Grading the TOTAL iPhone3G release

[cjandnw]

Please grade the total release experience to include all of the following:

You got your iPhone3G up and running with no hassle
You ported with no hassle
You waited and then found out they were sold out
You could not activate in store after purchase
You could not activate at home for some time
You waited, sold out waited again and did AT&T DF and are waiting yet again

I am looking for a total grade of A-F
based on your complete buying / activation experience from when you got in line until you made your 1st iPhone 3G call.

If you have not yet received your new iPhone3G (like me) then grade based on your assessment of the Apple / AT&T relationship and the release plan they had / have in place. (including shipments, openness with those in line etc.)

THX

 

[cantankerously]

I'd have to grade the whole experience as a B. I waited about 5 hours and had to activate at home. That again took a few more hours. Now , everything is up and running. Other that then unusually long, but expected set-up issues, everything worked out just fine.

 

[luckygyrl83]

Yeah, that whole activation store was the issue, I think. That was ridiculous. I was in line for 6 hours, they partially activated it. So it wasnt ready to use out the door. Very gay.

 

[cjandnw]

I agree that:
the in-store activation scheme
the inability for the servers, companies to effectively communicate
the inability of some AT&T stores to advise those in line of the supply status
the inability to complete sales for the thousands of AT&T loyal customers with FAN discounts--forcing them to AT&T stores only to have to order for DF

all of those are forseeable, preventable issues.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I think there was lots of room for improvement. But with 1 million phones and 10 million applications moving over the weekend, I can easily understand why there were problems.

 

[DiamondMac]

I gave it a C

They did a solid job but there is still room for improvement as the first few hours were an absolute disaster for most people.

 

[minik]

You got your iPhone3G up and running with no hassle

Yes, ~40 mins from greet to question asking.

You ported with no hassle

Yes, no problem at all. Ported my digit from T-mobile.

You waited and then found out they were sold out
You could not activate in store after purchase
You could not activate at home for some time
You waited, sold out waited again and did AT&T DF and are waiting yet again

Did not apply.

I gave my experience a B.

 

[cjandnw]

I am still waiting for my DF 16 GIG Black.

Now my vote is F-

 

[OasisNYK]

I gave them a C and here is why:

Waited in line at ATT Store on launch day and didnt get my 16 gig black (they ran out 3 people in front of me), girlfriend couldn't get her 16 gig white either.

Comments on ATT handling launch:
They should have handed out numbers or had people fill out order forms for specific models that way they could gauge interest and compare against inventory. The store assistant manager claimed he didnt know what the inventory was (total BS and I hear that may or may not have been a corporate directive). I also asked the assistant manager if they would have a waiting list for those who were in line but did not get a phone and he said no. I later learned that they had direct fulfillment which is basically a waiting list is it not?

They should have had a better queuing system and inventory management and let people know that even if they did not get a phone they could order one (I would have ordered instead of leaving and coming back later).

Outside of that - 1 million phones worldwide sold, demand is high, price point is good - solid release but many mistakes made. I also don't appreciate being misled that the minimum family plan price is $129 when you can get a 550 minute plan for $10 cheaper. If they had released this info it may have saved them a little backlash although the $10 difference isnt huge.

 

[newyorksole]

2.0 software is somewhat sluggish and apps from the Apps Store crash sometimes. Upgrading my original iPhone to 2.0 software took a couple hours and it kept restoring and backing up. Everytime I plug in the iPhone it backs up, which takes 15-20 minutes. The phone is sold out all the time and lines form 5 hours before stores open. AT&T usually has the least iPhones.

I give it a C. Things could have been smoother.

 

[tritonj]

my experience was pretty flawless,

-waited in line for a few hours on Saturday morning
-got the phone activated and done in less than 10 minutes

all done at the Apple Store

i can live with the line since i understand they were activating instore so it takes a few minutes. the transaction itself went very smooth.

aside from the server issues on Friday, people should blame their peers more than anything else for delays, i was talking to the CSR at the Apple Store and he was telling me how people came in unprepared, no idea, what plan they wanted, no idea what phone they wanted, credit card and id were not "at the ready", issues with porting numbers, etc

those are all self inflicted delays, if people came in prepared it would have sped things up, i mean come on, you are standing in line outside, the least you can do during your time in line is figure out what phone you want and the plan you want. let alone actually have your credit card and id out ready to give to the CSR when he asks for them. if you want to make it painless and fast you have to take some of the responsibility as well

 

[Mankin5344]

I gave a B. I got at My AT&T store at 7 AM, and left by 9 AM with a 16gb Black iPhone just like I wanted, activated and ready to go. The only reason I gave a B was because from the time AT&T plugged my phone into itunes to be activated till the time it was done activating was a half-hour. On the plus side they offered bottled water to everyone waiting in line before they opened at 8. Overall a better experience than most.

 

[Just1BadApple]

I'd give AT&T a solid 'A'

On Friday my son and I arrived about 7:10 at the local AT&T store. We were ~ # 50 in line. Things started moving at 8:00. Now I was thinking, why don't they just have someone walk down the line, take their name, and which phone they wanted and at some point said "Ok, that was the last 16GB White" or such. Then everyone would know to either stay in line or go elsewhere.

However...
1. Not everyone in line was sure which model they wanted.
2. Not everyone in line passed the credit check.
3. Not everyone qualified for the $199/$299 price and left.

I agree that AT&T got the short end of the deal with such a few phones on launch day, but I assume that's Apple's doing and not AT&T. Doesn't Apple make more profit when an Apple store sells the iPhone?
So, rumor is that our store started with 40 iPhones. They sold the last one just before me. My son and I were the first DF orders at that store. After a weekend of nail biting (did I do the right thing), it turns out that yes, I did. No more lines, and one phone arrived today and the other will arrive tomorrow. Totally acceptable order processing any day of the year.
Granted it was fortunate that we were early in the ordering queue, but we should get our order processed ahead of the thousands that came in afterward.
You will get your phone, inventories are depleated and probably the pipeline is about to run dry (if it hasn't already.) Later orders may not be filled until the containers in the middle of the Pacific reach port, but who knows?

The staff at my AT&T store were patient and helpful. They were just as frustrated that they couldn't sell more phones, because they work on commission. When you've got dozens of people demanding answers from people who CAN'T know the situation, they give it their best shot.