Apple in store experience is much different than I remember.

[nyc_rock]

I have been a long time iPhone user who recently migrated to Android. My wife is still 100% Apple. During my years of iPhone use, one thing I could count on was superior customer service should I be having ANY issues with my device. This was one of the great aspects of being am apple customer. I would be having battery issues, make an appointment at my local store and, invariably, walk out with a refurb device 15 minutes later. This was one of the reasons I stayed loyal to apple for so long.

Anyway, my wife was six months pregnant a while back and my seven year old son was home when her iPhone started really freaking out. The screen would start registering inputs without being touched, Siri would activate by itself, and the phone would start randomly opening and closing apps. When I got home from work I did a hard reset and set the phone up as new. The same problems persisted. I made her an appointment at our store, but since I had to work, i explained to her what to tell the Genius Bar associate.

She went to the store. Now, here is an obviously pregnant woman who also has a 7 year old with her with a demonstrable issue. The genius acknowledges the problem. Instead of replacing the phone however he insists he perform a special Apple sanctioned hard reset and then she would need to sue the phone. If the problem persists she can come back in and get a replacement. Now the store is an hour away. My wife is pregnant and we have our other child. "Is this really necessary", I incredulously ask. "Yes, there is nothing more I can do to help your wide Sir". I was so pissed, but what choice did I have. So, of course the reset fixes the problem.........for about an hour. Now my wife can't make that trip again, so I have to go back to the store to take care of the issue and get the replacement.

I was really disappointed in Apple. One of the reasons we pay premium for apple products is because of their superior customer service. The peace of mind knowing that apple will make it right. Maybe this was an isolated incident? I thought so too. My my wife's refurb started having similar problems and she went to the store and ran into the same issue.

I have to tell you, the lack of new, compelling products is one thing, but if this is the way apple has decided to go, they will go there without this family.

Ramble over.

 

[GingerSnapsBack]

I have you beat. The closest Apple store to me is maybe 90 minutes away on the opposite side of the county in another state. I'd call Verizon and beg them to help me before I load up in the truck and drive 70 miles out of my way to get to the Apple store.

In defense of Apple, they do have a set way of doing things and it's like getting your car fixed under warranty. Your problem may be X but the shop will check A-W first before they get to X. In the end, after a lot of cussing and threats, they finally fix X and if they just would have fixed X in the first place, all of this could have been avoided. Annoying? Yeah. It is. I went round and round with Saturn over a bad alternator on my car and after TWO weeks of taking my car back and forth, they finally replaced it after it caused the battery to overcharge and explode, damaging a crapton of stuff under the hood. Had they just fixed it right the first time, they could have saved money. I wound up with a rental car for about a month. Their loss.

In any event, I've been lucky to never have problems with my iPhone but with my BB it was another story. By the time I finally dumped my BB for an iPhone, the repair tech at the Sprint store I'd go to knew me by my first name and to ask how my horses were.

The point of my long rambling story is that if this happens again, play the sympathy card with your WSP and see if you or your wife can get a new phone without having to drive to an Apple store. I got Sprint to replace several BBs rather than have to drive to Sprint to get a new one.

It's worth a shot. The worst they can say is no and that she'll have to drive to Apple anyway.

 

[nyc_rock]

Somehow I got motivated to tell my tale, but I left off some juicy details which came to me while I was reading your response. When my wife first had this issue, to spare her the trouble of shlepping everything to the store, I called ATT to see if I could get the phone replaced that way. ATT, of course, transferred me to Apple since ATT has nothing to do with repairing Apple products. I spent an hour on the phone with Apple going through the requisite trouble shooting steps. Finally, the Apple guy told me that he could not send me a replacement, I would have to go to the store. However, he would note the account so that I didn't have to go through this again as the genius will follow the instructions as noted. Obviously, that didnt happen.

My rant wasnt necessarily about Apple's current policy. It is more about the total and complete abandoning of the former policy. Dealing with a problem with my Iphone is now no better than dealing with a problem with any other phone. As a matter of fact, its worse. I had an issue with a Galaxy S3. The sim card was not being recognized. I called ATT and within 5 minutes a refurb was being sent. Im telling you, when ATT makes it easier to get a replacement for a defective device than Apple, something is wrong with the world.

It used to a pleasure, a sense of pride, knowing that you had Apple to support you if something went wrong. Thats changed, and its a shame.

 

[nyc_rock]

Why Apple

This is actually the story that got me to write my rant. The author talks about the Iphones being used as replacements, but truly, the attitude of the apple staff is the issue. a year ago and that story doesn't happen.

 

[anon(4698833)]

Your story is the very small exception...not the rule, and that is truly unfortunate for you, because most people experience an overwhelmingly pleasant experience anytime they deal with Apple.

To be honest though, the part of your post where you talk about the lack of "new and compelling" products kind of tells me that there's more to this than just one experience at an Apple store, lol. And you know, why not make an appointment for when you don't have to work to keep your pregnant wife from having to waddle out to the Apple store unnecessarily? I mean, is it really Apple's fault she's pregnant? With a 7 year old in tote? You expect she be granted special privileges because she's knocked up? lol...come on man, let's be real here...your job is to make life easier for your wife, not anyone else's, and if that same "reset" policy is used for everyone, you expecting special treatment for your pregnant wife and then getting upset about it is a personal problem.

Now I don't mean any offense by this towards you personally, I don't know you, you don't know me...but feeling entitled to something doesn't guarantee you anything.

 

[ctt1wbw]

You could try and find a Google store and walk in. You are guaranteed to get head of the line there as you'll be one of a handful of people in there. The handful of people includes the employees.

 

[sting7k]

Next time explain that you have already tried resets, hard resets, restores, and restoring as new and nothing has worked. Give the appearance that you know what you are doing and already tried all the easy stuff they will try first anyway. They will then often not want to waste their own time and then just give you the replacement. If they try to not replace it again ask for the manager. Keep pressing them and they will cave.

Do not leave the store until you are satisfied.