Why I'm now an Apple fan...

[Frick]

Originally Posted by MxPhenom 216

Doesn't matter what it sounds like when you have a phone with a shattered screen afterwards.

Meh, it was one test. That doesn't say much really. If you want it to become usable data you need many phones.

Originally Posted by FordGT90Concept

Appointments suddenly make sense. They need a large window of time, without interruption, to take customers through all the phases of their routine. Before seeing that link, I thought Apple just needed a lashing by an anti-trust probe. After seeing that, there's no company on Earth I dispise more than Apple. They're conducting psychological warfare, secretly in their stores. This is shit the CIA was researching in the 60s and 70s (less the LSD) applied to profits.

Edit: This is sickening.

That is pretty standard stuff really. When I was a MS tech support it was something similiar. It wasn't that comprehensive, but reading that really makes it come back. It's how all support works, becuase you know why? It works. It's like putting flowers and stuff at the entrance in grocery shops, it works. Or commercials or anything really.

EDIT: Look at what the commenters on the article say. I think pretty much every single salesperson and support people go through something similiar. Also, I might be wrong about it "working", but that's the impression I got when working at support.

[AphexDreamer]

Originally Posted by Kantastic

I can find a Verizon store 10 minutes away from my house and a Best Buy like 20 minutes from my house. Will Verizon have my hypothetical defective Nokia Lumia 900 fixed in (and I'm being generous) a week? Will Geek Squad repair my device for free if it's still under warranty?

Again this goes back to how I said company's are walking all over us and lowering our standards. I never said those company's were any better than apple, but just cause Verizon sucks and Geek Squad sucks even more, Apple or lets say Asus is going to be praised for their suckyness? Its nice to know Apple will replace a product but you've also shown us that their quality assurance is certainly not doing well. 1 for 1 if anything, I'd say they are just like everyone else.

[Benetanegia]

Originally Posted by pantherx12

Sounds like you got standard warranty service dude.

Over here if your product is faulty you take it to the shop with your receipt and exchange just like you did.

It should be standard practice sounds like the stores you go to just have crappy returns policies.

This.

[FYFI13]

Ohh wait, so they made you wait for two hours and gave you another faulty unit and you call it great customer service??? Men, i'm shocked.

[FordGT90Concept]

Originally Posted by Frick

That is pretty standard stuff really. When I was a MS tech support it was something similiar. It wasn't that comprehensive, but reading that really makes it come back. It's how all support works, becuase you know why? It works. It's like putting flowers and stuff at the entrance in grocery shops, it works. Or commercials or anything really.

EDIT: Look at what the commenters on the article say. I think pretty much every single salesperson and support people go through something similiar. Also, I might be wrong about it "working", but that's the impression I got when working at support.

Not in the USA, it isn't. Most customer service reps I talk to do try to sympathize with you. Apple stresses empathy, not sympathy. The "Geniuses" objective is to admit no fault of Apple even if they are responsible. Also, all the stores that compete with Apple Store don't require appointments like Apple does (unless it is to arrange delivery of something). Apple cares little about the problem and a lot about brainwashing the customer into buying more/coming back. This, as far as I know, is uniquely Apple.

Kantastic is proof it works. A situation that should have resulted in never entering an Apple Store again except for a refund has resulted in, apparently, a lifelong customer.

[Frick]

Originally Posted by FordGT90Concept

Not in the USA, it isn't. Most customer service reps I talk to do try to sympathize with you. Apple stresses empathy, not sympathy. The "Geniuses" objective is to admit no fault of Apple even if they are responsible. Also, all the stores that compete with Apple Store don't require appointments like Apple does (unless it is to arrange delivery of something). Apple cares little about the problem and a lot about brainwashing the customer into buying more/coming back. This, as far as I know, is uniquely Apple.

Kantastic is proof it works. A situation that should have resulted in never entering an Apple Store again except for a refund has resulted in, apparently, a lifelong customer.

"As far as you know" is the key phrase. It's how advertising works, it's how sales works, it's how callcenters work, it's how the world works. Apple just provide a bit more depth in their training. Go buy a car at a bigger place and you can damn well be sure they know this as well. It generates income see, and income is always interesting.

And appointments makes a whole lot of sense to me. You either make an appoinment and arrive at that time, which is convenient, or you go there and have to wait because there are a lot of other people there. If anything the possibility to make an appointment is a plus. You can plan your day in a totally different way.

[Kreij]

The sales (and support) techniques used by Apple have been around for decades.
You usually don't encounter them in the average reatil store in the US, but they are used a lot in one-on-one sales meetings to overcome sales opposition.

.. and yes, they work very well.

[patrico]

me no like apple to much, cant even buy an new battery yourself for most of there tech

[Aquinus]

Originally Posted by patrico

me no like apple to much, cant even buy an new battery yourself for most of there tech

You can replace the battery on a new MBP, or just about any of their older devices, but yes. It is getting harder to replace parts inside modern Macs, but conversely Apple batteries have had increasing capacity, better power usage, and longer longevity. Even after a year the MBP I was using held just as much charge after a year and a half than when I first got it.

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

All I am saying is that if I make an appointment for a certain time and show up on time, I expect to be taken care of at that time. Not 2 hrs later. I mean when I make a doctors appt for say 3pm. I get there on time they take me right in ahead of the walk in's as I did take the time to make an appt. This doesn't seem to be so with the Apple store. They have either over booked for that time or they don't have enough staff to cover appts. Either way it still shouldn't take 2 to 3 hrs to get service. I understand they are busy but damn.

[Frick]

Originally Posted by ThE_MaD_ShOt

All I am saying is that if I make an appointment for a certain time and show up on time, I expect to be taken care of at that time. Not 2 hrs later. I mean when I make a doctors appt for say 3pm. I get there on time they take me right in ahead of the walk in's as I did take the time to make an appt. This doesn't seem to be so with the Apple store. They have either over booked for that time or they don't have enough staff to cover appts. Either way it still shouldn't take 2 to 3 hrs to get service. I understand they are busy but damn.

Didnt he have to wait two hours because he didnt have an appointment?

[Aquinus]

Originally Posted by ThE_MaD_ShOt

All I am saying is that if I make an appointment for a certain time and show up on time, I expect to be taken care of at that time. Not 2 hrs later. I mean when I make a doctors appt for say 3pm. I get there on time they take me right in ahead of the walk in's as I did take the time to make an appt. This doesn't seem to be so with the Apple store. They have either over booked for that time or they don't have enough staff to cover appts. Either way it still shouldn't take 2 to 3 hrs to get service. I understand they are busy but damn.

You make it sound like waiting 2 hours is better than waiting 2 weeks for an RMA that you paid shipping for that might not be repaired/replaced because of one reason or another is a bad thing.

[Kreij]

I'd rather wait 2 weeks for a RMA return than wait 2 hours in a retail store.
That's 2 hours of quality beer drinking time lost forever.

[Frick]

Originally Posted by Kreij

I'd rather wait 2 weeks for a RMA return than wait 2 hours in a retail store.
That's 2 hours of quality beer drinking time lost forever.

I reread the OP again and as I understood it he didn't make an appointment, that was why he had to wait so long.

[Kreij]

That is how I understand it also, Frick. So it seems the people thinking he made an appointment and still had to wait two hours are incorrect.
However, having to wait more than about 10 minutes without an appointment means they need to expand their support to facilitate the traffic.

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

Originally Posted by Frick

Didnt he have to wait two hours because he didnt have an appointment?

I was speaking of my own experience with the Apple store. We had an appointment and still had to wait around that store for 2hrs. Which I think is more then ridiculous when going into a retail store.

Originally Posted by Aquinus

You make it sound like waiting 2 hours is better than waiting 2 weeks for an RMA that you paid shipping for that might not be repaired/replaced because of one reason or another is a bad thing.

A 2 week wait on an rma is expected when shipping something off for repair/replacement and it has to be shipped back.

[Kreij]

Oh, we were talking about Kantastic. If you made an appointment and still had to wait two hours, that is completely unacceptable to me.

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

Originally Posted by Kreij

Oh, we were talking about Kantastic. If you made an appointment and still had to wait two hours, that is completely unacceptable to me.

That's what I am saying. We had to drive almost 2 hrs away to wait in a store for over 2 hrs. It took the good part of a day dealing with them. Never again and when the contract ends on the phone it is gone with a capital G. My wife will have to pick out another brand that we can get service for at the wireless store we purchase it at.

[Kreij]

Where do you live, MaD? ... and how much is gas by you?
It would have cost me about $40 in gas alone, not to mention 6 hours of time.

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

I live in Va. and gas is about $3.70 a gallon. So yeah $40 in gas and a good 6 hrs or so of a day to have a phone replaced. It just ridiculous if you ask me. Especially when I can have my pos free with a plan phone replaced in about 10 mins in the store. Only reason my wife has a IPhone is for the gps and she though it was a good phone. She needs the GPS for work (EMT) and she hops between Ambulances.

[Kreij]

Well, there is something to be said for keeping the Mrs. happy.

I'm a bad judge of this stuff too. I have a Motorola dumbphone. It's just a phone, which is fine because I just want to use it to call people.
I don't use GPS as I've found something better. Maps !!
I don't mind getting lost because I believe we can all agree that asking for directions is out of the question for guys and makes for more adventure!!

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

Oh I don't mind maps either but with her she need precise directions on the spot as she is saving lives. Oh I also have a dumb phone as all I do is call.

[Frick]

Originally Posted by ThE_MaD_ShOt

I was speaking of my own experience with the Apple store. We had an appointment and still had to wait around that store for 2hrs. Which I think is more then ridiculous when going into a retail store.

Ahh that is a whole other story, and that sucks. Couldn't you send it for RMA? It would've taken longer but it may have been more convenient (speaking from epxerience, I grew up at least 100 miles away from any store that had any kind of service).

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

I wish I could have but she really needs her phone for work.

[n-ster]

For phones, I expect wherever I bought it to replace it in stores. Usually that store isn't 2 hrs away and the wait time isnt more than 20 without appointment