Apple CEO Tim Cook came up with an open apology to all Chinese customers for procrastinating the implementation of Apple’s improved warranty policy in the region. The apology letter written in Chinese came up in Apple’s Chinese website yesterday.
In the letter Tim Cook apologized for the delay caused in communicating warranty based issue with its customers in China and proclaimed that the company will see to it that improvements be initiated in 3 major areas of warranty policy and product servicing.
1) iPhone 4 and 4S customers in china can now avail a new phone exchange or new parts replacement for the devices that come under the warranty period or for the one’s that were repaired an year ago.
2) A new page in Chinese explaining the new warranty policy in Apple’s Chinese site.
3) Improved training and monitoring of authorized service providers doing the repair.
Cook’s apology comes in the backdrop of unsatisfied feedbacks received from end users and regional stores in China. The state media took up the issue and highlighted the partisan attitude of Apple towards Chinese customers by providing only repairs for their devices in case of broken or faulty parts, whereas costumers across other countries get a free replacement for any Apple faulty devices.
Apple’s silence on the matter brewed the anger of Media and their criticism tightened in the days that followed, which intimidated Apple and its CEO; forcing them to heed to the public anger fumed by the Chinese Media.
The customer grievances division of Chinese Administration for Industries and Commerce pressed harder on local authorities to scrutinize the Policies of Apple as more users came up with complaints against the tech giant.
For Tim Cook this is his second public apology in the span of 7 months; first in September with regard to low quality of Apple’s Mapping service, promising customers that fixes would be made at the earliest. The recurring troubles for Tim Cook leaves behind the question of whether Steve Jobs specter still hunting the CEO chamber in Apple HQ.
Conscience Keeper 