How have experiences been overall in Apple Stores regarding issues with the watch? I can't say I had a good one recently. It's been a couple years since I've stepped foot inside a store for an issue, and it seems a few things have changed since exec management turned over.
I had to go to FOUR local locations last night after work before finally getting a sympathetic employee to schedule me for a walk-in. This was my first time ever being turned away for being a walk-in. I can understand if there is an issue if there are just too many bodies in the store, but at all of these locations, there was not an overflow of people, and as far as I know, Genius bar appointments are still 15 minutes long.
That withstanding, my watch had a malfunctioning taptic engine, which could not be fixed on the spot. OK, that I understand, stuff happens. But they could not even give me a replacement on the spot, instead telling me that they have to send the watch in to be diagnosed and either repaired or replaced, and that it will probably be a week out. For a broken taptic engine, which only a replacement will be the solution for anyway, what does it mean to your bottom line to swap it out in store and send the broken watch back to diagnose on company time instead of putting the burden on the customer? I can understand if the watch is on backorder, but I am sure they had plenty in stock in the back.
The genius's reason was that for new products like this, they need to send it back to the lab to diagnose and "make improvements for other products." This kind of service makes me feel more like a beta tester than a customer. I told this to the genius, to which he had no reply. I understand it is not his policy, but someone made the decision up top.
What were the policies when other products were new? iPhone, iPad, etc? If someone had an issue that could not be fixed on the spot, did Apple send them out the door with nothing? I have a feeling these changes were brought on by the new retail chief. Apple is not a luxury store with uppity customers (it doesn't need to be)-- the retail stores should not be run like it is right now, and it's obvious what the changes are reflecting. Not offering watches for sale in store on launch day, turning away walk ins to avoid crowds in the stores, taking the bottom line over customer satisfaction. I suppose I miss when Jobs was around.
I had to go to FOUR local locations last night after work before finally getting a sympathetic employee to schedule me for a walk-in. This was my first time ever being turned away for being a walk-in. I can understand if there is an issue if there are just too many bodies in the store, but at all of these locations, there was not an overflow of people, and as far as I know, Genius bar appointments are still 15 minutes long.
That withstanding, my watch had a malfunctioning taptic engine, which could not be fixed on the spot. OK, that I understand, stuff happens. But they could not even give me a replacement on the spot, instead telling me that they have to send the watch in to be diagnosed and either repaired or replaced, and that it will probably be a week out. For a broken taptic engine, which only a replacement will be the solution for anyway, what does it mean to your bottom line to swap it out in store and send the broken watch back to diagnose on company time instead of putting the burden on the customer? I can understand if the watch is on backorder, but I am sure they had plenty in stock in the back.
The genius's reason was that for new products like this, they need to send it back to the lab to diagnose and "make improvements for other products." This kind of service makes me feel more like a beta tester than a customer. I told this to the genius, to which he had no reply. I understand it is not his policy, but someone made the decision up top.
What were the policies when other products were new? iPhone, iPad, etc? If someone had an issue that could not be fixed on the spot, did Apple send them out the door with nothing? I have a feeling these changes were brought on by the new retail chief. Apple is not a luxury store with uppity customers (it doesn't need to be)-- the retail stores should not be run like it is right now, and it's obvious what the changes are reflecting. Not offering watches for sale in store on launch day, turning away walk ins to avoid crowds in the stores, taking the bottom line over customer satisfaction. I suppose I miss when Jobs was around.