OK, I'm impressed

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I refuse to become a Fanboy, but wow is customer service excellent at the Apple Stores.

Purchased a 4S on Ebay a few weeks back. The sound for videos and music over the internal speaker stopped this morning. I figured I munged up a setting, but couldn't find anything. I then did a few searches to find a solution. I tried what was suggested. No joy.

But, this has to be a software issue, right? The speakerphone works. The ringer works. WTH!

So I head to the local Apple Store. They run diagnostics. They check it out. They cannot fix it. Here is a brand new 4S.

No wonder the cost is so high for the products. They have a huge staff ready to fix things AND they are willing to replace things that are broken, under warranty, no questions asked.

Is it too late to invest in the stock?

I still like my Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 plus....

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

What's the value of that endorsement? Multiplied by the number of people that will read it on Pelican, tell their friends, et al.

Just good business sense. Make customers fall in love with you products and stay loyal because of your service. Some call it a cult. I call it smart business.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Yep, very smart business.

HardDrive · 02-02-2012, 04:35 PM

I'm with you 100%. Their products are expensive, and I don't love everything about them. But their service really is great. Even when I've brought in devices that were broken by our own idiocy, they gave me a good deal on a factory refurbished unit.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

I need to take my 4S in.... It's been doing some funny stuff when I try to change the volume and at times it drops cell data signal and has to be restarted.

Hugh R · 02-02-2012, 04:49 PM

I bought an Apple TV unit, its fantastic, and as they say "It just works". I can watch netflix on my big screen and listen to my music on my computer from iTunes. I'm waiting for workaround software to use my Sony Wi-Fi speakers, which use Windows Media Player but only with MP3, not MP4 music.

Dueller · 02-02-2012, 05:34 PM

WHAT?!? They didn't give you a free hat or T-shirt? Not even some stickers??????

djmcmath · 02-02-2012, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

I bought an Apple TV unit, its fantastic, and as they say "It just works".

Yeah, I have an Apple TV and an Airport Express, and it all just works. Sometimes a quick skim of the manual is necessary, but ... it's not hard, and it's cool. I can control the music anywhere in my house with my phone. I know there are other ways to do this, but ... this was easy.

Mark Henry · 02-02-2012, 06:38 PM

Nintendo has real good CS as well.
Out of warranty my girl dropped her DS into the sink, right full off water, ruined. For $50 they said they will replace it, 2 days later FED-EX knocked on the door with her new DS.

stomachmonkey · 02-02-2012, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dueller

WHAT?!? They didn't give you a free hat or T-shirt? Not even some stickers??????

All Apple hardware comes with stickers in the box.

That's the only reason I buy their crap.

szyzygy · szyzygy's Garage

The only APple thing I have is one of those little shuffles for running.

The headphones that come with it suck. The rubber breaks down in like 6mo. Same with the charging USB connector.

I walk into the APple store and see the item I wish to purchase. There is no inventory from which I can take one. There is no clearly defined check out area. Eventually I have to talk to a clerk, tell him what I want. He goes into the back and moments later holds out his hand in front of my face with a small package on it, asking me if I'd like to do the honors. SO I pull the tab and unwrap it.

WOW! Guess what?!?!?! The item I requested was in there!

Seriously, that really happened. So dumb to sell products like that. And as I mentioned, the rubber portion sucks.

Also, on a related note, iTunes sucks big time.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by szyzygy

So dumb to sell products like that.

Yeah, clearly Apple doesn't know what they're doing...

szyzygy · szyzygy's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by nostatic

Yeah, clearly Apple doesn't know what they're doing...

I'm not saying it's a waste of their money or anything, I thought it was just a little...ghey.

NTTAWWT

jwasbury · 02-02-2012, 08:23 PM

Hmmm...

Apple store service at the NYC store sux balls. It might be ok when you're buying something new. But for after sales support, you have to make an appointment at the "genius bar" and its a PITA. They also won't just sell you repair parts. The SuperDrive in my wife's MacBook took a dump (2nd one to do so) and I just wanted to buy a new one and install myself. Nope, "sorry we don't sell parts, you have to make an appointment at the genius bar," said the drone in the red apple store shirt. Apple also couldn't seem to get its act together to ship a replacement battery that my wife ordered online. She ended up getting faster satisfaction from an aftermarket supplier.

I like the products (on my iPad right now, use iTunes, apple tv, etc), but for us the after sale service has been poor.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwasbury

Hmmm...

Apple store service at the NYC store sux balls. It might be ok when you're buying something new. But for after sales support, you have to make an appointment at the "genius bar" and its a PITA. They also won't just sell you repair parts. The SuperDrive in my wife's MacBook took a dump (2nd one to do so) and I just wanted to buy a new one and install myself. Nope, "sorry we don't sell parts, you have to make an appointment at the genius bar," said the drone in the red apple store shirt. Apple also couldn't seem to get its act together to ship a replacement battery that my wife ordered online. She ended up getting faster satisfaction from an aftermarket supplier.

I like the products (on my iPad right now, use iTunes, apple tv, etc), but for us the after sale service has been poor.

Well, I am in Texas. The difference might be a Texas/New York thing...

stomachmonkey · 02-02-2012, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by szyzygy

The only APple thing I have is one of those little shuffles for running.

The headphones that come with it suck. The rubber breaks down in like 6mo. Same with the charging USB connector.

I walk into the APple store and see the item I wish to purchase. There is no inventory from which I can take one. There is no clearly defined check out area. Eventually I have to talk to a clerk, tell him what I want. He goes into the back and moments later holds out his hand in front of my face with a small package on it, asking me if I'd like to do the honors. SO I pull the tab and unwrap it.

WOW! Guess what?!?!?! The item I requested was in there!

Seriously, that really happened. So dumb to sell products like that. And as I mentioned, the rubber portion sucks.

Also, on a related note, iTunes sucks big time.

Apple retail stores are revered for reinventing the in store experience.

Every employee is a check out area. They all carry portable registers.

Hardware is all on display and space is used to showcase/allow shoppers to experience the products hands on. Stock kept in back to control shrinkage. Software is all on the shelves for you to pick up.

If you are buying hardware I can guarantee you it's faster to tell someone what you want and pay that person when they bring it out to you than to find it yourself and stand on a checkout line.

My last few purchases took under 5 minutes and I never stepped more than 5 feet inside the store.

Everything in the retail locations is thought out and done on purpose.

Considering Apple are ridiculously successful in a channel that every manufacturer before them failed miserably I think Apple got it right.

motion · 02-02-2012, 08:56 PM

The Apple store experience is something that we shouldn't even be wasting time discussing. Steve Jobs absolutely re-invented the retail experience. Apple stores gross more per square foot than any store in the world. Its a new standard for everyone else to attempt to emulate.

szyzygy · szyzygy's Garage

It took awhile for someone to be available to check me out.
I don't like having to learn a new way of doing things, it actually cost me time trying to figure their process out. Not cool.

I really just wanted to say:

iTunes sucks
the rubber parts on their products suck
the presentation thing was really ghey

That is all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Apple retail stores are revered for reinventing the in store experience.

Every employee is a check out area. They all carry portable registers.

Hardware is all on display and space is used to showcase/allow shoppers to experience the products hands on. Stock kept in back to control shrinkage. Software is all on the shelves for you to pick up.

If you are buying hardware I can guarantee you it's faster to tell someone what you want and pay that person when they bring it out to you than to find it yourself and stand on a checkout line.

My last few purchases took under 5 minutes and I never stepped more than 5 feet inside the store.

Everything in the retail locations is thought out and done on purpose.

Considering Apple are ridiculously successful in a channel that every manufacturer before them failed miserably I think Apple got it right.

stomachmonkey · 02-02-2012, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwasbury

Hmmm...

Apple store service at the NYC store sux balls. It might be ok when you're buying something new. But for after sales support, you have to make an appointment at the "genius bar" and its a PITA. They also won't just sell you repair parts. The SuperDrive in my wife's MacBook took a dump (2nd one to do so) and I just wanted to buy a new one and install myself. Nope, "sorry we don't sell parts, you have to make an appointment at the genius bar," said the drone in the red apple store shirt. Apple also couldn't seem to get its act together to ship a replacement battery that my wife ordered online. She ended up getting faster satisfaction from an aftermarket supplier.

I like the products (on my iPad right now, use iTunes, apple tv, etc), but for us the after sale service has been poor.

Apple have not sold repair parts or authorized 3rd party repair facilities since the 90's, well before they opened their first retail store.

I deal with the public/our customers all the time. Customers suck, they will break their **** and then blame and lambast you.

So if possible you don't let them tarnish your brand because of their own stupidity.

If you understand how Apple operate their stores they are cake to deal with.

Genius Bar appointments can be made online, you can pick the day and time that you will show up and reserve your spot, minimal to no wait.

Genius Bar appointments are not even necessary if you can leave your device. The first table of PC's inside the front door are self check in for service. Walk up to one, enter your info, hand the hardware off to an employee and leave. They'll call you when it's fixed and you go pick it up.

There's a reason Apples customer service rating is the highest in the industry.

szyzygy · szyzygy's Garage

genius bar is a stupid name. Not everyone is a "genius".

Kinda ties in with how all the kids get medals these days