Apple Splitting 'ProCare' into 'ProCare' and 'One-to-One'

[ITPro]

It has been mentioned before: service could be much better.
My iMac had a problem with its power supply (factory fault).
I had to miss it for more than a week, just to replace a well-known piece (I even have a ACPP); I even had to bring in my iMac myself.
Apple can learn a lot from Dell; that's for sure.

 

[Kaiser Phoenix]

I bought ProCare, just for the "FastTrack" service, which is supposed to put you at the head of the pack for AppleCare repairs. The one time I flashed my card, and needed my machine repaired, *after* all the parts had come in, I was told that I would have to wait up to 24 hours for a keyboard replacement.

I bet I could do the replacement in about 1/2 hour, maybe less. I have added several HD's to iBook G4's, and that is about as tough as replacements get. Replacing a keyboard on a MBP is not rocket science, but in order to keep my machine under warranty, I need to have the "Genius" do it.

I still have not brought my MBP back to have the keyboard replaced (backlight issue).

So, read the fine print! I read where there is no guarantee that FastTrack folks will get their machines added to the top of the repair list, but the marketing material sure does seem like it should. I never would have purchased ProCare, if there was not this supposed "quick" repair turn-arounds. I am still fuming about it. I can't give my laptop up for 24 hours - I use it as my daily machine. Maybe I can convince them to give me a loaner, and I can boot from my Super Duper image, on one of my external drives.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? I wish they would just give me the part, and let me do it.

Wow that is ridiculous, coz in Japan, I got my keyboard replaced in 30 minutes WITHOUT procare...

 

[bgarlock]

Wow that is ridiculous, coz in Japan, I got my keyboard replaced in 30 minutes WITHOUT procare...

Yes, it is ridiculous, and why I was fuming. I was nice to the Genius, but he knew I was not happy when he told me to come back in 24 hours.

 

[cwedl]

how can any one rate this as positive, essentially they are charging twice for the samething.

 

[Turkish]

I'm guessing most of you who think this program is crap have never had to deal with the like sof the Geek Squad.

People whining because they actually have to take their computer somewhere to get it fixed. And yes, I have had one of those "on-site" technicians from Dell try to fix one of my PC's. Useless as all-purpose flour by itself.

Yes, it is ridiculous, and why I was fuming. I was nice to the Genius, but he knew I was not happy when he told me to come back in 24 hours.

Why didn't you ask to speak with a manager?

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I had a very positive experience with ProCare and getting the eMac fixed. 48 hours (because they needed a 2nd part) instead of 7-10 days. Maybe that would be different today though.

I was at the Apple store in Orlando (@Millenia) before they opened, they had about 8 people in there with their own computers hooked up in training. There were 4 more waiting to start their sessions when the store opened. THis was a complete pain however because well - that store was being remodeled and about the size of a shoe box

But, it appears to be used A LOT. I've spent significant time at the other Apple store in town - FL Mall location - the past 3 months. THe kids were taking the Apple Youth Classes - so i was there for about 2-3 hours a pop. Lots of 1 on 1 going on right up till the kids class started. That store has a "studio" at the back of it, so that is where they do all the classes. My only beef with it is that they didn't make one end of it lower for the Wheelchair set. My Dad has a hard time dealing with it - and like another posted, couldn't sit on the stool for an hour. He wouldn't walk for a week if he did.

I'm saddened they are doing this though - i will have to weigh whether to go buy another membership today. We messed up and didn't register my computer in my Dad's name, we all live in the same house, but the computers have to be registered to the same person. Which is a switch - before it was $99 per machine.

I guess if i got it for me, it would then put the eMac under it - which has Apple Care until the end of the year. Hmmm.......

 

[lakhdip]

Profit is bad?

Most of us on this forum are Apple customers, so it's understandable that we see a negative reaction to pricing increases - however, there's nothing wrong with making profit.

If the split goes ahead as expected, that could indicate:

1) Apple was making a loss on Pro-Care and feels it can break even or better by splitting the services and charging seperately, or

2) Different sets of customers were using different aspects of the services. Breaking them out can help to market them better to these different sets and sell more of the services.

The one-on-one package offers 52 hours of personal attention for $99.
That's less than $2 an hour - none of us here would work for that!
It's clear that Apple are providing you with an opportunity to get so much value from this package that they would make a loss, i.e. they're not ripping you off.

The anticipated split of pro-care into two packages still represent value to customers. It's just that they've adjusted the price to better match the value given.

 

[johnmcboston]

I even had to bring in my iMac myself.

Try living in the city. subway in with the imac. Then have to subway back home with the empty box, because they don't want the computer box in their back room with your computer. Then subway back in another day with an empty box, then back home with the machine proper...

Since we're harping on Apple... A while back a lot of the 'good' geniuses were leaving, since most of the problems were simple ipod replacements, and they felt they weren't using any of their expertise. Has this trend slowed down or reversed itself?

 

[weg]

ProCare always sounded like a waste (or something to bundle with AppleCare) and still does.

One-to-One, at 52 hours for $99, sounds like a great deal if you like to be taught/shown, and find enough topics of value.

Both include "setup" help, which sounds like a good thing for Mac newcomers.

Does the One-to-One really mean that there's a dedicated Apple engineer teaching you stuff? Because then it sounds like a really good deal.. or is there just a computer program (tutorial) that you walk through? What stuff are they teaching you? If that'd exist for programs other than Mac OS X (e.g., Photoshop and Illustrator) I'd be so willing to pay that $99

 

[elppa]

Can one of the 27 people who voted this as being positive explain why?

 

[Turkish]

Can one of the 27 people who voted this as being positive explain why?

ProCare is a crap service, admitted. I'm not hip on buying one's way into better service. I've never liked this aspect of the program.

One-to-one? What other retailer offers personal training for < $2.00 an hour? How is that not positive? I have several people that I have switched and they all got the personal training - they love it! They use their new Macs for so much more (photos, music, creative projects) than they would ever consider using a PC for - and they tell everyone they know how great their experience with Apple is, which is what Apple is banking on.

 

[formerMG]

I was initially somewhat taken aback by this development, but upon reflection, it makes quite a bit of sense. As a former Apple retail employee, I think I do have some perspective here.....

The fact is, the One-on-One training is BY FAR the most-used component of the current ProCare program. And it is an UNBELIEVABLE value, as others here have pointed out. There is simply no other training available at the price. Even if a customer only used it 5 times in a year, that's still $20/hour for private, one-on-one, on whatever topic the customer chooses. And you can use it up to 52 times per year. Not a canned presentation - a private 'conversation'. Also, be aware that over the past 12–18 months, Apple has ramped up the whole Creative side of the current ProCare - these are the folks who provide the one-on-one sessions. As noted previously, substantial training in Cupertino....

Example: The store I worked at had two Creatives doing one-on-one just 9 months ago. They now have 4 or 5. One-on-One is VERY popular, and especially valuable to switchers and older folks just getting started with computers.

Bottom line - separating out One-on-One makes the program:

1) more visible
2) less confusing when being sold to a customer (the whole expedited repair/appointment thing doesn't mean much to MOST customers, especially new users)

On the ProCare side, this offering can now be more focused toward the customer for whom rapid service is critical (typically, business/heavy-user customers), and for whom $99 makes sense. Also, the typical ProCare customer doesn't need or isn't interested in the One-on-One component.

Another thing to consider. Once split, the two programs can then be enhanced individually - services can be added to either, as needed, without confusing the issues.

My take - once you sit down and analyze it, this makes perfect sense, and doesn't really hurt anyone. Sure, when the two were lumped together, it was an even more amazing value, but separated, they're still good values (well, honestly, I think ProCare needs some attention, as its execution varies from store-to-store, but One-on-One is fantastic!)

 

[sishaw]

ProCare always sounded like a waste (or something to bundle with AppleCare) and still does.

One-to-One, at 52 hours for $99, sounds like a great deal if you like to be taught/shown, and find enough topics of value.

Both include "setup" help, which sounds like a good thing for Mac newcomers.

That's what I thought when I switched, and Procare turned out to be a big waste o' money. There's nothing sufficiently difficult to do on a Mac to require training.

 

[iSee]

I know this doubles the cost to a user that wants to have everything procare used to have but consider this:

52 hours of computer training for $99 is an absurdly low rate. The only possible way Apple can offer this (whether at $99 total, or as part of a $99 package) is if people are only using only a small fraction of the training available to them. I'm talking an average of a few hours.

If people start using the training at a higher average rate, then there is really no choice but to raise prices. For example, if average usage goes from 3 hours to 6 hours of training, Apple's cost basically doubles, and they've got to do something.

So splitting the training part of procare out into a separate item allows the rest of procare to stay relatively cheap. I mean, this is a big price increase, but the training remains incredibly cheap.

 

[alec]

And I thought airlines charging for blankets was classy.

 

[kwood]

Anyone else seeing a trend with Wednesday now? First the colour iPod Shuffle, the the 8 core Mac Pro and now maybe this?

...interesting

 

[aristobrat]

My parents were going to get the one to one care programme, until they saw it in action at their local store. You simply sit at the genius bar with someone walking you through this weeks application.

With the old ProCare/the new One-to-One, when you schedule your appointment online, you choose the application you want to be trained on -- there is no preset "this weeks application".

You also set the pace and tone of the training. Unless you specifically tell the Creative to "drive" for you, they don't just start clicking through menus expecting you to take notes and keep up. They'll ask you what you want to do with the application and then work with you on accomplishing that, with you driving the computer, at your pace.

As for it being done in a private area, that's a personal preference. I've seen some sessions at the store near me that looked like a total blast, with multiple Creatives chiming in, or where they send the customer out on the floor with a camera to get some pictures they can use for iWeb training. There's a lot of spontaneity that happens at the bar that would never happen in a 5x10 room in the back of the store. And FWIW, the stools are Italian and not as uncomfortable as you'd think.

 

[studbike]

hey

hey all, im brand new to this forum, and i just registered to post here. I apoligize, i didnt have time to read every post, so i hope this isnt repeat.

I want to throw it out there that apple's entire approach to customer service is crap. If you dont pay for customer service, you basically dont get any. Ive never had to wait less than an hour at the genius bar, and i really dont care for some pimpley high school kid that cant solve my problems to be referred to as a genius. You have to pay for customer service via the phone, which i consider to be almost criminal. And in my opinion it drives up the cost for third-party apple repair specialists, who charge twice as much as PC repair guys because they can.

And with this new move, they have really jumped off the deep end. What they dont realize is that if they just charge $100 more for their computers and throw in all that service for free people will line up around the corner to buy their products. People pay a premium for macs because they are getting the latest and greatest high quality product, and they should complement the service with it.

I used to work at a bike shop, and we gave impeccable service to our customers and over-charged out the arse for our bikes. And people kept coming back, often telling me they were overpaying, but happy to do so because they dont want to be left in the dark when expertise is needed. For a company that is built upon the notion of simplicity, I am really baffled by this move.

That said, I agree that the 52 sessions per year is a hell of a deal.

 

[goosnarrggh]

...(thats not possible everywhere because most places only have one store)...

I've never even seen an Apple company store in person! Just authorized dealers around here.

 

[CuteMacGirl]

That store has a "studio" at the back of it, so that is where they do all the classes. My only beef with it is that they didn't make one end of it lower for the Wheelchair set. My Dad has a hard time dealing with it - and like another posted, couldn't sit on the stool for an hour. He wouldn't walk for a week if he did.

Actually at all the apple "bars" they have something on the side that will pull out and make alittle table, so if you are uncomfortable sitting on the stools you just have to tell them, you can either sit in your own wheel chair if you need or ask them for a chiar.

 

[acerbas]

Pay more, get less

What a great business model. Almost as bad as when they made you pay for .Mac, and then bumped the price from $49 to $99. As a retiree on a fixed income I'd probably pay $49 for .Mac, but any more than that, no way. They ought to have tiered pricing. But I guess the price of fuel for Steve's jet is going up.


"More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly."
~ Woody Allen, author, actor, and filmmaker (1935- )

 

[joeshell383]

i, for one, feel the current procare IS already a total ripoff. i got it only b/c apple refused to transfer data from my MB to the replacement unit without charging a fee (could have done it myself, but they wouldn't let me to take both MBs home). i figured if i paid $30 more, i could get procare which would give me priority at the genius bar... WRONG... 3 out of 3 times i was turned away by the genius bar at my local apple store cos they were booked the whole flippin day. i was forced to drive 40-min (one way!) to another apple store to fix recurring RSD. when i did make an appointment, i was made to wait 30 mins and then got yelled at by a store manager for no reason (i didn't even complaint about the wait!). called and wrote to apple's PR, no response or follow-up. i certainly don't see the "pro" in procare. they should pay me $200 for the crap that i had to go through.

with that said, i think if apple wants to separate procare, they should at least combine each separated service with .mac to make them look more reasonably priced.

It seems to me that is why they're raising the price, so people who have it (there will be less subscribers with price increase) will actually get fast service and a benefit to subscribing. It's just like V.I.P. passes, if they lowered the price so everyone could have one it would defeat the purpose.

In essence it is supply and demand, only the shortage caused is not a product per se, but the ability to get V.I.P. service.

 

[Evangelion]

ProCare is a crap service, admitted. I'm not hip on buying one's way into better service. I've never liked this aspect of the program.

One-to-one? What other retailer offers personal training for < $2.00 an hour? How is that not positive? I have several people that I have switched and they all got the personal training - they love it! They use their new Macs for so much more (photos, music, creative projects) than they would ever consider using a PC for - and they tell everyone they know how great their experience with Apple is, which is what Apple is banking on.

Now, I might be wrong but... Wasn't "one-to-one" basically part of the old $99 ProCare? Now they ripped that part of the deal in to a separate deal worth $99, while keeping the price of ProCare same. So basically if yo want to get the same level of service you could get with the old $99 ProCare you would have to get the new $99 ProCare AND the $99 one-to-one.

So, how exactly is that a "good deal"?

 

[Spymit007]

That's what I thought when I switched, and Procare turned out to be a big waste o' money. There's nothing sufficiently difficult to do on a Mac to require training.

ProCare may be a waste of money to you but then again, I doubt you are a 70 year old retiree or someone else who has never touched a computer before. You are most likely not the target audience of ProCare.

Also, because you say that there is nothing difficult to do on a Mac to require training I will assume that you are an expert at using Final Cut Pro, Aperture, Logic Pro, Motion, DVD Studio Pro, Motion, and Shake. I'm sure I can mess around with these applications without any training and create the next Hollywood blockbuster...With ProCare, you get to learn how to use these applications. Now if you yourself have no need to learn any of these applications, that's a different story but saying that there is nothing difficult to do on a Mac that requires training is completely egotistical on your part not to mention ignorant of other people's needs.

 

[iSee]

hey all, im brand new to this forum, and i just registered to post here. I apoligize, i didnt have time to read every post, so i hope this isnt repeat.

I want to throw it out there that apple's entire approach to customer service is crap. If you dont pay for customer service, you basically dont get any. Ive never had to wait less than an hour at the genius bar, and i really dont care for some pimpley high school kid that cant solve my problems to be referred to as a genius. You have to pay for customer service via the phone, which i consider to be almost criminal. And in my opinion it drives up the cost for third-party apple repair specialists, who charge twice as much as PC repair guys because they can.

And with this new move, they have really jumped off the deep end. What they dont realize is that if they just charge $100 more for their computers and throw in all that service for free people will line up around the corner to buy their products. People pay a premium for macs because they are getting the latest and greatest high quality product, and they should complement the service with it.

I used to work at a bike shop, and we gave impeccable service to our customers and over-charged out the arse for our bikes. And people kept coming back, often telling me they were overpaying, but happy to do so because they dont want to be left in the dark when expertise is needed. For a company that is built upon the notion of simplicity, I am really baffled by this move.

That said, I agree that the 52 sessions per year is a hell of a deal.

Sorry, this is a repeat. Please go back and read all the posts