of products.

Reply

Answer 3

grufnmuf Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 3, 2013 1:16 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Perhaps not - but I DO expect a company built almost entirely on satisifed consumer base to at least TRY to be aware that if a single thread has gone on and on for quite a while, then PERHAPS the knowldge of the peer to peer support group is insufficient to solve the problem.

The idea, surely, is to HELP the customers and if it is your feeling that the ONLY such source of help is from others who simply do not appear to have the answers to the problems then we're kinda screwed.

No - I don't expect my car salesman to teach me how to drive but I DO expect Apple to not hide behide the "complain in the correct place or we'll just ignore it" excuse of the very kind of faceless corporations it purports to be trying to replace.

and, let's not forget that this is NOT an independent peer to peer support group, it's within the Apple site, it is ruled by the Apple TOS and it, despite what many may wish to believe, is a part of Apple...

and that's why I asked the question..

Do you really want me to accept that Apple is "too busy" or that monitoring such lengthy threads (particularly those concerning new and recent updates) is "too difficult or labour intensive",?

Really??

THAT's your image of Apple?

Reply

Answer 4

Jan 3, 2013 2:59 AM in response to grufnmuf

All I can do is tell you what the situation is. As you probably know you can send feedback to Apple at http://www.apple.com/feedback

Reply

Answer 5

grufnmuf Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 3, 2013 3:13 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Roger - I DO appreciate the purpose of the forums.. and all of your help contained therein.. I know you only mean to help.. but, I asked a question.. DOES anyone at Apple read these threads and, if not, why not?

That doesn't really seem like such a rude or difficult question to ask of a multi national company enjoying massive success based almost entirely on an image of being responsive to it's marketplace with it's products and service.

If you simply don't actually KNOW whether anyone at Apple reads these threads - particularly the long ones - that's OK, I can live with that but just another explanation of the percieved purpose of this "support group" isn't really any help at all and, frankly, APPEARS dismissive.... as does the claim that they would find such interest to be "too difficult or labour intensive".

Reply

Answer 6

Jan 3, 2013 3:24 AM in response to grufnmuf

We don't know for certain whether individual Apple employees look at these threads from time to time unofficially; they couldn't possibly monitor all of them them closely and certainly the official answer is that Apple does not read these forums. And they certainly never post here.

Reply