Why I buy Apple Products

[motion]

I purchased a 17" Macbook Pro nearly 3 years ago to the tune of nearly $3,000. Recently, the battery overheated and burst. I had it wedged into the back seat of my car (in a protective soft case) with a bunch of stuff & it probably overheated. Because the battery expanded by about an inch, it put force on the aluminum chassis and bent the case of the computer. I purchased another battery from a supplier & didn't think much about it, deciding to just live with the bent case. I mentioned the situation to an Apple employee at an Apple store & they said Apple would stand behind the malfunction.

Three months later, I brought the machine to the local Genius Bar, and they took it from me no questions asked. A week later, I have it back in my hands. Apple replaced the chassis top and bottom, the screen, the trackpad, the keyboard and several internal components, including the optical drive. It was FEDEX'd to me overnight.

I'm completely blown away by this company's customer service policies. I've owned Macs since 1984 and plan to keep overpaying for the luxury of owning some of the finest pieces of craftsmanship available.

Amazing thing is... I could probably eBay this 3 year old machine for $1500 or more right now & upgrade to the latest & greatest. Naw.... this one is doing just fine so I'll keep it for another couple years

[HelmetHead]

Try that with an IPhone....they LAUGH AT YOU!

[stomachmonkey]

My wifes 17 in 1st gen Intel battery popped on her, took it in, walked out 30 seconds later with a new one.

Had a flaky USB circuit on one of my laptops, my main work horse. Brought it in before the warranty ran out. Needs to go back, 10 days round trip. Told the guy I'll loose $1k a day if I don't have this piece of hardware. He goes in back, comes back a few minutes later, says I just ordered everything we'll need to fix it in house. I'll call you when the parts are in. Bring the box back at your convenience and we'll turn it around over night.

Piece of advise on out of warranty hardware. Had to stop short and had my laptop on the passenger seat. It flew off, hit the dash and then the floor.

Was a bit flakey after that so I took it in.

Now you can either send it back and they will tell you what's wrong and how much to fix or you can opt for the "one price fix it all" plan which for that particular machine was a bit north of $300.

Got it back a week later, new screen, new logic board, new case, all for $300. Considering it was a $3k machine that was a deal.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by HelmetHead

Try that with an IPhone....they LAUGH AT YOU!

I just did, Tuesday. Antennae on my wifes went flakey. Made an appointment online. Drove to store, talked to the guy for 5 minutes explaining the issue and what I had tried to resolve it. He walked in back, brought me a new phone, asked me to erase the old one, sign the paper, have a nice day.

I've heard of people, although never met one, who have had issues at the retail stores. I've used several different ones in different states and never had anything but 1st class service. I'm sure there are people that have received less than 1st class service. No organization is 100% perfect.

Might help that I register each of my Apple products and one look at my account should be enough to justify giving me what I ask for. Loyalty works both ways.

There's a reason Microsoft is actively trying to poach Apple Store employees for their new stores.

Microsoft poaching Apple store managers and sales staff | The Loop

[Ronbo]

Originally Posted by HelmetHead

Try that with an IPhone....they LAUGH AT YOU!

I had a battery issue with my iPhone after about 6 months where it wouldn't hold a charge for any length of time. I brought it to the Apple store where they performed some test on it to confirm the problem, then handed me a new phone while apologizing for the bad battery. I was in and out in 15 minutes with no hassle.

[equality72521]

I had to take my iMac in for a new optical drive last week. 2 days later I had it back, no charge. I've had the Mac for 2 years.

[equality72521]

Oh, and the tech support person was American.

[Dottore]

When I have an issue with my Power Book, first thing Roxanne at the Mac shop does is plant me in an overstuffed armchair, bring me a pitcher of Martinis, grill me some Kobe beef, massage my feet and give me a blow-job.

Then she asks for my Apple Care card, and has me out of there with a new machine in 20 minutes tops.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Dottore

When I have an issue with my Power Book, first thing Roxanne at the Mac shop does is plant me in an overstuffed armchair, bring me a pitcher of Martinis, grill me some Kobe beef, massage my feet and give me a blow-job.

Then she asks for my Apple Care card, and has me out of there with a new machine in 20 minutes tops.

She must know how to make Martinis fast and the Kobe's gotta be rare cause after that plus the foot massage that only leaves, 1-2 minutes, tops, for the BJ?.

[HelmetHead]

Originally Posted by Dottore

When I have an issue with my Power Book, first thing Roxanne at the Mac shop does is plant me in an overstuffed armchair, bring me a pitcher of Martinis, grill me some Kobe beef, massage my feet and give me a blow-job.

Then she asks for my Apple Care card, and has me out of there with a new machine in 20 minutes tops.

I'm buying a Mac!

[dd74]

When all things are considered, particularly like customer care, I don't think Apple products are that overpriced.

[Tishabet]

I brought in my iPhone when the wifi stopped working, they confirmed the issue and gave me a new phone, in and out in 5 minutes.

A lot of companies have missed the boat on superior customer experience... actions like the replacement of my phone or Motion's case are the root of customer evangelism, which is way more valuable (and has so much more credibility) than traditional advertising.

[Dottore]

This thread reminds me of one of my favourite Python sketches...

YouTube - Monty Python - Four Yorkshiremen

[jyl]

The best thing is walking in and talking to an actual human being who may not be a "genius" but is at least skilled and knowledgeable, then if repairs are needed handing your machine to them and getting it back by FedEX. Beats sitting on hold to India for hours, talking to a call center robot, and then rummaging for a box and packing material to send the machine to some service facility while waiting for your RMA.

[Jim Richards]

Since we're discussing customer service...



As an aside, I had a real good experience with a customer service guy in India once when I had a problem with my PC. Still, I will be moving back to Apple products in the near future.

[Rikao4]

well SAM munched my iphone last night
going to the store..
we shall see..

Rika

[stevepaa]

My daugher's top of the line macbook pro has been beaten up by her. Dents, spills, etc. Just would not start one day in December, 3 1/2 years after purchase. Took it to Apple store and for $330, they replaced the logic board and a thermal unit and it works like new again. FEDEx back to us within 4 days. Saved me a bundle not buying her the new one she was hoping for.

[stevepaa]

Originally Posted by HelmetHead

Try that with an IPhone....they LAUGH AT YOU!

Uh, No. My display had a little bit of white at the bottom, just enough to be irritating. Replaced within 15 minutes. Zero charge.

[HardDrive]

Try dealing with Sony customer service for computer repair. We banned Sony laptops in my last company because we didn't want to deal with their schit

[Rufblackbird]

wow. maybe it is time to start looking at apple products...