(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...“Does it really drop calls?” my marketing assistant asked Day One of my new iPhone. “Yes,” I reluctantly answered.
As loyal readers of this blog know, I’m quite keen on Apple. In particular my new iPhone 4. 
But after Consumer Reports said Monday they could not recommend the new phone, a chorus of voices have risen to say everything from “the end is near for Apple” to “about time.”
Personally, I take the dropped calls glitch like Vinny Chase from Entourage, “Hey, it’s cool. Mistakes happen. So what?”
When I purchased the bumper, the problem was solved. Big deal.
But a lot of pundits today are saying it is a “Public relations nightmare.” Right. Three million people are screaming they want their money back.
Oh right, no one.
While some users have gone ballistic on Consumer Reports, Apple has scheduled a press conference Friday, July 16 at their headquarters to address the issue. What Would Bob Do?
My advice to Steve Jobs about tomorrow’s meeting: 
1) Don’t repeat your Tony Hayward BP arrogant self like you did in your infamous reply to calls being dropped when people held it a certain way, “Then don’t hold it that way.”
We didn’t like it when our dad said something like that, we don’t appreciate it now.
2) Know others are gunning for you like you were a contestant on Dancing With The Stars. A cursory reading of comments on a WSJ piece revealed nearly 300 
comments about how stupid people who use the iPhone are, what we lack and basically equate us users to lemmings. Don’t give them ammo.
3) Be like Frank Abagnale and don’t deny the facts. Admit design flaws – we aren’t stupid and neither are you. You went to market unprepared.
4) No need to give us a Jimmy Swaggart mea culpa with long explanations. Just fix it.
Cynics say Apple was aware of the antennae problem and used it just to sell the bumper. While I suspect the bumper was created to address the dropped calls problem and not as part of the design, I imagine they’ll give it away for free or credit users.
Final thoughts Steve?
Be the brand. Classy. Convenient. Cool. Calm and Collected. Just fix it so I don’t have to hear “Does it really drop calls?”
Bob – excellent point. I feel the same way. Mistakes happen – unfortunately this wasn’t a hardware issue, or a software issue, but an engineering issue, so the remedy may need to be creative and may require a new design release sooner than later. I would hope to see Apple promote free ‘bumpers’ for existing customers until the new revision is launched. But you are right – the most important thing here is how they handle it – will they own it and work for a solution? I tend to think they will – and I sure hope they do – Apple is a great brand and a remarkable company model to follow – even with hiccoughs and mistakes!
Your best days are ahead.