Apple geniuses can be flipping idiots (Updated)

[daneoni]

I made an appoinent today because a genius didn't properly reassemble my MBP after a MLB replacement. I told them just reopen the case and make sure everything has been fastened properly

Genius comes back and says they've broken some screws and the case can't be reassembled without replacing the top case which will take about 30 mins. I'm still at the store 4 HOURS later!!! and no sign of laptop. They keep telling me 20 mins.

I'm bored...been watching seminars all day, I'm hungry and I'm seriously considering leaving and coming back tomorrow but they gave me this pager. If I don't hear anything in 20 mins I'm gone

Atrocious service

 

[Schtumple]

I made an appoinent today because a genius dent properly reassemble my MBP after a MLB replacement. I told them just reopen the case and make sure everything has been fastened properly

Genius comes back and says they broken some screws and the case can't be reassembled without replacing the top case which will take about 30 mins. I'm still at the store 4 HOURS later!!! And no sign of laptop they keep telling me 20 mins.

I'm bored...been watching seminars all day, I'm hungry and I'm seriously considering leaving and coming back tomorrow but they gave me this pager. If I don't hear anything in 20 mins I'm gone

Atrocious service

Is the store busy? Remember these are only people, like you or me, they are not apple gods, despite what their role name suggests...

 

[tcphoto]

I will pass on a phrase that I heard my Mother say once at a car dealership service department, "How about putting it up on the lift and parking a new one underneath it?". It worked for me the last time I was in an Apple Store.

 

[daneoni]

Is the store busy? Remember these are only people, like you or me, they are not apple gods, despite what their role name suggests...

It was somewhat busy not major. I got the machine back and just as i thought. I've lost all Multi-touch capabilities. I can fix this myself if it is a software issue but i fear they replaced my multi-touch trackpad with a non multi-touch one. Sigh....

EDIT: Yep, they replaced my keyboard/trackpad with a late 2007 model instead of an early 2008 model with multi-touch and media controls. Sigh....

 

[coledog]

That's bs...for me to replace a top case (i'm not an Apple tech, just a normal one) it takes about 10 minutes tops! And they put on a non multitouch one too...wow, just wow...

Which store is this?

 

[daneoni]

That's bs...for me to replace a top case (i'm not an Apple tech, just a normal one) it takes about 10 minutes tops! And they put on a non multitouch one too...wow, just wow...

Which store is this?

A flashship store-Regent Street. London.

 

[Drumjim85]

A flashship store-Regent Street. London.

oh, they're British... that explains it

 

[coledog]

oh, they're British... that explains it

For those who will get it...You sound like you're from London!

 

[daneoni]

Will i have to wait for another Genius appointment (next week) to sort this issue out or can i just walk into the store tomorrow morning and tell them their mistake?

 

[coledog]

Walk right in and tell them! You as a customer shouldn't have to wait for them to screw up others' computers without your own being fixed.

 

[rdowns]

I'd walk in first thing n the morning and politely demand they straighten it out immediately.

 

[daneoni]

Walk right in and tell them! You as a customer shouldn't have to wait for them to screw up others' computers without your own being fixed.

I'd walk in first thing n the morning and politely demand they straighten it out immediately.

Yeah thats what i thought. I'm gonna go in first thing in the morning...hopefully its less busy and i dont have to wait another freaking 4 hours

 

[coledog]

Also try sending an email to sjobs@apple.com commenting on the issue with the staff there.

 

[xpovos]

Yeah thats what i thought. I'm gonna go in first thing in the morning...hopefully its less busy and i dont have to wait another freaking 4 hours

Good luck with that, but don't hold your breath. Their *$&%^#% appointment policies made more sense when they had a much smaller clientele. Apple are ruining their reputation for customer service these days. I've sent three of the nastiest e-mails of my life in the last week, thanks to those asshats.

 

[aethelbert]

They put the wrong top case on my macbook about a month ago and when I got it back, I noticed it in the store before leaving and they told me to get in line. They tried to give me some BS about pro care members getting priority. I sent the store manager an email and never got a reply.

 

[Applespider]

Regent St can be a pain in the ass in terms of waiting, getting things fixed etc. Then again, they're also massively busy - why you can't get an appointment quickly. London needs more stores centrally to take the load off a little.

I went to the Genius Bar in Glasgow today. Great service. Booked it yesterday, went in this afternoon, got seen on time, got my Macbook battery swapped out and left in about 15 minutes.

 

[daneoni]

They put the wrong top case on my macbook about a month ago and when I got it back, I noticed it in the store before leaving and they told me to get in line. They tried to give me some BS about pro care members getting priority. I sent the store manager an email and never got a reply.

Now thats just wrong, they asked to get in line again after having just discovered the issue in-situ. Hopefully i get lucky but i already have a plan B-i made an appointment at the Brent Cross store. So if Regent Street talks smack then hopefully brent cross can help me.

The only problem i can foresee is brent cross not having the part in stock given that its a much more smaller store.

 

[alphaod]

Ask to talk to the manager.

 

[pointandclick]

That's ridiculous.

When I had my battery replaced I spent quite a while waiting in line, but once it was my turn it took him just long enough to start up the machine and open system profiler to see the mAh before he went to get the new battery.

I did find it kind of funny that it took a "Genius" to replace a battery though. None of the other 10 people walking around doing nothing were qualified apparently.
I understand it's policy but still.

 

[e12a]

i wonder how they got the top case mixed up...usually they retrieve the part according to your serial#. Probably had more than one top case lying around and got them mixed up.

I did find it kind of funny that it took a "Genius" to replace a battery though. None of the other 10 people walking around doing nothing were qualified apparently.
I understand it's policy but still.

so you want someone with no absolute clue to what they're doing to look at your computer? They're just salesmen, man. also you need to be in the service system to even order parts. Not everyone can get parts for customers.

 

[coledog]

i wonder how they got the top case mixed up...usually they retrieve the part according to your serial#. Probably had more than one top case lying around and got them mixed up.

Lol, if the other computer had the capability some guy is wondering why when he places 4 fingers on the trackpad it makes his windows disappear!

so you want someone with no absolute clue to what they're doing to look at your computer? They're just salesmen, man.

But for changing a battery? I expect the guy I buy my $2000 computer from to know what a battery is and how to replace one in a MBP!

 

[pointandclick]

i wonder how they got the top case mixed up...usually they retrieve the part according to your serial#. Probably had more than one top case lying around and got them mixed up.



so you want someone with no absolute clue to what they're doing to look at your computer? They're just salesmen, man. also you need to be in the service system to even order parts. Not everyone can get parts for customers.

Please tell me your not serious? It's a battery. Anyone is capable of looking at a number for the battery output and say "yes, it's below what is normal, I'll get you a replacement".

 

[e12a]

Please tell me your not serious? It's a battery. Anyone is capable of looking at a number for the battery output and say "yes, it's below what is normal, I'll get you a replacement".

first salesmen aren't trained to know what #s to look for. They automatically refer you to a genius, not only because they may not know, but they can't do anything for you as you can only have so many people capable of ordering parts. I bet a lot of them dont even know that you can click on the version of OS X to find the serial #.

you'd only frustrate yourself more and complain about why Apple lets salesmen do tech stuff.

 

[pointandclick]

first salesmen aren't trained to know what #s to look for. They automatically refer you to a genius, not only because they may not know, but they can't do anything for you as you can only have so many people capable of ordering parts. I bet a lot of them dont even know that you can click on the version of OS X to find the serial #.

you'd only frustrate yourself more and complain about why Apple lets salesmen do tech stuff.

Should I be concerned that they are qualified to sell me a computer then?

 

[e12a]

yep

also its a cost saving measure for Apple. If salesmen had part ordering capability and were also inexperienced they could be ordering parts that your computer does not need.

just look at my signature to get an idea just how non-technical some of those apple store sales people are.

I remember sitting at the genius bar and listening to the techs talk abut this one new hire that exchanged a few computers for customers when he coud have just ordered a replacement part. Even noob geniuses can be expensive.