Setup Picture – I am sitting at the Apple Genius Bar, ya I know they call it a “Bar” but not a drink in sight, working through my iPhone issues with the savvy, half shaven, twenty something, blue t-shirt wearing apple genius who is just about finished with my antenna issue. When to my surprise the next customer introduces himself to my genius with the problem of “Dude, my iPhone was only in the washer for just enough time for me to realize it wasn’t in my hands” – Yes, I am quoting his first sentence, I can’t make this up any better than reality. These folks really are geniuses of not only apple stuff but of multi-tasking, the proof is that my genius finished my issue while keeping a straight face and not laughing at the laundry dude. I have to admit that for the sake of all our Force 5 readers, I just had to stick around to hear the rest of the laundry story – You’re sitting on the edge of your office chairs, Right?
Laundry dude continued to explain how his iPhone was in his favorite jeans pocket and probably didn’t get that wet. He showed some smarts and called Apple before turning on his now sparkling clean iPhone. Apple instructed him to go to the nearest store and ask the genius to turn the phone on for him – Do Not Try This At Home should apply here. The genius listened and was very sympathetic to laundry dude. But, when the laundry dude finally confessed and said that this was his “THIRD” iPhone within the past year, the conversation was at a cross roads. In my opinion, the genius could have said “Sorry Charlie” and had every right to do so. But, to my surprise he offered laundry dude a new iPhone 4 at a greatly reduced rate of $199.00. Of course, laundry dude asked “Isn’t there any kind of insurance or care plan I can purchase that will cover me from stuff like this?”
Lesson of the story, we all have done some silly things in our lives and careers. So, what makes you different is the ability to ask yourself “Ok, that marketing effort was a flop and WHY?” If you can’t ask the question, you can’t learn the answers of tomorrow’s successes. Need someone outside of your organization to ask that tough question? Force 5 can help and we promise not to wash your cell phone.
