Here’s an interesting read about Apple’s wonderful customer service. Note my sarcasm? 🙂
Anyway, here’s a short clip of the article.
The Apple Retail Store Hates You –
I recently visited the Apple store to exchange a defective power adapter which was still under warranty. I still have the defective adapter, as it has now cost more time and effort than it was originally worth.
What I have lost is time, money, and trust in the ethics of the retail store. What I have gained is disdain for their tactics and a sick feeling every time I hear “Apple Store.”
Why don’t I just dump my MacBook Pro and go with a PC? Because my employer uses Mac-based programs and hardware and I don’t see my building replacing 300+ machines any time soon. Whether “fanboy” or “hater,” my use of Apple products for work will change very little. However, my personal purchase plans have already changed and I hope others might be spared some of the inconvienience and inepttude I experienced in my last visit:
Short version:
Rather than complete a simple warranty exchange, they want me to make an appointment to drive back to the store to exchange a defective power adapter that is well within the one-year warranty. Seriously. They actually wanted to put me on “Standby” and expected me to hang around for 2-3 hours in case a “genius”
Head on over to TardySlip.net to read the entire article.
© 2010, Robert Owen. All rights reserved.
Sean says
January 7, 2010 at 11:28 amAll of this could have been avoided if the person had done what almost every other Apple customer has learned to do and make a Genius Bar appointment in advance.
I agree, it can seem like a pain, but that’s the best (and only) way to guarantee that you’ll get individual attention and service. Even with items as simple as headphones, when you make an appointment, you get the service you need. Yes, even headphones. And when someone makes an appointment for simple problems that a Genius can solve quickly, guess what? That opens up time *between* the people who made appointments in advance, which allows them to see people who are on standby. Had this person made an appointment, I’d wager a Genius would have done exactly that–verified the faulty part and replaced it.
Apple has every right to inspect the faulty product first before handing over a free replacement. It protects them from people trying to get a free part. Also, it should be noted that Apple *does not* pull replacement parts from the floor stock. They have a reserved stock that they pull warranty replacements from, so that if the floor stock sells out, they still have some to give to people who–say it with me–made a Genius Bar appointment.
Robert Owen says
January 7, 2010 at 1:14 pmThe whole need to make an appointment to return or exchange (or do anything for that matter) a piece of merchandise to the store that you got it from seems utterly ridiculous to me as well.
I understand doing this with your automobile… But, an $80 power adapter? come on… there has to be a better way. So, now say this with me they-are-a-retail-store.
Sean says
January 7, 2010 at 5:10 pmThis is not the same as a return or exchange, this is a warranty replacement, so don’t spin it as if every return or exchange at an Apple Store has to go through an appointment.
If it was an item purchased off the shelf, then it would have quickly and easily been returned or exchanged without needing an appointment. Because the power block was the one that came with a computer, Apple deals with it differently, and it’s entirely their right to do so.
Take a look at Apple’s customer service records and their Consumer Reports reviews and you’ll see that the majority of people understand how Apple Stores handle service and actually-gasp-prefer it.
Robert Owen says
January 7, 2010 at 5:20 pmThat power block was purchased from that retail store. Off the shelf without an appointment. Not the original that came with the laptop… In fact she had the original box and receipt with her when she went to return it. So, yes I agree, they should have been returned or exchanged without needing an appointment. But they did not… Had it been the original power block that came with the macbook I might understand this.
@tma says
January 7, 2010 at 12:38 pmWow, what a drama queen.
+1 to above. Maybe I’m crazy, but when I had an issue with the disc drive in my Macbook I went on to Apple.com to see what their procedures were. I got an appointment for the next day, and had a rather painless experience with less than a 48 hour turnaround for a drive replacement.
Compare that to a company like Dell or HP, what more could you ask for? At least I didn’t have to ship it out. Having used the Genius bar a couple of times, I like the system. People who are willing to hang around get worked in around reservations that other people make- which in my case, let me take care of my issues during a couple of lunch breaks without any anxiety that I’d be out of the office for too long.
If this lady is willing to dump an otherwise well functioning product because of a single negative retail experience, God help her if she goes out to buy a PC. Best Buy will make her head explode.
Robert Owen says
January 7, 2010 at 1:12 pm@tma Drama Queen? How do you know that “is the first” problem… little harsh buddy. I think the belittlement by the Apple Store staff and the poor treatment were primary factors to the problem. At no point in the incident did anyone say: “Listen, I’m really sorry but our policy is …” it was more like… “umm yeah, great, uh-huh, that’s great, can you come back in a few days… you know so you can talk to a “genius”… uh-huh, right I understand, can you come back in a few days… you know so you can talk to a “genius”… uh-huh, right I understand , can you come back in a few days… you know so you can talk to a “genius”… uh-huh, right I understand , can you come back in a few days… you know so you can talk to a “genius”… uh-huh, right I understand”
Sounds just like talking to a Tech support person who is reading from a script and doesn’t have the sense to deviate when THE CUSTOMER begins to get frustrated. I’ve delt with Dell, HP, Best Buy, CompUSA(of old), Circuit City(of Old) and they all suck in the support department. But a store with a retail front should be better. (period) And really 48hours for a drive replacement is really unacceptable… I can’t fathom that as being painless.
People forget about “The Customer experience” too much… “One bad experience” is NEVER just contained to that ONE person. people share their experiences, good or bad. I think people pay too little attention to that fact.
@tma says
January 7, 2010 at 1:34 pmYeah, I was actually shoving my foot in my mouth right after that comment, as I closed up my computer to go pick up the kid from school.
I’d managed to somehow dehumanize her as “Some random person on the internet who doesn’t really exist” and was too dismissive of her actual feelings. It’s scary how easy it is to fall into that, sometimes. And it doesn’t help that I defend Apple in the same knee-jerk way I defend Vista- because I’m anti-hater, I think. But that’s my own issue. I apologize to you both for that- I felt really bad.
But it’s a tough issue. I’d class my Apple warranty experiences as painless, for warranty experiences. Going all the way back to my 2nd generation iPod which they accepted as a return because I couldn’t get it to work with my pirated, Pre-SP1 XP. 48 hours for a drive replacement in a notebook is better than par after having dealt with warranty supports through both Circuit City and Best Buy, and I was always treated well. I find it pretty shocking that this stuff happened the way that it did.
I don’t know if you guys got the issue resolved, but on a truly productive note- Dev and I have two adapters between our Macbooks, and will loan you guys one if that helps any until Apple sorts you out.
-tma
Robert Owen says
January 7, 2010 at 1:44 pmNo problems. This is actually the second power adapter gone bad… The orginal burnt through the cable and was supposedly a known issue for this style adapter but as it was out of warrant when it happened… “too bad, so sad for us” and as this is equipment supplied by the School she works at, and they cannot afford to purchase a replacement, we did. $80 wasn’t a bad price. Funny, She didn’t have to make an appointment for that…
Thanks for your offer, she is good on that front currently.. There is another laptop at the school that is not in use (for the time being but will be again soon) and she is making use of that adapter. But no, the issue is not resolved yet.
Jennifer says
January 7, 2010 at 9:48 pmHey, TMA! I AM just some random person on the internet! 🙂 I expect to be treated like any other random person on the internet!
However, “Drama Queen?!” Really? I’m afraid that just doesn’t compare to some of the comments I had today. I think I can take “Drama Queen” if I can take “you’re the moron” and “you seem a bit retarded.” I wonder what part of my post kept me from seeming completely retarded! As of today, I vow to work on that. 😉
I could have just left the store, dealt with it online and been done. The thing that infuriated me was the crazy attempts to keep me in the store. Getting louder and louder, until she was yelling my name while she followed me toward the door was beyond anything I have experienced. Having that followed up by the female equivalent of Lumberg from “Office Space” certainly didn’t help.
Robyn Allegra says
January 7, 2010 at 1:50 pmWow. This is a great reason for me to continue ignoring the iPhone hype and stick with beloved BlackBerry.
Robert Owen says
January 7, 2010 at 3:01 pmYes, Yes… Blackberry Rocks! 🙂
Alyssa says
June 15, 2010 at 9:50 amWow. This is a great reason for me to continue ignoring the iPhone hype and stick with beloved BlackBerry.