Apple service...
 

My son's iPhone speaker broke. Likely a result of his own clumsiness. He made an appointment at the genius bar from his phone and went in to the local Apple store. Despite the fact that his phone was out of warranty, they gave him a new phone. No charge. Amazing...

This is in sharp contrast to the customer service received at Microsoft. I've tried to get an XBox360 replaced by Microsoft after VERY early failure. The only result was extreme frustration.

The Apple store was packed, by the way.

I sold an old MacBook Pro to a friend who had never had an Apple product. He screwed up downloading an OS update (by not plugging in the power supply) and ended up with a brick. He called me as he was driving to Best Buy where he had been told it would be at least $250 to do an OS install. I told him to drive to the nearest Apple store, walk in and speak to someone at the Genius Bar. He said: but I didn't buy it there, I don't have a receipt; it's 4 years old... I said just go.

He called me an hour later, literally stunned at the quality of treatment he got. They did a fresh OS install while he waited. Charged him nothing. It's hard to communicate with people who haven't experienced it just what that kind of service can mean.

Be prepared to be called an Apple fanboy for telling people of your successful dealings with the company, BTW.

nothing atypical in those stories

Apple is teh sEx

My son's iPod Touch screen is cracked (his sister dropped it). He wants to take it into Apple store to see if they will replace it. I've been resisting, since it seems like of spongy - not Apple's fault after all.

Toss a screen protector film on it and be done with it.

I've had similar good experience, it's a welcome change.

One time, I had a sweater from Nordstrom's, and it had a yarn come loose. . . :rolleyes:


Yeah, tech, you are going to be called an Apple fanboy because you jump up and down repeatedly, with the same manufactured -Surprise!- that Apple dared to stand behind their product with some good customer service. (btw, how much APPL stock do you own?)

Anyway, there are plenty of other companies out there, which stand behind their product, yet they don't get the same "oh HEY I am SO Surprised, everybody..." that the Apple fanboys regurgitate time and time again. :)

Go on Youtube and look at a couple of the videos on repair. You'll want to use a jewelers set of magnifiers, and the screws are really tiny, but you can fix it yourself. I've done a few iPods. Get the parts off ebay.

Yes, Nordstrom's is the gold standard.

You should read more carefully, Island. I am not surprised by Apple service. Other people are. And I know that drives you crazy. I really don't know why. But feel free to post accounts of Dell and HP helping people whose products are out of warranty.

By far out of all of the hundreds vendors I have to deal with in the enterprise, Apple wins hands down in customer service. We house their IVR solution in our data centers, as well as all of their payment systems. They are not only nice to work with but highly accommodating.

We also use thousands of their IPADS in our sales systems, normally we pay for professional services when units like an IPAD need a firmware upgrade. Not Apple, they sen engineers out all over the place to do the upgrades for us for nothing.

fwiw, I've heard people b:itch about Apple's "geniuses" more than I've heard complaints about Dell's customer service. ...but that is all about expectations. --I mean "genius bar" . . "geniuses" ...really?

less than your going rate of 2 cents. ;)

50% off for you, AND my customer service is Awesome! . . .Totally freaking OMG Awesomeness that cannot be stopped. Money back guarantee... in fact, I'll even double that incredible unstoppable awesomeness, and the one cent worth can be returned by my listening to your TWO cents worth.

OMG, it's teh cats sExE tits!

:D

Oh yes... The company that sent me a netbook with NO OS installed. Was supposed to be linux but the mfers forgot to install it. Spent 2+hrs getting the run around from tech support and finally gave up, bought an external CD drive and installed it myself. I won't buy another dell.....

The voices in your head don't count.

Tech Support Rating: Apple, Dell, Lenovo Top List

Study: Dell customer rating plunges; Apple leads pack - Computerworld

Apple Tops PC Customer Service Rankings - NYTimes.com

what do you do, genius?

About four years ago, I had several problems with my newly purchased Macbook Pro (went through about 2 optical drivers, a motherboard, etc.) The third time I went there, I explained my situation (another bad optical drive), and the apple store representative said "hold on a minute", walked away, and came back out with a new Macbook Pro and handed it to me. This was also the new style laptop, which happened to be a lot higher in performance then my old one. I have not had any problems with that laptop after about 3 years of ownership. I simple love Apple customer service.

I doubt the genius bar is perfect, but the only way that is true is if you decided Dell doesn't have a customer service department, they have a piss off the customer department. After 15 years of exlusively using Dell products, (hell I think I am the only dope in the world who bought a dell jukebox) I'm with porsche4life and I'm never going back. Dell helping someone post warranty even for a product that's been broken since day one, is laughable.

I don't own 1 share of Apple, and I haven't owned an apple product since my IIe when I was 8 years old playing lemonade stand.

best part of having an apple and calling tech support - it is never the other guy's fault - no pointing at hardware who than points at software who than swears its hardware and they in turn absolutely knows it is a software problem.

And yep - I do own aapl stock, island - lots of it...

IMO Apple service/store is the gold standard...as long as you buy the extended warranty. Or perhaps the UTC mall store is run by cranky geniuses...

I've had some pretty bad experiences at the "Genius Bar". Those were a few years ago. Back then it was more of a "Dipsheet Desk" than a "Genius Bar".

I've recently had some very good experiences. Like my MacBook suffering from a bulging battery, a flaky mouse button, and cracking edges on the top of the case. Brought it in, and it was repaired (replaced--brand new kbd/case top/mouse AND battery) while I waited. Took about 7 minutes.

Walk into a store (with an appointment made online) and get something fixed or sit on the phone and talk to Bangalore for support? Feh...about the same...

A few months ago my daughter somehow messed up the keyboard on my out of warranty Macbook. They replaced the keyboard free of charge. I love Apple products. I love Apple service.

iLand,

What is it about Apple service that bothers you SO much? Just curious.

I didn't know Apple provided that level of service. Truly amazing in this day and age.

I have had very substandard service at the Apple store in Novi, MI.

It looks to be unanimus, Dell sucks and Apple rules.
How do thier stocks compare, let me go take a look.

Apple service...
 

I have only been in the Apple store once and that was just to kill time while my wife was buying clothes at a nearby store. You would think they were pumping laughing gas in the place or some other addictive drug.

A buddy said he went in there two days before Christmas and of course it was a zoo. He was there to get an Apple TV as a present. He was on a mission and had a clear goal. He expected a horrible experience. He walked in and the place was packed with people. He made eye contact with an employee that came over and asked if he could help. "yep I want a Apple tv" and the employee grabbed one off of the shelf, asked if it was cash or charge. He handed him a debit card, it was swiped using an attachment on the employees iPhone. He was asked for his email so the receipt could be emailed. He walked out and before he went 10 feet his email arrived. Total time in the store was 4 minutes.

I've had the same, quick buy experience every time too. They make buying super easy - as they should. I don't have an issue w/ Apple service. As I alluded to earlier, Apple service is expected to be (and likely is) higher than Dell, for many. It's just this over-selling of anything Apple that I find annoying. This pretending that Apple products /services are always the best BUY APPL that they could possibly be is a bit BUY APPL annoying. Plenty of people have had bad experiences with the "Geniuses" being quite a bit less that their billing.

I mean, Apple is fine, and makes a plenty of nice product, but c'mon, the giddy fan-boyness is rather obtuse for this village iconoclast.;)

Example; I've had some great customer-care/product support from Dell (among others) --you know, where I don't have to drive to a mall and wait in line at (or make an appnt for) a "genius bar" waiting for a "Genius" in a t-shirt to tell me "yeah, that -is- broken." Rather, just pick up the phone, talk to "Sharri" in Inda, and Bang, a replacement part is at my door the next morning. I didn't have to Prove to them that the HD died, or a rubber foot came off. ...But I don't start a thread about it -that would be ghey. --Yes, ghey like this thread.

Bad timing with your aapl eh? Maybe feeling left out because you didn't get in at $75?

Or $150 even?

Left out? You mean APPL isn't going to double in coming months?

Maybe you haven't heard about the Geniuses... ;)

Seriously, the 'buy APPL" has been the not so subtle sub text in these threads. People have to take the gains before they lose them.

Didn't read that at all. Wish I owned some AAPL. I don't. Great company, though...

Typing this on my iPad. I guess I could have used my iPhone, my MacBook or my MacMini. My Dell is broken.

i tried to hug the last APPLE genius that helped me.

he said he was going to charge me for a new keyboard on my VERY OUT of warranty computer. i go to pick it up, and he said, "ah, forget it"

i burped apple flavor kool aide while walking out the door.

There is something to be said for "good service" buying long term loyalty. We have three apple laptops, two iphones and an ipod and I'm thinking of getting a new ipad just for good measure.

Putting the Steve Jobs fanboi man-crushes aside for a minute, how is it that Apple can provide such great service, but the service the "others" provide falls just shy of aggravated assault?

Because they charge a premium for their products, and have the industry's highest net profit margins. Follows that they can afford to offer something extra.

Honestly I can't stand Jobs and never could. He may be a brilliant marketer (and perhaps a talented slave driver) but his "reality distortion field" gives me agita. I view him more as a necessary evil.

I think the whole "good CS" policy is a calculated method of differentiating Apple from its competitors and maintaining customer loyalty. Good CS isn't fa$hionable these days, which makes Apple the "hip" choice for its target audience.

If you are familiar with LL Bean, they built a business on customer service as well as competitive pricing. If you buy something from Bean and it doesn't work or you don't like it or it doesn't fit, send it back and you will get a full refund or replaced for what you want. I have NEVER been dissatisfied when dealing with LL Bean. Never!

Around NY, metro area and CT, Stew Leonard's is another example of excellent customer service and building loyalty. It's a formula that works about 95% of the time if the company is willing to make the investment.

As for Apple, I don't mind paying a premium for a product that works well from day one and has excellent customer service.

I used to have Dell computers and spent endless hours on the phone talking to some yahoo in India named Peter (who I couldn't understand) and didn't give a shlt about me.

Going to an Apple store is a treat.