Apple Inc. (AAPL) May Care Less About Customers, Devices?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may still care about customers, but its compassion could be reflected a little bit differently, if certain proposed policy changes go in to effect this fall as planned. Cupertino has developed a stellar reputation for having quality service and warranties on its various products. And for the longest time, when a customer brought in a faulty iOS device such as an iPhone or iPad to an Apple Store, the device would be replaced rather than repaired provided the warranty was sill in force.

But if these proposed changes go into effect, some of the service policies could be drastically changed. Is it all in the name of cost savings, and why would Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) consider such a move considering it has a gazillion dollars to its name? That is an interesting question to consider and perhaps something to investigate further, as Apple is apparently considering changes to its service policies that would eliminate the walk-in replacement policy for iOS devices and wouldchange the out-of-warranty service, which a report suggests could save the company $1 billion a year in costs, but would make Apple not very different from other companies.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) seems to be introducing some more consistency across its ecosystem with one major change, that involving the walk-in replacement. In the past, the company usually replaced iOS devices immediately if they were faulty and brought into an Apple Store while under warranty. Starting in the fall, its is reported, Apple  now will implement the same policy for iOS devices as it does for its Mac computers – it will repair the device and return it to the customer, with the customer paying only for the components replaced and the service fee. This change may benefit those whose device warranties have expired, as repairing and returning would be cheaper than trading in the old device and cash for a newer model.

Another major change may be found in AppleCare, the extended-warranty program that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has run for a number of years. In the past, customers would have had to buy AppleCare separately for each device purchased; the change could be he addition of a subscription model that is attached to the customer and would cover all devices owned by that customer. If these policy changes do go into effect, then U.S. stores will see the changes first, and by next summer the changes will be rolled out internationally.

What are your thoughts about Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and its existing customer service policies? Do you think they should change, and if so, what changes would you make? Let us know in the comments section below.

DISCLOSURE: None