Apple provides replacement nanos for damaged iPods

• After about a week of various Apple Computer (Nasdaq: AAPL) fan sites posting complaints about screens cracking on Apple's newest flash-memory digital music player, the iPod nano, Apple has admitted that there is a problem with cracked screens on a small number of the new units.
• Apple announced that all customers need do is get in touch with AppleCare -- that's customer support at most companies -- and their faulty iPod nano will be replaced free of charge.
• As an investor, I was curious to see how much damage this problem would cause for iPod sales (stay tuned) and whether Apple would act quickly to protect the power of the iPod brand.
• As a consumer, I think the iPod nano is simply a beautiful product and one I may want to purchase, provided the cracked-screen problem goes away quickly.
• For a company often criticized for having an adversarial relationship with customers seeking product support, Apple's forthright offer to replace any faulty iPod nano is a smart and sensible move.
• It's also an attitude I believe the company needs to embrace as it becomes more of a consumer electronics company and less of a computer company.
• As the old saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
• Folks may bicker that Apple took too long to come around and admit that there was a problem, but I disagree.
• I've had customer service problems with Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) and Sony (NYSE: SNE), as well as a number of smaller private companies, and quite often it took more than one phone call to get a problem resolved.
• It's not a pleasant experience, and there's certainly room for improvement in the customer service department at most companies.