Yet another bizarre experience for me in the Apple Store regent street, London.
Arrived at 9.05 am today, really helpful guy told me he knew that they had a decent stock of pencils in. Went out back, came back 10 minutes later and told me they were unpacking the delivery, and he's been told 30 minutes they'll be available to purchase. He's obviously embarrassed he told me they were available. I agree I'll go for a coffee for 20 minutes and return, and he'll man one for me as soon as they show on the system.
Come back 20 minutes later, and the original 'Specialist' (note ironic inverted commas there) is nowhere to be seen. Another guy says he'll help, and goes back out back for me. Another 10 minutes later, he returns empty handed. He now tells me that they don't know 'where the pencils are' on the delivery, and that they haven't been unpacked and it could be hours. I ask him why I was given completely contradictory information earlier, and he just apologises and shrugs. He explains that there are 18 pencils on today's delivery, and that I will just have to 'pop back later' to see if there are any available. I ask him whether he can hold me one if I come back after lunch, and he says 'it's first come first served'.
By this point I'm getting really annoyed, as I've now had four days of contradictory information, bluster and nonsense from retail staff all of whom seem to have received completely contradictory advice and instructions on how to handle this suoply shortage.
So I explain to the guy that, by any rational understanding of ordinal numbering, I am 'first'. He says he can't help me.
I've actually got one on order from John Lewis that arrives in store tomorrow, so I'm not that fussed about not picking one up today, but the service has been really shocking.
For anyone interested, though, a Regent Street should have a good supply at some point today. Worth noting that you get a 2 year warranty as standard with John Lewis though, so worth holding out with them.
