In-store repair?

[guthy-lux]

I noticed the LCD was defect two months after purchase.

I took it to genius bar and the genius guy said I can get the LCD replaced and there were two options:

1. send it back to the repair center and replace the LCD. The genius guy said it'd take 1-2 weeks.

2. order an LCD panel and change the LCD at the store. it sounded better but the guy said there is a long waiting list for repair and it'd take more than 2 weeks.

I asked if they can put my name on the list and call me when my turn comes so I don't need to leave my PC that long but the guy said they don't do that.

Do all Apple stores provide this kind of in-store repair?
Is the repair time shorter if it's not the one in busy WLA area?

 

[l.a.rossmann]

They don't do this in store. Thank God. My experiences with the in store staff at numerous Apple stores has led me to not trust them to remove a battery. Much less do anything else to the machine.

They are a corporation. A national chain. As such, making sure a certain level of quality is upheld, while paying people *******, is difficult. Having a centralized repair center where people are directly accountable to a specific group of people allows them to do repairs that aren't garbage.

I go through macbook pros all the time that have been to the applestore with misaligned superdrives so discs rub against the casing or screws not put all the way in. Some people do a better job without having ever opened a laptop before just because they do their due diligence and are patient.

 

[stridemat]

I have the complete opposite experience to l.a.rossmann.

When I had to get the outer shell of my macbook replaced I took it to an Apple Store, showed it to the genius. 30mins later I was walking out the store with my macbook in hand, outer case fixed, it had been cleaned and they had run some diagnostics on it (whatever they may be).

Prior to them taking my macbook in for service when they were looking to see if they had the part I needed, the Genius was talking about that if they do not have the part he would take my name and number and call me when the part was in as he knew that I needed my macbook for some work.

Apple service = first class in my opinion

 

[cluthz]

I noticed the LCD was defect two months after purchase.

I took it to genius bar and the genius guy said I can get the LCD replaced and there were two options:

1. send it back to the repair center and replace the LCD. The genius guy said it'd take 1-2 weeks.

2. order an LCD panel and change the LCD at the store. it sounded better but the guy said there is a long waiting list for repair and it'd take more than 2 weeks.

I asked if they can put my name on the list and call me when my turn comes so I don't need to leave my PC that long but the guy said they don't do that.

Do all Apple stores provide this kind of in-store repair?
Is the repair time shorter if it's not the one in busy WLA area?

You could ask around.
In my case they used 1 week to get the part, and 1 hour to change the screen.

 

[Rampant.A.I.]

They don't do this in store. Thank God. My experiences with the in store staff at numerous Apple stores has led me to not trust them to remove a battery. Much less do anything else to the machine.

Funny story: I actually had an Apple Store goon use a small screwdriver like an icepick trying to remove the remaining part of a rubber foot that had broken off my Powerbook G4.

I just kind of sat there watching in disbelief, and finally went and got a manager after he figured out they didn't have any feet to replace the one he'd dug out of the aluminum casing. He'd chewed up the edges of the foot area pretty good with the screwdriver, but all I wanted was a replacement foot.

The manager's solution was to have the lower case replaced, which was a week turnaround. For a rubber foot.

Because his mouthbreathing employee couldn't replace a rubber foot.

They ended up gluing an iBook foot in as a replacement.

That was the last time I had the Powerbook serviced at that particular store, even though it was the closest to my work.

 

[l.a.rossmann]

In his defense, those rubber feet drive me crazy.