A letter to Apple UK

I know it’s been many months since I last wrote to you, so apologies for the lapse in my regular communications. Saying that, it’s been even longer since you wrote to me and even then it was only to moan at me about something I’d told one of your resellers, which they weren’t supposed to know.

Oh, and you did ask me not to keep telling dealers where they could buy Apple spare parts without getting them from you, and I guess I did sort of ignore that request, didn’t I? And you stopped inviting me to Apple events sometime ago too, but I didn’t take it personally.

However, I do think we need to have a chat. Why? Because I think you’re missing something rather important. You’ve made it very clear for some years now that you really don’t think you need small local resellers anymore. I’m talking about the many dozens – possibly hundreds – of small independent Apple experts with their ranks of personal and small business Apple users as clients. The guys who do more to directly promote and evangelise the use of Apple computers than your opening another shopping mall Apple Store could ever do.

I no longer see any evidence of you trying to talk to these guys; you don’t invite them to Apple events, you don’t offer them training or accreditations, and you don’t attend exhibitions to meet them at anymore.

If they’re big enough, or their business model supports it, they can apply to become Apple Service Providers or Apple Solutions Experts and then you’ll talk to them. But even then, I keep getting calls and emails telling me you haven’t responded to phone calls, emails or letters asking you to start or progress their applications.

And yet I call in to your Apple Stores around the UK all the time, and I always ask your staff if they offer a service to go out to their clients’ locations to sort out issues or offer training on-site. And they always say no. And when I ask if they know anyone that can, they always say no and refer me to your website where I can look up the address of my local Apple Service Provider that might offer this service.

Now, if we could get together and talk about some co-operation here, I know it would work for the benefit of Apple UK and Apple Computer users everywhere.
I look forward to hearing from you.