Mad at Apple Retail Store!

[Nuc]

begin rant...

This morning I called the retail store in Durham, NC to see if they had any of the new 17" PB. He checked and said that they had a couple. And I asked him to make sure if they were the new ones, he said yes. So I told him to hold one for me.

This evening I drove 40 min to pick it up. I checked out what they had at the store and I go to tell the store clerk to get the PB that I had reserved. He comes back and says we haven't got any or have we had any. Says that they should be in Thurs or Fri. So I was pissed! I had my hopes set on it all day. I didn't want to say to much but I should have said you incompetent bastards!

When I do go to pick it up I'm going to see if I can get some ram for all the trouble they caused me. I don't know where they get these people to work for them, they seriously have no clue as to what the hell there doing!

end rant ..

[greenmeanie]

same thing happened to me @ compusa with the mac mini?
i wonder if this is their new bait and switch method?

[clayj]

If I spoke to someone at ANY store about a product, they indicated that they had it in stock, and they agreed to hold it for me, and then I drove in 40 minutes and it wasn't there, I would raise hell. Sad to say, but it sounds like the person you originally spoke to either (1) lied to you or (2) was too dumb to know what they had in stock. Either way, it's inexcusable. Behavior like that is inconsiderate and it reflects poorly on the business (Apple Store, CompUSA, whoever).

[Sun Baked]

same thing happened to me @ compusa with the mac mini?
i wonder if this is their new bait and switch method?Most likely it's the moron on the phone method.

Put the useless idiot that cannot do anything else on the phone taking calls.

[lfielder06]

That sucks. I hate when you call a place (not just the apple store) and you know exactly what you are looking for and the person that works there thinks they know. So you drive there and the person had no idea. It has happened to me on more than one occasion. Same thing happens when you call customer support (DELL!!!!) and you tell them what is wrong and they make you go through all the stupid stuff you have tried a million times and you get transfered 20 times then about and hour or so later you finally get your problem fixed. Sometimes man.... sometimes. :mad:

good luck on maybe getting something extra for you troubles.

[eleveneastgate]

Next time you have an employee of a retail store "hold something for you", ALWAYS get their name.

I once had a similar issue with Guitar Center, they gave me a $50 credit, and that employee was reprimanded.

[StarbucksSam]

It sounds like that employee is hurting my stock. I want to go to college. Time to write a letter to Stevie.

No seriously, what a boob. Forty minutes is a schlep.

[Cybernanga]

Always ask them for their full name, and their managers/Supervisors name, it makes them think thrice before they say anything :)

[brian4610]

putting stock in ANYTHING an apple rep says (in stock/not in stock, etc.) was problem #1.....

I went in on monday afternoon, and the apple "expert" that helped my had no idea why the the new line of PB would be better then the old line....they tried to tell me that apple.com was the only place to buy compatable RAM...didn't know what the Superdrive was etc....THEY WORK AT APPLE?!?!?

morons.

[jemeinc]

You know, I'm losing respect for the Apple Store right near me... I go in to take a peak at the new 12" PB's- I called & they assured me they had them on display & ready to go... I get there & all they had were the old ones with the new prices marked on em... When I brought this to their attention they insisted they were the new ones... I say they, because it was more than 1- I s&^t you not- there was a crowd of them... When it was clear the system profiler meant nothing to them I asked what the new features were.. They did their whole speech, knowing full well what the new features were, I waited till he got to the trackpad scroll ... When he said that I asked them to show me how it works- a couple of them tried but couldn't get it to work- duh, it wasn't on that one- so instead of quitting while they're behind, they insist it must be broke because "we had it working earlier" - ROFLMAO... I said OK whatever. When they brag about the ram I ask if it's a single 512 or 2 -256's... They tell me it's a single 512 - I say it says right here (by this time I had found an actual new one- with no admission from them that the other ones were REV C's) 2 -256's-they say nothing when I show them this... I ask what the maximum ram on the 12" PB is & they tell me 2GB's... lol... I say how can it be 2GB's when it has 256 built in- wouldn't it be 1.25 GB's- they say it doesn't have 256 built in- huh?... I say why does it say built in ?... They say ignore that- it still has 2 dimms empty- the one that says 256 built in is in dimm0- not dimm1... At this point I throw my hands in the air & say thanks for your help... My Apple store is weak...lol...

[CubaTBird]

here was my take on when i got my ibook...

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=76244

[TemplarKnight]

You know, I'm losing respect for the Apple Store right near me... I go in to take a peak at the new 12" PB's- I called & they assured me they had them on display & ready to go... I get there & all they had were the old ones with the new prices marked on em... When I brought this to their attention they insisted they were the new ones... I say they, because it was more than 1- I s&^t you not- there was a crowd of them... When it was clear the system profiler meant nothing to them I asked what the new features were.. They did their whole speech, knowing full well what the new features were, I waited till he got to the trackpad scroll ... When he said that I asked them to show me how it works- a couple of them tried but couldn't get it to work- duh, it wasn't on that one- so instead of quitting while they're behind, they insist it must be broke because "we had it working earlier" - ROFLMAO... I said OK whatever. When they brag about the ram I ask if it's a single 512 or 2 -256's... They tell me it's a single 512 - I say it says right here (by this time I had found an actual new one- with no admission from them that the other ones were REV C's) 2 -256's-they say nothing when I show them this... I ask what the maximum ram on the 12" PB is & they tell me 2GB's... lol... I say how can it be 2GB's when it has 256 built in- wouldn't it be 1.25 GB's- they say it doesn't have 256 built in- huh?... I say why does it say built in ?... They say ignore that- it still has 2 dimms empty- the one that says 256 built in is in dimm0- not dimm1... At this point I throw my hands in the air & say thanks for your help... My Apple store is weak...lol...

Wow Mr. Hotshot, you really know you're stuff...I guess it's a good thing you showed them. Look, it's stuff like this that really pisses me off. You go into a retail store having spent all day at work or home memorizing and knowing all the specs of the new machines, and then you go in a "quiz" the employees. They might be new, they might still be in training...you never know. The point is...people like you waste those employees' time and make them feel bad. You know how to see if models are new or old, you make that apparant. If they didn't have the new models out...big deal, you'll see them eventually. Maybe they thought they were the new ones, or maybe they didn't. Just leave these people alone...

[jemeinc]

Wow Mr. Hotshot, you really know you're stuff...I guess it's a good thing you showed them. Look, it's stuff like this that really pisses me off. You go into a retail store having spent all day at work or home memorizing and knowing all the specs of the new machines, and then you go in a "quiz" the employees. They might be new, they might still be in training...you never know. The point is...people like you waste those employees' time and make them feel bad. You know how to see if models are new or old, you make that apparant. If they didn't have the new models out...big deal, you'll see them eventually. Maybe they thought they were the new ones, or maybe they didn't. Just leave these people alone...

You missed the point Newb. The point was I was ready to buy one, but I wanted to take it for a spin to make sure it was what I was looking for & they assured me they had them ready to go... They had the old units with the new prices & the new sales pitch... lol... When I tried to tell them I knew what I was looking for, & just had to test it out before I left with it, but unfortunately this wasn't correct- they insisted on telling me it was... Had I not known they were incorrect, I either would have purchased one of the old ones- thinking it was what I wanted -because THAT'S WHAT THEY INSISTED IT WAS, or not even considered a so called new PB because of the lack of working NEW features... Either way that would have been bad for Apple... Now trap up newbie, & show a little respect...

[jsw]

Now trap up newbie, & show a little respect...
I missing the reason for him to show a little respect. Then again, you've got a month of seniority on me, so I guess I should hold my tongue. :rolleyes:

[jemeinc]

I missing the reason for him to show a little respect. Then again, you've got a month of seniority on me, so I guess I should hold my tongue. :rolleyes:

LOL... Would your 1st post in any forum be a misguided attack on someone else ?.. I've read your posts before, of course it wouldn't... But hey, it's all in good fun...;-)

[jsw]

LOL... Would your 1st post in any forum be a misguided attack on someone else ?.. I've read your posts before, of course it wouldn't... But hey, it's all in good fun...;-)
I just think that he had a bit of a point... although I have low tolerance for poorly educated Apple Store employees (probably they were new).

But, still, yours is one of many stories that make me appreciate the Rockingham Apple Store (Salem, NH), where virtually every employee is guru-level. Seriously. They've hired some new people lately, so perhaps the quality has been diluted, but they've always known their stuff cold. I'm sorry that so many of you have had a different experience - I mean, come on, there aren't that many models, and they release updates once a season, if that - I'd expect better. I mean, there is that "About This Mac" dialog.... ;)

Re-reading your post, I see how you tried to show them and they refused to acknowledge reality.

[jemeinc]

The thing is they weren't new- same group that have been there since it opened... Believe me, I left with them thinking they were absolutely correct- even though I was amazed that they believed this... The last thing I'm gonna do is get in an argument with an employee of any store... I only pointed out that they weren't the new ones because I specifically wanted to use a new one... I'm considering replacing my iBook & was hoping this upgrade would be the deciding factor... I was hoping they'd point me to the direction of REV D's, but ended up dumbfounded that they would insist the REV. C's were them even though it was clear they weren't... I was less than impressed, but they'll never know that... No biggie though, it's 3 minutes from my house, so I'll check one out later in the week...

[Abstract]

If I spoke to someone at ANY store about a product, they indicated that they had it in stock, and they agreed to hold it for me, and then I drove in 40 minutes and it wasn't there, I would raise hell.

Yeah, I would have said something right then and there. Tell them my story and what not.

If you tell them after the incident, they probably won't believe you or remember you, so what's the point?

[Abstract]

Wow Mr. Hotshot, you really know you're stuff...I guess it's a good thing you showed them. Look, it's stuff like this that really pisses me off. You go into a retail store having spent all day at work or home memorizing and knowing all the specs of the new machines, and then you go in a "quiz" the employees. They might be new, they might still be in training...you never know. The point is...people like you waste those employees' time and make them feel bad. You know how to see if models are new or old, you make that apparant. If they didn't have the new models out...big deal, you'll see them eventually. Maybe they thought they were the new ones, or maybe they didn't. Just leave these people alone...

Are you for real?

[jemeinc]

Are you for real?

LOL... My favorite part was the word "quiz" -in quotes- where did I say that ?... Or was it that I spent "all day at work memorizing the specs"- lol... Yeah, sure it took a "hotshot" brainiac who "really knows his stuff" to remember 1.5GHZ as opposed to 1.33GHZ, & then click the about this mac button to figure that one out...lol.. Amazing...

[Jsmit]

LOL... My favorite part was the word "quiz" -in quotes- where did I say that ?... Or was it that I spent "all day at work memorizing the specs"- lol... Yeah, sure it took a "hotshot" brainiac who "really knows his stuff" to remember 1.5GHZ as opposed to 1.33GHZ, & then click the about this mac button to figure that one out...lol.. Amazing...

You also knew the RAM configuration. You came off as a hostile customer in your storey, but that is because you are likely venting as you told the storey.

I myself have had only good experiences at Apple Stores (once to Cambridge, and severall times to the Chestnuthill both MA stores). My last experience was probably the worst when I asked an enployee when Final Cut Express HD was being released. He didn't know, so he went to another employee who would know. He didn't have an exact date, but quote what they said at MacWorld. Good enough for me. Oh, and when I purchased Final Cut Express 2 (I needed it this week) the casheer informed that the new version was going to be released.

My experiences have been good. You seem to go more often than me, is the services usually as bad as this week or was this the exception for you? I agree they should have kown they were Rev Cs and not Rev Ds.

[Counterfit]

LOL... My favorite part was the word "quiz" -in quotes- where did I say that ?... Or was it that I spent "all day at work memorizing the specs"- lol... Yeah, sure it took a "hotshot" brainiac who "really knows his stuff" to remember 1.5GHZ as opposed to 1.33GHZ, & then click the about this mac button to figure that one out...lol.. Amazing... :rolleyes: (http://www.glarkware.com/media/product_main_m_urban_1.jpg) click the smilie!!

[jemeinc]

You also knew the RAM configuration. You came off as a hostile customer in your storey, but that is because you are likely venting as you told the storey.

.

Actually, I didn't know the Ram configuration, it was all in the "about this mac button"... Hey, what can I say, I found it odd that they tried to tell me "built in" didn't actually mean "built in"... I still don't think it's too much to ask for these guys to know this stuff- especially when it's so easy get the info right off of the computer... I wasn't a hostile customer- I was- & still am, a startled customer...

[CrackedButter]

Actually, I didn't know the Ram configuration, it was all in the "about this mac button"... Hey, what can I say, I found it odd that they tried to tell me "built in" didn't actually mean "built in"... I still don't think it's too much to ask for these guys to know this stuff- especially when it's so easy get the info right off of the computer... I was a hostile customer- I was- & still am, a startled customer...

<obi-wan>These are not the specs you are looking for... *waves hand*</obi-wan>

[BornAgainMac]

You missed the point Newb. The point was I was ready to buy one, but I wanted to take it for a spin to make sure it was what I was looking for & they assured me they had them ready to go... They had the old units with the new prices & the new sales pitch... lol... When I tried to tell them I knew what I was looking for, & just had to test it out before I left with it, but unfortunately this wasn't correct- they insisted on telling me it was... Had I not known they were incorrect, I either would have purchased one of the old ones- thinking it was what I wanted -because THAT'S WHAT THEY INSISTED IT WAS, or not even considered a so called new PB because of the lack of working NEW features... Either way that would have been bad for Apple... Now trap up newbie, & show a little respect...

I agree with you. Personally, I think they were trying to unload old inventory and played dumb. After reading this thread, I only want to deal with the online store.

[filmmaker2002]

<obi-wan>These are not the specs you are looking for... *waves hand*</obi-wan>

LOL...that made my day.

[stubeeef]

Next time you have an employee of a retail store "hold something for you", ALWAYS get their name.

I once had a similar issue with Guitar Center, they gave me a $50 credit, and that employee was reprimanded.

I do this on almost everything from the previously described call, to reservations, on anything that means almost anything. GET A NAME. It tracks the problem and makes you look good to the managers when you complain, that way it is a "true" complaint, not one made up to get something.

[Nuc]

Got the PowerBook tonight. Oh man this is a lot faster than my G3 PB :)

I tried talking them into some ram, but the guy was being a butthead.. So I said just give me the bloody computer. Then I go to get the printer since they have $100 off, and they didn't have the one I wanted. But they did yesterday. I was pretty pissed about that. Anyways I settled for the cheaper one.

Check this out though!!! I called around 12:30 pm and told them to reserve me one. They said they had one. So I was like ok so why wasn't it there last night when I came to pick it up...... She didn't answer.... She said do you want it or not, so I said yep. Well I get there and pay for everything. When I get out of the store, guess who I saw pulling in. FED Ex. So that confirmed that the computer was 90% there last night. When I got home they called me and said that the PB was there and I could pick it up, so that made me 100% sure that it was there last night.... They were just plain rude and inconsiderate.

Makes me wonder why I just spent 3K there....

I'm definitely going to complain to apple about this!!!

Nuc

[wdlove]

I'm sorry to hear about the frustrating experience that you had at your local Apple Store, Nuc. My suggestion would be to return to your local Apple Store and ask to speak to the manager. It would be best to speak to him/hear in a positive straightforward manner. Just lay out the facts as you explained in your post. Hopefully the problem will be corrected.

[iJon]

Wow Mr. Hotshot, you really know you're stuff...I guess it's a good thing you showed them. Look, it's stuff like this that really pisses me off. You go into a retail store having spent all day at work or home memorizing and knowing all the specs of the new machines, and then you go in a "quiz" the employees. They might be new, they might still be in training...you never know. The point is...people like you waste those employees' time and make them feel bad. You know how to see if models are new or old, you make that apparant. If they didn't have the new models out...big deal, you'll see them eventually. Maybe they thought they were the new ones, or maybe they didn't. Just leave these people alone...
Tissue?

jon

[shane-o-mac]

The gist is...

next to your house and car, for a lot of people a computer will be one of your most expensive purchases, and as far as apple goes, macs are very expensive! In addition to a friendly staff and eager sales people; I also expect a definite level of knowledge. Unfortunatley when I went to my mac store in Columbus, Ohio I got non of the above. Being a well informed consumer does not mean you should quiz the staff to show off what you know, but you should be able to interact with them and fill in the gaps to assage any concerns you have. The apple stores may mostly sell to the general public. There should also be staff to assist the more informed consumer: just good business practice. My opinion is that most mac buyers, esp. frequent upgraders, are more knowlegable and demanding. I know I for one am. If you do not know the answer then fess up and find me someone who does. It is called customer service: meeting and more importantly exceeding the demands of the consumer.

Then again as a cold hearted capitalist..aka corporate attorney..it is obvious from the stock preformance apple has a long way to go on improving their business model. My suggestion: they may have a great product, but who cares if they can not sell it to the public....get some commission based sales people in their stores and watch the custermer service sky rocket...hell for enough commission I might even quit my job and work at an Apple store! :rolleyes:

[Chrispy]

Wow Mr. Hotshot, you really know you're stuff...I guess it's a good thing you showed them. Look, it's stuff like this that really pisses me off. You go into a retail store having spent all day at work or home memorizing and knowing all the specs of the new machines, and then you go in a "quiz" the employees. They might be new, they might still be in training...you never know. The point is...people like you waste those employees' time and make them feel bad. You know how to see if models are new or old, you make that apparant. If they didn't have the new models out...big deal, you'll see them eventually. Maybe they thought they were the new ones, or maybe they didn't. Just leave these people alone...

The bottom line here is the employees at a store are supposed to know what they are talking about. Maybe not at a Wal-mart or something like that, but at an specialty store like an Apple store... come on! It is not like there is that much to keep track of. Even if one of the people was new the others there should have corrected him for his mistake. I worked for over two years at Best Buy when I was in high school and we had WAY more product to keep track of specs for in the computer department. I was responsible for knowing ALL models of computers we carried because when I was working there the store was new and they were trying to set an example with the customers. Now the place if full of people who don't know their stuff but back when I started there everyone was very educated about the product. Customer service is what the name says.. SERVICE to the CUSTOMER. I don't think it is too much to ask to be able to get an honest answer from someone who is supposed to be a professional.

[parrothead]

I was in my local Apple Store killing time before dinner one time when one of the employees noticed I was playing with the display SE phone and came over to talk. He started saying how it has bluetooth and it could be synced but he couldn't show me because no one in the store had figured out how to do it. Being that I have a SE610, I was able to show him in about two minutes. He was super grateful and cool about it. That store is always packed and I am sure non of the workers have time to stand around playing with all the gadgets, but I would think that when they put something like that on display, the managers would make sure it was set up properly.

[wdlove]

How about this situation of anger at an Apple Store, celebrity style.

http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,66580,00.html?tw=rss.TOP