Yesterday, we were talking about Apple’s association with the high “iCrime” rates. Since today is a very calm Saturday in the world of Apple, I thought I’d highlight an old New York Times article that touches the same subject. I don’t know if you’ve read this article before, but it really shows how much Steve Jobs cares about his customers.

A couple of years ago, a 15-year old boy was killed in Brooklyn. He was stabbed twice in the chest before the attackers stole his valuables; among them an iPod. It has later been said that the fight started with a demand for the iPod. This is a very tragic story, which you can read more about in the article.

Most business executives would not touch the victims of such a horrible crime. They would probably distance themselves trying not to get involved, or maybe talk to the press. But Apple executives are unlike any other. About a week after the boys death, the father got a phone call from a stranger; Steve Jobs.

Everyone can make a phone call to a grieving parent, conveying his sympathies; especially CEO’s that have learned how to handle people. But Steve Jobs is different. He doesn’t say anything he doesn’t mean and that fact becomes real obvious when you actually hear his tone of voice. The father said something that really got to me:

“Some people talk to you like they’re something remote. He was so familiar. After every word, he paused, as if each word he said came from his heart.”

Such is the spirit and culture of Apple. The people, starting from the very top of the company, care about their customers in a way that no other business does. What they do is they change lives. The iPod and the iPhone have both had a tremendous impact on peoples lives, in various ways. And because they change lives, they have to take appropriate responsibility as well as make sure that they hire people that have the customers best interest at heart.

And this goes not only for products but also, as this story demonstrates, for the lives that have been affected by them. Steve Jobs is the CEO of one of the busiest and most important IT companies in the world. Still, he didn’t hesitate to take the time and emotional energy to call a grieving parent to convey his sympathies on behalf of himself and his company.

This is one of many things that make Apple special.