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I woke up yesterday morning and heard news that I thought I would never hear in my life. My wife said she was tired of Apple and how she no longer feels connected to them. She said I am going to go ahead and get an Android Phone...and she did, a Samsung Galaxy S5.
So most folks might say, hey its not a big deal. Customers change their minds all the time. I think what surprised me the most is that she has been an Apple Lover since she started using technology. She is a designer and artist by trade and has never had a desire to use another product. She has consistently, over the years, defended Apple like Apple was her mother or a family member. She has often said it is her duty to support the Apple family and upgrade after every launch. I was of the mind never to ask her to choose between me and the Apple product she was currently using :).
This revelation from her really peaked my interest. I asked her what were the 3 reasons why she decided it was time to move on:
- Apple used to be niche and now they have become too mainstream She said Apple used to care about their customers. They used to make me feel special. I really felt Apple was making products for me as a designer. Now I feel they are making products like Microsoft does, for the masses.
- Apple stopped giving their customer power over their experience Many folks think the free U2 song was a great thing. My wife said it was a huge mistake. It was a forewarning that Apple is not giving its customers choice and is taking control of their experience. She made several comments about how other companies give more power to their customers to customize their software and hardware (I.E. Batteries interchangeable). Her view was the customer should always be in control. She used to feel that way with Apple, now she doesn't.
- Apple is not relevant and cool any more - The example she gave is their commercials. She said they used to be awesome and now they are gimmicky. She would wait with baited breath for the keynotes and then watch every minute of it and now she might watch them on demand and then fast forward through most of it.
So, I said what is cool? What is the new experience? What is something that makes you feel special? She said this video is an example of a product and company that gets its now:
i.am+
As a true advocate for customer success I found the whole conversation super interesting. I don't think she hates Apple, but now she just groups them with all big corporate companies that produce products. She has fallen out of love. She will probably use an Apple product again if it competes well against others. However I imagine if companies like i.am+ connect with her, she will probably leave Apple and other large companies in the wake and go for a company that speaks to her and makes her feel special.