As Apple and the FBI tussle over access to information vs. right to privacy on behalf of the tech giant’s customers, I am struck due to recent circumstance by Apple’s often disregard for customer service and preferences. I’m all about: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Apple on the other hand, seems to adhere to the axiom: if it ain’t broke, change it. Allow me to provide an example.
I love music. I also love to workout. And, the former is, for me, the perfect complement to the latter. I download songs to my MacBook Air computer and, from there, to my iPhone. In the past, I have always been able to manage my music much like a radio station. When I was a music director back in the day, I chose what songs the radio station played and didn’t play, including when to add a song and when to take one or more out of rotation (resting them). Similarly, I have always been able to go to “My Music” on the laptop and check the boxes of the songs I want to synch and then shuffle through on my iPhone (and automatically past those I want to “rest”).
As of this writing, I cannot do this. I don’t know what the technical problem is exactly – and I am not alone. My crack IT man can’t figure it out. Hours spent on the phone with Apple tech advisors and their supervisors and their supervisors’ supervisors have similarly been unable to bear fruit. And so I scroll and scroll through my entire playlist, half of which are comprised of songs I currently don’t want to hear right now.
What I do know is that Apple has become, proverbially, “too hip for the room.” New operating programs and upgrades are often necessary to ensure entire systems run most smoothly, I get that. But continually changing browsers and tools that many of us would prefer to preserve can be nothing but greed (and perhaps Apple programmer boredom). A nudge to purchase that new phone or software package. In my case, I’m convinced this about luring me to Apple Music. I’m not biting.
All in all, it is very disappointing and, I feel unnecessary. Apple prides itself on being tech intuitive but has strayed (why do you think there is such a proliferation of ‘do it yourself’ YouTube help videos posted by other tech savvy laypeople)? Cool gadgetry may keep your programmers and technophiles frothing at the mouth, Apple, but don’t forget the majority of your customers – and true customer service.