Leadership E-mail Address Banished, But Apple Still Whispers "Tell Us!"

Itis been noted with some concern that Apple Inc. has removed their Gil Amelio era feedback address, [email protected]. The catchall mail account served as a repository for Appleis customer complaints and suggestions, presumably to management. Apple has made no comment about its removal. In fact, since Steve Jobs took charge in Cupertino, thereis been no direction regarding its use. Itis questionable that many even people even knew about it. "I didnit know it existed until it stopped existing," said Billy Noon, Tech Support Specialist for New York Times Digital.

To be sure, Apple keeps tabs on things with itis Tech Exchange discussion groups. And clearly someone at Apple is keeping up with the Mac web sites, as evidenced by the cease and desist e-mail sent to Ric Fordis Macintouch site and other Mac Web sites in the days before Macworld Expo over a report on upcoming hardware announcements.

Noon continues, "I think it is kind of thickheaded of them to be relying on the media for feedback of its products. Removal of that e-mail address just limits the opportunity for you and I and other apple customers to really say what they want or what they donit want or what they like or donit like about a product."

The "leadership" account was merely the most visible way for customers to voice their concerns. There is in fact, another avenue of feedback: less well known but just as official looking. Under Apple.comis "Support" tab, thereis a page entitled, "Tell Us" <http://survey.info.apple.com/feedback/feedback.taf?function=complaint>, that seems to offer some hope.

The page offers two paths: one for technical issues which is directed to Appleis Tech Support line and its Tech Exchange area. The other is for Non-Technical Concerns and states, "Sometimes you have comments or concerns for which there is no technical response. Tell us, we would like to hear from you." This half seems to be directed at Customer Relations which traditionally is for serious, extensive issues customers experience with Apple Inc., and itis products, the kind of interactions that donit reside in a phone support technicianis decision tree.

Itis an e-mail form page which advises you to read Appleis Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy before submitting! It even includes an almost humorous pop-up menu to help visitors complete the sentence, "Iim writing to tell you how I feel about your..." The choices are as follows.

  • Advertising and Marketing
  • Business Policies
  • Products
  • Rebates or Promotions
  • Resellers
  • Service
  • Other

You can find the forms at Appleis Web site.