Steve Jobs to journalism student - "Please leave us alone"

其實我挺欣賞Steve Jobs...

- by Eve

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來源：《聯合新聞網》2010/09/26

與蘋果公司執行長賈伯斯打筆仗的下場會是什麼？他會像鬧彆扭的少年一樣回你：「別煩我們了。（Please leave us alone）。」

紐約長島大學新聞系大四學生雀兒喜．艾薩克斯要寫一篇有關iPad學術用途的報告，由於校方正考慮送iPad給新生，所以報告頗有先見之明。她打了好幾通電話並寫電郵給蘋果公關部門，都沒有回音。

她於是寫電郵給賈伯斯，抱怨公關部門怠忽職守，卻引來情緒性的回應。

信的內容為：

賈伯斯先生，我很想知道，不論是推出最新最棒的產品或提供顧客服務，蘋果都很注重學生的需求。諷刺的是，公關部門未回答我的任何問題，儘管我一再強調，他們的回答對我的成績很重要。

以親自回信聞名的賈伯斯（sjobs@apple.com）用責備的語氣回覆：

我們的目標不包括幫你拿高分。抱歉。

大多數人可能摸摸鼻子自認倒楣，但艾薩克斯不氣餒，再回信：

我從沒說過「幫我拿高分」應該是貴公司的目標，我只是禮貌地問，貴公司的公關團隊為何不回電郵，這會降低我得高分的機會。姑且不論我個人的情況，只談基本的禮貌，你們若收到客戶或消費者的留言，身為員工，回電不是你們的工作嗎？我原本一直這麼認為，但我想這不是你們的目標。

賈伯斯被惹毛了，回覆說：

確實不是。我們的用戶超過3億，除非他們碰到什麼問題，我們無法一一回覆。抱歉。

艾薩克斯回批：

你說的對，而我正是你需要回覆的顧客。首先，我是3億用戶之一。其次，我的確碰到問題，需要回答，而且只有公關部門能回答。現在，他們能不能好心回應我的請求（他們可以在語音信箱聽到我5通或10通留言）。拜託，我交報告的日期快到了。

賈伯斯終於按捺不住，回覆：

請別再煩我們了。

身為公眾人物和公司老闆，賈伯斯的回覆讓艾薩克斯感到難以置信：「我覺得他很沒禮貌，為何要與我鬥嘴？」這就是與賈伯斯打筆仗的下場。艾薩克斯向美國廣播公司（ABC）的「早安美國」節目爆料。顯然，新聞系學生也不好惹。
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Steve Jobs to journalism student - "Please leave us alone"

Almost everyone involved in tech journalism who has had to deal with Apple has experienced the Apple PR black hole. It’s annoying, it’s frustrating, and in an age where companies strive for more engagement, it’s very unusual. But very few get a personal “Please leave us alone” from the man himself, Steve Jobs.

The Guardian has a story about Chelsea Isaacs, a student doing a journalism degree at Long Island University, got tired of the wall of silence from Apple PR channels and decided to approach the man himself. The exchange is detailed below:

From: Chelsea Isaacs

To: Steve Jobs

Subject: Re: Mr. Jobs - Student Journalist Concerned about Apple’s MediaRelations Dept.

Dear Mr. Jobs,”

As a college student, I can honestly say that Apple has treated me very well; my iPod is basically the lifeline that gets me through the day, and thanks to Apple’s Final Cut Pro, I aced last semester’s video editing project. I was planning to buy a new Apple computer to add to my list of Apple favorites. Because I have had such good experiences as a college student using Apple products, I was incredibly surprised to find Apple’s Media Relations Department to be absolutely unresponsive to my questions, which (as I had repeatedly told them in voicemail after voicemail) are vital to my academic grade as a student journalist.

For my journalism course, I am writing an article about the implementation of an iPad program at my school, the CW Post Campus of Long Island University.

The completion of this article is crucial to my grade in the class, and it may potentially get published in our university’s newspaper. I had 3 quick questions regarding iPads, and wanted to obtain answers from the most credible source: Apple’s Media Relations Department. I have called countless times throughout the week, leaving short, but detailed, messages which included my contact information and the date of my deadline. Today, I left my 6th message, which stressed the increasingly more urgent nature of the situation. It is now the end of the business day, and I have not received a call back. My deadline is tomorrow.

Mr. Jobs, I humbly ask why Apple is so wonderfully attentive to the needs of students, whether it be with the latest, greatest invention or the company’s helpful customer service line, and yet, ironically, the Media Relations Department fails to answer any of my questions which are, as I have repeatedly told them, essential to my academic performance.

For colleges nationwide, Apple is at the forefront of improving the way we function in the academic environment, increasing the efficiency of conducting academic research, as well as sharing and communicating with our college communities. With such an emphasis on advancing our education system, why, then, has Apple’s Media Relations team ignored my needs as a student journalist who is just trying to get a good grade?

In addition to the hypocrisy of ignoring student needs when they represent a company that does so much for our schools, the Media Relations reps are apparently, also failing to responsibly handle the inquiries of professional journalists on deadlines. Unfortunately, for a journalist in the professional world, lacking the answers they need on deadline day won’t just cost them a grade; it could cost them their job.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Chelsea Kate Isaacs, Senior, CW Post - Long Island University

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

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From: Steve Jobs

To: Chelsea Isaacs

Subject: Re: Mr. Jobs - Student Journalist Concerned about Apple’s Media Relations Dept.

Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade. Sorry.

Sent from my iPhone

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From: Chelsea Isaacs

To: Steve Jobs

Subject: Re: Mr. Jobs - Student Journalist Concerned about Apple’s Media Relations Dept.

Thank you for your reply. I never said that your goal should be to “help me get a good grade.” Rather, I politely asked why your media relations team does not respond to emails, which consequently, decreases my chances of getting a good grade. But, forget about my individual situation; what about common courtesy, in general — if you get a message from a client or customer, as an employee, isn’t it your job to return the call? That’s what I always thought. But I guess that’s not one of your goals. Yes, you do have a creative approach, indeed.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

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From: Steve Jobs

To: Chelsea Isaacs

Subject: Re: Mr. Jobs - Student Journalist Concerned about Apple’s Media Relations Dept.

Nope. We have over 300 million users and we can’t respond to their requests unless they involve a problem of some kind. Sorry.

Sent from my iPhone

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From: Chelsea Isaacs

To: Steve Jobs

Subject: Re: Mr. Jobs - Student Journalist Concerned about Apple’s Media Relations Dept.

You’re absolutely right, and I do meet your criteria for being a customer who deserves a response:

1. I AM one of your 300 million users.

2. I DO have a problem; I need answers that only Apple Media Relations can answer.

Now, can they kindly respond to my request (my polite and friendly voice can be heard in the first 5 or 10 messages in their inbox). Please, I am on deadline.

I appreciate your help.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

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From: Steve Jobs

To: Chelsea Isaacs

Subject: Re: Mr. Jobs - Student Journalist Concerned about Apple’s MediaRelations Dept.

Please leave us alone.

Sent from my iPhone

Please, let that last response should be immortalised in a new Steve Jobs/Apple meme …

Note: It’s woth noting I’ve never had a personal email from Steve Jobs either, but that now seems like a good thing! Who knows what he might tell me to do …

Seriously though, that’s uncool. Sure, no one is owed a reply or help. There are plenty of reasons why requests for information or help are ignored and the person replying might not be Steve Jobs himself (although if it isn’t, allowing a third-party to pretent is dangerous. But that said, not replying is very different to entering into a conversation about why no one is replying. That seems awfully arrogant, counter-productive and just plain rude.