Tim Cook Says that Apple is an “open” company

On November 10, Tuesday an Apple Store security guard in Melbourne asked a group of black Australian students to leave the retail store because it was concerned they might “steal something”.

Earlier this week, the store manager and Apple itself had issued an apology to the students in question, and now Cook has intervened to remind Apple employees of their responsibilities. According the Cook’s email the company is open to all ‘regardless of religion or race, sexual orientation or gender, disability, age, income, point of view, or language’. The video clip was widely condemned, and statement from the company read: “We apologize to the customer involved”.

“We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure all our customers are treated the way they should be”, it continued.

The incident indeed seems to be rather isolated one as Apple Stores are known to allow customers to freely enter the store and often go extra mile in making sure that they feel comfortable.

“What people have seen and heard from watching the video on the web does not represent our values”, he added.

The majority of Cook’s speech focused on his time as a student, but he also took time to talk about the importance of his mission to not just make money at Apple but to “leave the world better than we found it”.

Whatever happened prior to the recorded incident has been pretty much nullified by Apple CEO Tim Cook as he sent an email out to all employees addressing the incident.

Apple Australia confirmed to AFP on Thursday that the store’s manager had apologised to the students and their school principal Nick Scott when they returned to the shopping centre on Wednesday. Collectively they speak 15 languages, including Urdu, Portuguese, Arabic and Mandarin. However, it provided a chance for the company’s employees to learn and grow.

The Apple Store Highpoint is staffed by people who share these values and illustrate our commitment to diversity.

“At Highpoint (shopping mall) two weeks ago they asked to try out a few self-propelled scooter and the guy told them, “No, you can’t, legally I can’t let you try it out”.

“Respect for our customers is the foundation of everything we do at Apple”. It’s the reason we make our stores lovely and inviting, and extend their reach to benefit the communities around them.

Denise Younger Smith, who’s an African-American that has been part of Apple since 1997, is the vp of worldwide human sources, and has spoken very passionately prior to now about overcoming the challenges that the corporate faces in changing into extra numerous. “It’s the reason we commit ourselves to enriching people’s lives”, Cook wrote.