Some of the geniuses are hired more for knowledge than personality, but they're usually very professional.
I do have to hand it to these guys, go into an Apple store on any given Saturday and they are slammed all day. It gets old quick, trust me.
I would politely ask for a replacement, and if denied, gradually run it up the chain of command. The store director does have authority to replace a device, so just stay very polite and keep asking. If that doesn't work try the whole process again at a different Apple Store. The service history of your computer are available to any Genius Bar.
If you don't have success, try talking to the AppleCare reps on the phone and see how that goes.
Lastly, did you happen to pay for it with American Express? They often extend warranties of devices purchased on their cards. They replaced my 15" MBP after my 2010 model was damaged by a power surge.