Well, do I have a story for you.
About two months ago, before leaving for a semester in Europe, I took my computer to the Apple Store in Seattle to have the internal microphone (which had never worked) repaired. I intended to use Skype from abroad, and wanted to make sure I could make phone calls with my computer. The broken mic was the latest of any number of problems I've had with a much beloved 2004 iBook, but my general goodwill to this computer outweighed any frustration with failed parts. Off I drive to the Apple Store in Seattle, an hour away, and off my computer goes for the repair.
After the repair, I left the computer in the box it came back in, pushed off for a month-long backpacking trip, and had the computer shipped to me when I settled down at last in Germany, where I am writing from right now. Previous to all of this, however, I'd purchased a fairly expensive extended life battery. I waited four weeks for it to ship, planned in advance, and was incredibly excited to use my new, long-lasting iBook in cute little cafes on the Rhine. Imagine my surprise when, after taking my laptop out of my package, I began to notice that my long-lasting battery wasn't quite so long lasting. An hour later, when my battery was dead, I flipped the computer over. And there, instead of my new battery, there was a beat-up much more beat-up than the shell of my computer, at least Apple battery, with a serial number that did not correspond to my laptop whatsoever.
A mistake in the repair center, perhaps. I was annoyed, if only because now I had to deal with this from Germany. A few days ago, when I finally got my internet connection set up, I tried calling Apple to explain the problem. I spent a good long time on the phone with a very confused and embarrassed tech support guy. He kept putting me on hold to "research" the problem. I can take a little bit of comfort in knowing that the mystery disappearance of my new, expensive battery is somewhat uncommon. A little.
After an hour on the phone, Tech Support Guy #1 tells me to first contact the Apple Store in Seattle to have them replace the battery with a new Apple-made (standard life) battery. Then, he tells me, talk to Apple Corporate to see about "proposing a resolution." He'll send us the number in an e-mail. Great.
The "number" is this address: apple.com/contact. Very helpful. We learn that they want us to "post" our problem instead of actually talking to a customer service representative. But we call the Apple Store in Seattle, only after waiting for the nine hour time difference to kick in. No answer. No actual person on the telephone. Bad connections. Try again. And eventually, just today, I called my Apple Help Line number again. I somewhat sheepishly explain the situation -- the bad connection to the Apple Store, the time difference woes, the inability to find a number for customer service.
He's confused. What number did I call to get him? he wants to know. Oh. It happens to be the only number that I can call to reach customer service. That's great, I think; could he put me through to someone who I could speak to in person. This guy actually refuses to let me talk to anyone else, explains that I have to just "keep trying" and "staying on the line" with the Apple Store in Seattle, and that then (from Germany, on Skype, nine hours ahead), I should "call back" to the number I've already sat on hold for twenty minutes to reach.
I have had it up to my ears now with phone support, but there is no way I'm "posting" about this problem after investing so much time into trying to resolve a very stupid mistake on Apple's part. My question now is: what sort of "resolution" do I propose to Apple Corporate? I was going to write this off as a mistake, and hope they'd rectify it -- either with a new battery, or a check for the amount of my old battery. Mind you, I bought the new battery specifically because of my move to Europe. It's been a huge inconvenience not having that battery life.
Does anyone have any tips for dealing with tech/customer support over the phone? And does anyone have any ideas for a reasonable "resolution" to this situation?
A very frustrated Pomme
About two months ago, before leaving for a semester in Europe, I took my computer to the Apple Store in Seattle to have the internal microphone (which had never worked) repaired. I intended to use Skype from abroad, and wanted to make sure I could make phone calls with my computer. The broken mic was the latest of any number of problems I've had with a much beloved 2004 iBook, but my general goodwill to this computer outweighed any frustration with failed parts. Off I drive to the Apple Store in Seattle, an hour away, and off my computer goes for the repair.
After the repair, I left the computer in the box it came back in, pushed off for a month-long backpacking trip, and had the computer shipped to me when I settled down at last in Germany, where I am writing from right now. Previous to all of this, however, I'd purchased a fairly expensive extended life battery. I waited four weeks for it to ship, planned in advance, and was incredibly excited to use my new, long-lasting iBook in cute little cafes on the Rhine. Imagine my surprise when, after taking my laptop out of my package, I began to notice that my long-lasting battery wasn't quite so long lasting. An hour later, when my battery was dead, I flipped the computer over. And there, instead of my new battery, there was a beat-up much more beat-up than the shell of my computer, at least Apple battery, with a serial number that did not correspond to my laptop whatsoever.
A mistake in the repair center, perhaps. I was annoyed, if only because now I had to deal with this from Germany. A few days ago, when I finally got my internet connection set up, I tried calling Apple to explain the problem. I spent a good long time on the phone with a very confused and embarrassed tech support guy. He kept putting me on hold to "research" the problem. I can take a little bit of comfort in knowing that the mystery disappearance of my new, expensive battery is somewhat uncommon. A little.
After an hour on the phone, Tech Support Guy #1 tells me to first contact the Apple Store in Seattle to have them replace the battery with a new Apple-made (standard life) battery. Then, he tells me, talk to Apple Corporate to see about "proposing a resolution." He'll send us the number in an e-mail. Great.
The "number" is this address: apple.com/contact. Very helpful. We learn that they want us to "post" our problem instead of actually talking to a customer service representative. But we call the Apple Store in Seattle, only after waiting for the nine hour time difference to kick in. No answer. No actual person on the telephone. Bad connections. Try again. And eventually, just today, I called my Apple Help Line number again. I somewhat sheepishly explain the situation -- the bad connection to the Apple Store, the time difference woes, the inability to find a number for customer service.
He's confused. What number did I call to get him? he wants to know. Oh. It happens to be the only number that I can call to reach customer service. That's great, I think; could he put me through to someone who I could speak to in person. This guy actually refuses to let me talk to anyone else, explains that I have to just "keep trying" and "staying on the line" with the Apple Store in Seattle, and that then (from Germany, on Skype, nine hours ahead), I should "call back" to the number I've already sat on hold for twenty minutes to reach.
I have had it up to my ears now with phone support, but there is no way I'm "posting" about this problem after investing so much time into trying to resolve a very stupid mistake on Apple's part. My question now is: what sort of "resolution" do I propose to Apple Corporate? I was going to write this off as a mistake, and hope they'd rectify it -- either with a new battery, or a check for the amount of my old battery. Mind you, I bought the new battery specifically because of my move to Europe. It's been a huge inconvenience not having that battery life.
Does anyone have any tips for dealing with tech/customer support over the phone? And does anyone have any ideas for a reasonable "resolution" to this situation?
A very frustrated Pomme
