An Open Response to Steve Jobs' Open Letter

To Steve Jobs,

Thank you for your recent Open Letter to iPhone Owners. I was one of the "hundreds" of customers who sent you an email, and your response (and offer) more than alleviates my concerns regarding the recent iPhone price drop.

From your letter:

We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple.

My guess is that you received two types of letters: Those from customers who pounded their fists, threatened lawsuits and shouted their anger in capital letters, and those which came from long-time customers who felt betrayed and caught off-guard by the "aggressive" (and unprecedented) price change.

I suspect this apology is aimed at the latter group, though the remedy applies to all who purchased an iPhone.

Reading through your open letter, which is addressed to thousands, it's very easy to imagine that it is addressed to each of us, as individuals -- and that, I suspect, is why Apple has earned its reputation and our trust.

All too often, we send out an email or post our angry thoughts publicly, hoping to call attention to a perceived slight. It's important that we remember to say "thank you" when the official response to that anger is an apology and a valid compromise.

Most companies wouldn't do that.

So, thank you.

Related:

I've compiled a list of customers who are on record as being "perfectly satisfied" with having spent that extra $200, and who will, as such, not require the $100 credit you've offered -- just say the word, and I'll send it over.

Sincerely,

Brian Ford

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