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Shel Holtz
Communicating at the Intersection of Business and Technology
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Apple’s anonymous employees

An employee of Apple Computers has taken Shel Israel up on his offer to join a conversation about Apple’s customer service. The employee, however, has opted to do so anonymously.

The conversation began after Shel (my friend and namesake) posted an item about the diminishing likelihood that he’ll buy a Mac. His decision was prompted partly by Lenovo’s response to a customer service issue. Shel wrote:

I want to do business with companies who will be there for me when their products let me down. I just got a case of someone I trust getting helped by Lenovo and screwed by Apple. That’s all I need to know to decide. BTW, anyone from Apple Computer wishing to join this conversation is free to do so.

The response was an engaging and smart one:

think the broader issue is how we evolve large company support organisations where typically the relationship is managed by a junior member of staff and arbitrated by fixed processes? How do we build two-way conversations and trusted relationships? The organisation that cracks this first will have innovation far more valuable than any product based innovation!

The author, though, called himself “masked,” which is also his blogging moniker—he authors “The Masked Blogger” (which is also where he responded in more detail to Shel’s post). Shel replied by asking why he should trust a company whose employees have to mask their identities, to which masked said he, too, was uncomfortable with anonmity:

Here’s the dilemma:

- don’t participate in the conversation
- participate transparently with a fear that the income to support my family could be at risk
- participate with anonymity

Is the bigger question, as you point out, why don’t some employers trust their staff to join and add value to the conversation?

My thoughts have been to “extend the membrane” from the inside with the hope of demonstrating value and effecting a change in approach.

Am I misguided on this ... is transparency and authenticity a prerequisite?

I sense I’m not alone with this dilemma. I will post further on this issue as I think it is important to many of us. What is do you think? I’d be very interested if this issue resonates with any of your constituency.

Credit to mask for his (or her) willingness to participate. And I certainly understand and support the rationale for remaining anonymous. However, you have to wonder how much influence mask can take back to the organization based on the conversation if Apple doesn’t support employees engaging with customers. And mask is also right in his assumption that employees at many other companies that have not figured out (or don’t care) that business has evolved into partnerships with customers and that the marketplace is, as the Cluetrain Manifesto authors observed, a conversation.

Share your thoughts over at Shel’s blog.

 

10/08/06 | 8 Comments | Apple’s anonymous employees

Comments

  • 1.Oops. Guess Google / Blogger needs to work on a bit of security as far as its own blog goes. Not surprising, since I know more than one person who has had his or her blog "annexed" only to get...

    http://www.openthedialogue.com/2006/10/lotd_octobe | October 2006

  • 2.While we don't do blogs yet, I do engage with our patients and consumers just about every day. And I insist on doing so using my own email address and name. People need to know they are dealing with a real human being for that engagement to work out.

    While I understand what Mask is saying, one wonders what impact he/she can have on the organization if he/she is communicating on her own and not as a formal representative of the organization. I hear what he/she is saying, but if I were considering becoming a customer, it wouldn't make me feel good about it.

    Neal Linkon | October 2006 | Milwaukee

  • 3.I think it's kind of sad that one lonely blogger who is forced to remain anonymous for fear of losing his means of support is the only voice Apple is willing to contribute to the conversation. This calls to mind my own repeated efforts to engage Apple's PR department and the echo of Ms. Roberts exasperated retort, "You're NOT a journalist; you're just a blogger!" (emphasis hers)

    The day that Apple employees can communicate openly with customers (and soon-to-be-lost customers) without fear of losing their jobs is one I hope will come soon.

    Heidi Miller | October 2006 | Chicago

  • 4.Actually, former Apple Employees are barred from talking about their employment, it's right there in the hiring contract, thus you never see "tell all" books about Apple for the simple reason it's illegal. Anonymous is really the only way to go, but even that holds certain risks, thought you should know.

    Just a name | October 2006

  • 5.What about current employees? Aren't we speaking of current employees?

    Heidi | October 2006 | Chicago

  • 6.This is a current employee; he wouldn't be worried about his employment if he were already a former employee!

    Shel Holtz | October 2006 | Concord, CA

  • 7.Wow, there's nothing like a bit of intrigue is there! As a relative newcomer to the blogosphere I am fascinated by the interest generated from the Mask's post, and even more convinced about the importance of the medium in the business world.

    I believe there is a real value in opening up a communication community within any organisation that services a customer base and Apple should be no exception. In my experience Apple users are fiercely passionate about the products and I have had many a PC vs Apple debate, where I take delight in winding up the Appleites (personally I think the're all just computers and as long as they do the job I bought them for I don't have any loyalty one way or another).

    But as Apple do have such a loyal and passionate user base they should trade on that and encourage a dialogue that builds on that loyalty. It can only do them good.

    P.S. It's not me, I registered the domain, but I don't work for Apple.

    Bob Smeaton | October 2006

  • 8.If you see problems in your company, and you are not allowed to solve them, then go somewhere else. Blogging about them is a good effort, but if no one from the company will officially join the conversation, then how much weight can their words have?

    Seems like a firm as big as Apple should have a staff of people whose job it is to, on record, respond to complaints such as Shel's. Why don't they?

    I realize that my views are simplistic, but I work in a 25 person company, so if something is bugging me, I talk to the boss about it. And when I see a problem I want to talk about, I blog about it, so our clients can know what to expect from me as the client services rep. Maybe big firms can't allow that much freedom, but they should at least be on record in responding to client problems.

    Brian | October 2006

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