Have you ever bought an Apple computer? Have you ever regretted it? I know I sure haven’t. I realize some people find issues with Apple, but let’s face it, buying an Apple is a magical experience. I’ve bought three now and it never gets old. You get beautiful packaging. Everything is laid out perfectly. You turn on the computer, and you’re suddenly flying through space, listening to music, as it greets you in a multitude of languages. A couple simple forms later and you’re using the computer. If you have a .mac account (now MobileMe) it will even fill out the forms for you. Truly a rewarding experience.
I want to contrast this with the recent purchase of an Acer (A150 Aspire One) netbook my fiancée made. While she loves Apple computers and owns a MacBook, she needed a small, portable computer to carry around.
The Acer didn’t have terrible packaging, but then again it was no Apple packaging either. Anna hit the power button with excitement all ready to use the computer. The Acer responded by putting form after form in front of her. The laptop had to install a ridiculous amount of applications and tools, and after 3 restarts and 29 minutes of staring at progress bars, the computer was finally ready to be used. Suddenly, we both got the feeling of “I miss my Apple.â€
This feeling is termed “post decision” or “cognitive dissonance” and it essentially equates to buyers remorse. Most companies are hyper aware of this phenomenon, as it is far more expensive to reach new consumers with marketing dollars then it is to keep existing repeat consumers. When you see a message with the product thanking you for the purchase or calling you a loyal customer, this is the company trying to battle your feelings of cognitive dissonance.
So many companies are focused on making the sale, they forget about making the person happy once they have purchased the computer. That’s how you get repeat business. Those details are why Anna and I have bought four Apple computers in the last 3 years. “You don’t get a second chance for a first impression†and I won’t be buying or recommending Acer to anybody. Instead, I suggest you go buy an Apple.
(Side note: Two days after purchase, we had to return the computer because of a flickering screen.)
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Comment starter: What great purchasing experiences have you had? When was your biggest buyer’s remorse?
Tags: Acer, Apple, Buyers remorse
The only Apple product I have purchased has been an iPhone and so I have limited experience with apple products, however I have purchased an Acer Aspire One. I do agree booting it up and getting it running the first time was a bit of a pain but once I got it running, played with XP to get it running the way I like its been great. I also experienced the ‘flickering screen’ problem and had to return my first one but later found out that a firmware upgrade should fix the issue.
3308 should fix it and can be found here http://sites.google.com/site/maclesblogspotcom/ that isn’t an official Acer link so please download and use at your own risk – here is a quick tutorial for firmware upgrade on the One http://macles.blogspot.com/2008/07/flashing-bios.html
Maybe one day I’ll get around to trying out an Apple laptop…until then this Aspire One will do!
Buying a new Honda was great fun. I felt that I was buying a a quality performance vehicle for a fair market price. I felt good about buying from a brand that constantly tops the reliability lists across all models and types of cars and I knew from friends that I would not regret my decision in regards to reliability and maintenance cost (or lack of). The people at the dealership were extremely friendly and the service at the dealership was fantastic although I had never dealt with them before. But the experience didn’t stop there. Throughout the following month and years I never regretted the purchase. The car always ‘delivered’ beyond it’s marketing promise, the maintenance cost and effort on my side was at a almost shocking minimum and throughout the three years I owned the vehicle I never had any issues. Finally, when I sold the vehicle I didn’t loose much in depreciation due to the very good deal I got with my initial purchase. All this turned me into a Honda brand evangelist, always telling people how great their products are. What matters most is that the combined experience on buying the product and using it left a very positive mark on my brand perception and I would never hesitate to trust them again.
BTW Yes, I know as a born German I should buy German cars. Well, lets just say I am not a patriotic person. They make good cars now doubt and I might buy one again at some point (also had good experiences with them before). And just so you know I also don’t like beer and soccer
Don’t like beer? I’m going to have to ignore that comment for the moment.
I love that Apple has a more expensive product, and they don’t seem care. They have a devout group of users that enjoy using their products. Usability, form and function. That’s what people are looking for. I too have had positive Apple buying experiences.
Good service and good products aren’t always more expensive; but in my experience it’s often the case.
In my past life as an Executive Director, I was tasked with purchasing a complete new set of office equipment for an organization. I had at that time used PCs my whole life and had a certain comfort level with them. I wanted to explore all of my options although I was hesitant to go with Apple computers due to my perception that they were a lot more expensive than PCs. What I realized after doing an analysis for best fit for the organization was that actually it isn’t that Apple is more expensive, it is just that they don’t have the same stripped down crappy models that PCs sell for $500. If you want a professional machine that will last for at least 3 years you can’t get away from the prices Apple charges, even if you buy a PC. I ended up buying a MacBook Pro and two MacBooks, I never once had a problem nor regretted my decision.