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Sunday May 14, 2006 4:44 pm

A Horrible Apple Store Experience Turns Good

So, the Gear Live crew is back from E3, and we hope you enjoyed the coverage we have brought you thus far. You can look forward to a bunch more video footage over the coming week. For now, I wanted to let you guys in on a horrible Apple Store customer service experience I had a few weeks ago, and how the LA Grove Apple Store went above and beyond to fix it. During E3, my MacBook Pro went belly up, and I was left with a useless computer at one of our biggest coverage events of the year. Below is the email I am sending to the LA Grove store, as well as the Seattle store that I made the original purchase at:

Dear Grove and UV Apple Store staffs,

I recently had encounters at your stores that I wanted to tell you guys about.

I live here in Seattle, and frequent the University Village Apple Store often, spending probably close to $8-10,000 per year on Apple products. I am one of your bleeding edge consumers who knows the ins and outs of all Apple products, probably before the stores know about them themselves, as I am also a CEO and journalist who has close ties to Apple PR and has attended multiple Steve Jobs keynotes.




I recently had a horrible experience however. I purchased a MacBook Pro at the UV Apple Store back in April, and immediately found it completely unacceptable due to a high-pitched whine that emanated from the right-hand side of the screen and keyboard. I exchanged the MacBook the next day, only to find that the next one had a similar issue. I returned that one the next day, and it also had a whine, but this time it came from the left-hand side of the keyboard. There was also a pretty audible clicking sound under the right-hand palm rest, which I assume is where the hard drive lies. This was my third MacBook Pro in three days, and I came back the next day to exchange it. Yes, it was a pain (and waste of time) transferring settings and setting up a new computer every day for three days straight, but at over $3,000, I wanted to make sure my purchase was flawless.

I went in to the Seattle Apple Store to make my third exchange, and was told I needed to wait. Ten minutes later, the store manager came to me and asked what the problem was. I explained it as clearly as I could, but was interrupted multiple times. One of the techs came out and said that the sounds from my MacBook Pro were “within spec,” and that it was fine. I was then told by the manager that if I wanted to exchange it again, that I would be charged a 15% restocking fee.

Now, I did my research, and there are certainly owners of the MacBook Pro that experience the whine, and others who made exchanges to find that they were able to get them without the whine. Heck, check discussion forums for the MacBook Pro on Apple.com, you can’t avoid the MacBook Pro whine threads.

Anyway, my machine wasn’t even making the whining noise when I brought it in because it only did it when there were multiple programs running. If I started up Photo Booth or something else that used the built-in iSight, the whine disappeared. I told the UV manager that I would pay the 15% restocking fee for a new MacBook Pro if I could get one with a newer serial number. Two associates of mine had the whine, and exchanged them for a unit that started with W8614, and the whine was gone. I was then told by the tech that no MacBook Pro models even had that serial number. I was being given the run-around, and it was apparent that the UV store cared more about their bottom line than about quality customer service. I couldn’t believe that this store was representative of the company that had previously done right by me - every time. I was able to reach a compromise that said if my computer had a problem that Apple officially recognized within 90 days, a return would be allowed with no restocking fee required. It was better than nothing, but I was still worried.

Fast forward to last week. I was in Los Angeles covering E3, using my MacBook Pro as my main machine - whine and clicking sound in full effect. The day after I arrived, OS X would no longer boot. When I turned it on, all I would get it a black screen with a blinking white cursor. I tried booting from my OS X install disk which I brought with me everywhere due to paranoia that the hard drive would fail because of the clicking, despite what the UV Apple Store tech said. I called AppleCare, and we couldn’t even get the install disk to format the drive. The drive was totally unresponsive.

I found a local Apple Store in LA, The Grove, and went there at about 8:50 PM, ten minutes before closing. The gentleman there helped me until well after closing, and was able to format my drive. We started the install process, and I was on my way. Of course, I lost all my files, but at least the MacBook Pro worked…or so I thought. The install would fail every time. The hard drive just wasn’t able to do what it needed to do…but this is where it gets good.

I went back to The Grove the next morning to explain my problem, and this is where I had what I consider to be the absolute best customer service experience of my life. The Apple Genius, Topher, listened to my problem before interrupting or diagnosing anything. He then tested, and saw that my MacBook Pro was not working right. He booted from an external drive, and saw that my internal drive was toast. I explained to him what my purchasing experience was at the Seattle store, and he looked shocked, saying they should have allowed the exchange - a clicking hard drive isn’t good. I agreed.

However, there was no way it was going to be fixed in time, even if I became a ProCare member. I told him that I would do whatever it took, and he suggested that I might just buy an iBook, use that for the week, then return it. Then, bring the MacBook Pro back to the Seattle store. I told him I was completely unsatisfied with their service, and asked if there was anything else I could do.

I had no receipt on me. This wasn’t the store I bought the unit from. It had been well over the two week return period since the purchase. Despite all that, do you know what The Grove did for me?

They gave me a new MacBook Pro in exchange for my dead one. Topher checked with another manager, Colin, and that was how they chose to resolve my issue. Now, I could have been lying, and could have been someone that bought a damaged MacBook Pro on eBay for $5. However, these guys saw the need that I had, and they wanted to HELP. They wanted to provide the customer service that Apple is known for - total opposite of my Seattle UV store experience.

To all the managers reading this: Topher and Colin are two of the best employees you guys have. I was completely and utterly amazed that they would give me a new machine when all I wanted was an as-quick-as-possible repair. To me, they are why I love the Apple brand, and they have renewed the faith that the University Village store took away. To the UV store, your employees could learn a thing or two from how The Grove handled this situation. Instead of paying attention to their pocketbook, customer service was their #1 priority.


Sincerely,
Andru Edwards
CEO, Editor-in-Chief
Gear Live Media
www.gearlive.com

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Comments:

5/14/06 7:07 pm

I used to work at the Apple Store at the UV. I totally understand you. I actually got in trouble for giving people steps and websites how to fix common and some major problems with their computers. I was told I couldn’t do it since it took profit from the Genius Bar. I easily could have worked at the Genius Bar but I couldn’t do the time in CA. To this day I overhear some of the recommendations and shake my head. I was ultimately fired for telling people how to make a third party internal dvd burner work with their computers. They called it “Commenting on apple products” which isn’t allowed.
I try not to shop there if I can help it. I’ll go to the Lynnwood store or order online before going there. Most of the employees are under-educated on products as well.

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5/14/06 8:48 pm

I am having some of the similiar experiencs dealing with the Apple store in the COEX mall here in korea.

just one example. there are others

Two rubber feet (diagonally) fell off the bottom of my machine. Two weeks old. while I was near the COEX center I took the machine with me and explained what happened. The manager said there was no coverage available for damage due to neglience by the customer and he would have to charge me $9.00 for each one. I couldnt convince the jerk that I did not do anything to warrant his claim of customer damage.  So much for service that time. went to a stationery store and bought a package of eight (8) for $0.50.

Like I said at the beginning there are other stories too.

N.P. Jackson

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5/14/06 8:50 pm

I’m a huge Apple fan.  But I get really annoyed sometimes when my Mom, whom I persuaded to buy a Mac, calls SOS-APPL and gets a tech support guy who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.  She was having a problem with iDVD and, over the course of an hour, he told her that she needed to REFORMAT and REINSTALL the software.  He also told her that she needed to buy a wired mouse and keyboard so that he could troubleshoot the problem.  She wisely hung up on him and called me and I had her delete the prefs and she was back up and running in 5 minutes.  Before I got her back up and running, she was ready to send the computer to me and go back to the PC world.  It’s sad and a shame that some Apple employees shoot the company in the foot when it comes to providing good customer service.  That is what keeps people coming back.  While it may cost more up front for the company to provide better service, it more than pays for itself through happy repeat consumers.

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5/15/06 9:56 am

Okay,  I understand that you were upset with your experience, but in all honesty, I think the UV store did the right thing.  You brought your machine in 3 times to get replaced,  they do it for you then you ask them to do it again and they say no we will repair it instread of giving you a new one and you freak out?

You run a gear website, you should know that harddrives fail and that appletakes care of their customers when they have a “Known issue”  Hell look at the early ibooks with video issues, and the early imac g5s with capacitor issues.  Do you know what Apple did for these people?  They extended their warranties for free and give them rapid repair turn around.  What more can you ask for?  Im sure if you sent your whiney macbook in for repair to apple, they would fix it and send you a machine back that is fixed.  Or you could wait until apple releases a extention program for your issue, which I am sure they will. 

What I am trying to say is people are people, one person at one store might think you were being a bit unreasonable by exchancing your machine so many times and another person might bend over backwards to make you happy.  Every company has these types of people and typically the ones that get promotted are the ones with excelent customer service. 

If I were you I would send some cookies or some food to those Grove guys, im sure all techs love cookies!

As for your macbook pro, just wait, apple will take care of you.

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albundyhere albundyhere 5/17/06 3:50 pm

8-10,000 grand on apple products a year? Smells like a troller. goes to show you how long they last too. With that much loot, I’d rather buy into something worthwhile, like a downpayment for a beamer. The only thing good about apple imho, is the cinema display.  Then again, they(apple) are not a semiconductor, so the compliment will probably go to sharp, nec mitsubishi, or whoever made the actual screen.

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5/18/06 7:44 am

When I was in Seattle recently I had some problems with my Powerbook and the manager (I think her name was Sue) could not have been more supportive.

I had an important proposal on the Powerbook and all of a sudden it wouldn’t boot properly.  The geniuses diagnosed the problem—fixed it—ajd sent me on my merry way IN PART because the lady in charge of the store TOLD them to.

There was no chance they were going to sell me anything else, they just helped me out.

If this is the same manager you dealt with at UV, I can only guess that your demands were a bit unreasonable and your tone was perhaps not the nicest. 

Just a thought, but you might consider smiling now and again.

F

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5/18/06 10:00 am

Let’s see… you bought the first MacBook Pro in April at the University Village store.  Obviously the service and the sale went well as you – an $8 to $10K a year apple consumer – were treated well enough by the UV apple people to buy one and take it home.  Having read your tale it seems that this alone is no small achievement on the part of the UV staff.  OBVIOUSLY a CEO and “bleeding edge consumer” like yourself has special requirements of service… and they were obviously met.  This alone seems like a reason to give the UV staff an across the board raise.  Of course, that good experience doesn’t matter does it?

Then you loaded and ran every program you own and were shocked that the machine made noise.  So you returned it the next day.  Obviously THAT went well too.  You were taken care of nicely and given another new machine NO PROBLEM.  But who cares right? 

You returned THAT ONE the next day.  Again, according to your extended cry-session you were handled with appropriate kid gloves that time too.  But these evil people at UV clearly don’t measure up do they?  So then you go back again, after they’ve done everything you wanted every other time, and (I know it must be terrible for you) you had to wait 10 minutes.  Oh the outrage!  The crime of it all! 

So, they diagnose the thing and it is fine (because you obviously lack the sack to duplicate your machine-overtaxing-idiocy at the Genius Bar – because you just KNOW what the tattooed dread-locked guy will say: “Don’t be an idiot.”).  And even though the machine is fine, they offer you your 4th $3000 machine in 4 days, but ask you for a restock fee…, which you say you, agree to pay.  (But which OBVIOUSLY bothers you… you passive agreesive mamby-pamby cry baby.)

But that’s not all.  (I JUST love this story.)

So a week later, after you’ve destroyed THIS machine, you show up at the LA store 10 minutes before closing and keep them there all night… because noone at the LA store wants to go home.  This is all about you!  Even so, they can’t fix it and you go back the next morning and get your 4th or 5th machine (I can’t keep up) and then promptly post a nasty blog about how poorly you were treated in Seattle? 

I love it!  You are a journalist(?).

Here’s are my questions: how often are you in LA and how many machines do you expect out of them before you give them a hot blast?

Me?  I’m neither a CEO nor a journalist and I don’t spend $8000 a year with apple (neither do you – not personally).  I’m just a working shlub in Chicago who often goes to Seattle for business.  I’m a recent PC guy who has made the leap to Mac… largely because of the UV staff… and love it.  I’ve NEVER had a problem with the UV store… and I’ve bugged them for hours with stupid questions.  I’ve never had a problem at the Michigan Avenue store either that matter.  If whatever machine I buy is flawed, they replace it.  If I broke it, they fix it.  I love the UV store.

But I think I’ll take a page from your book.  I just bought a Volvo that makes a little noise when I tow my 4-ton sailboat… a feat it was never designed to do…. maybe Volvo ought to give me 5 new cars?  Maybe they ought to give me new boat too?  Love it!

You remind me of the legendary Southwest Airlines customer service story where a customer repeatedly complained. Finally a letter landed on the Chairman’s desk.  The letter said essentially, “I’m a frequent customer and everything you do is wrong and nothing you do to fix the problem makes me happy. If you don’t give me free tickets, I’ll never fly Southwest again.”  To which the chairman (Herb) replied. “We’ll miss you.”
He was right.  The customer is NOT always right.  Some of them are like you.

Five machines and all of them are bad huh?  That’s some unbelievable stuff bro.

I believe, in posting this nasty gram to the world, that you’ve shown your true colors.  You aren’t looking for fair and reasonable treatment.  You got that AND THEN SOME.  You want “now” and “free” and complain that you had to wait 10 minutes after you have taken up hours.  You bandy threats in your first paragraph about your associations with Apple PR and connections to Steve Jobs.  You (not too subtly) threaten to withhold your massive spending.  You wield your journalistic threats and then post unfair and off target rants at people who treated you well.  You had a problem with the machine… maybe.  Not the people.  But you attack the people.

I’m unimpressed.

Why don’t you call a staff meeting of your cronies and have them tell you how wonderful you are?  That ought to get you feeling right.  Then, you should spend time talking about the value of people… as CEO’s these days are wont to do.  And then, having done so, go back to LA and give ‘em hell.  I can’t wait.

Actually, I can.  I won’t be coming back to this site again.

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5/18/06 10:08 am

Let me suggest a good link for you:

www.kleenex.com

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4/8/08 5:10 pm

I’m an Apple fan, I own a 2.2 GHz MacBook and an iPod mini (viva la retro), and your story’s pretty cool, but I think the main problem was the MacBook Pros, not the Apple Store employees (but what they said about the “within spec” bit was a bit dumb). And the fact that the brilliant Apple Genius at the Grove store was called Topher is quite interesting, because the other day, I got some great customer service at a (non-Apple) online store-from someone also called Topher.

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