Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, is well known for his "loving" and "friendly" email responses. A young student journalist now knows this first-hand. According to Guardian.co.uk, Chelsea Isaacs, who is working towards a journalism degree at Long Island University, was writing an article about an iPad program that the college recently implemented. In order to effectively do so, Isaacs wrote to Apple's Media Relations department a total of six times without a response. Keep in mind that this is not an unusual occurrence. Not all inquiries can be responded to. It's un-realistic. However, in her frustration, the young woman decided to email the big kahuna himself to find out why Apple's Media Relations department ignored her. This time, she got a response.
The email headers are said to have been checked and deemed legitimate by the Guardian. Below are some of the highlights of the conversation. For the full transcripts, visit the source.
In response to a long letter by Isaacs where she expresses that she is an Apple customer and feels Apple to be "at the forefront of improving the way we function in the academic environment," this is what Jobs had to say:
"Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade. Sorry."
After a polite response back asking, "what about common courtesy, in general --- if you get a message from a client or customer, as an employee, isn't it your job to return the call?" Jobs, once again, responded:
"Nope. We have over 300 million users and we can't respond to their requests unless they involve a problem of some kind. Sorry."
In a final plea, Isaacs explains that she IS one of Apple's 300 million users, and DOES have a problem that only Apple can answer. Again, she asks that Media Relations please respond to her as she is "on a deadline." The response:
"Please leave us alone."
While it's definitely understandable that Isaacs' request doesn't come before users with legitimate problems, such a response seems like a bad move from a public image perspective, especially when you consider the school's apparent commitment to the Apple brand. While it's known Steve Jobs doesn't always respond to all of his emails himself, someone at Apple is still doing it on his behalf. As such, you'd expect either something with a bit more tact, or perhaps no response at all. Apple has yet to confirm or deny the emails.
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