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Insulted by "Genius" at Apple Store

As a former genius, I'll try to give you his P.O.V

So, the iPhone has been out a week and a half, and ever since the first day, there have been tons of people swarming the bar with reception issues. Geniuses generally work 40 hours a week, which means this guy has probably had 60hrs full of appointments with people and their "broken" (not really broken) iPhones. Not to mention there are a lot of people who harass genii (thinking they know it all) asking them why they (as if the genii make the product) would make a product that "didn't work", and what they personally (again as if it's the genii's fault) are going to do about it. It can be pretty frustrating. Not to mention, you went on a Saturday, when the store is generally packed and things can be a little hectic. All things that would make the most sane person a little crazy.

Now before you go thinking I am trying to say you're wrong for being upset at the genii, hold on. I'm not saying his troubleshooting technique was correct (although, a reset would be the first step :)), nor am I saying that he didn't try to "trick" you by turning on wi-fi. But, you must understand that he's not going to just hand you a new phone right off the bat without trying to troubleshoot the issue.

You could have tried a reset/restore at your home (which genii can tell when you last restored, your battery life, call life, application history and other things with the iPhone troubleshooting app they have loaded on all their MBP's), and then politely explained to him you'd tried all the basic troubleshooting steps to keep from "wasting your time"

All in all, just try to remember this guy is at the front line taking a lot of blame, criticism, and harsh words from a lot of angry customers for something he has no control over. So maybe try to take a step in his shoes before calling him a bald douche bag.

(And as for my personal opinion about your anger... Apple's gonna make money with or without you and with or without the group of people who are whining about some "connectivity issues". If this upsets you that bad, return all apple products, or better yet donate them to someone who will appreciate them, and good riddance :))
 
dissdnt said:
Uh just print Apples press release about exchanges, and get a new one. I wouldn't even consider a conversation with those guys. Why would deal with all that based on "personality" and how the dude currently "feels" like handling your situation.
Click to expand...

They said you could return it, not exchange it.
 
extenet said:
As a former genius, I'll try to give you his P.O.V

So, the iPhone has been out a week and a half, and ever since the first day, there have been tons of people swarming the bar with reception issues. Geniuses generally work 40 hours a week, which means this guy has probably had 60hrs full of appointments with people and their "broken" (not really broken) iPhones. Not to mention there are a lot of people who harass genii (thinking they know it all) asking them why they (as if the genii make the product) would make a product that "didn't work", and what they personally (again as if it's the genii's fault) are going to do about it. It can be pretty frustrating. Not to mention, you went on a Saturday, when the store is generally packed and things can be a little hectic. All things that would make the most sane person a little crazy.

Now before you go thinking I am trying to say you're wrong for being upset at the genii, hold on. I'm not saying his troubleshooting technique was correct (although, a reset would be the first step :)), nor am I saying that he didn't try to "trick" you by turning on wi-fi. But, you must understand that he's not going to just hand you a new phone right off the bat without trying to troubleshoot the issue.

You could have tried a reset/restore at your home (which genii can tell when you last restored, your battery life, call life, application history and other things with the iPhone troubleshooting app they have loaded on all their MBP's), and then politely explained to him you'd tried all the basic troubleshooting steps to keep from "wasting your time"

All in all, just try to remember this guy is at the front line taking a lot of blame, criticism, and harsh words from a lot of angry customers for something he has no control over. So maybe try to take a step in his shoes before calling him a bald douche bag.

(And as for my personal opinion about your anger... Apple's gonna make money with or without you and with or without the group of people who are whining about some "connectivity issues". If this upsets you that bad, return all apple products, or better yet donate them to someone who will appreciate them, and good riddance :))
Click to expand...

I am surprised--NOT--that you are a former Apple Genius.
 
“I asked myself, ‘What is the most mind-numbing, pedestrian job conceivable?’ Three answers came to mind: tollbooth attendant, Apple Store genius, and ‘What Penny does.’ “

“Now…since I don’t like touching other people’s coins, and I refuse to contribute to the devaluation of the word “genius,” here I am.” - Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory
 
Did you try reloading the sim card? Make sure one of the strip in the back has contact with the metal tray
 
extenet said:
As a former genius, I'll try to give you his P.O.V

So, the iPhone has been out a week and a half, and ever since the first day, there have been tons of people swarming the bar with reception issues. Geniuses generally work 40 hours a week, which means this guy has probably had 60hrs full of appointments with people and their "broken" (not really broken) iPhones. Not to mention there are a lot of people who harass genii (thinking they know it all) asking them why they (as if the genii make the product) would make a product that "didn't work", and what they personally (again as if it's the genii's fault) are going to do about it. It can be pretty frustrating. Not to mention, you went on a Saturday, when the store is generally packed and things can be a little hectic. All things that would make the most sane person a little crazy.

Now before you go thinking I am trying to say you're wrong for being upset at the genii, hold on. I'm not saying his troubleshooting technique was correct (although, a reset would be the first step :)), nor am I saying that he didn't try to "trick" you by turning on wi-fi. But, you must understand that he's not going to just hand you a new phone right off the bat without trying to troubleshoot the issue.

You could have tried a reset/restore at your home (which genii can tell when you last restored, your battery life, call life, application history and other things with the iPhone troubleshooting app they have loaded on all their MBP's), and then politely explained to him you'd tried all the basic troubleshooting steps to keep from "wasting your time"

All in all, just try to remember this guy is at the front line taking a lot of blame, criticism, and harsh words from a lot of angry customers for something he has no control over. So maybe try to take a step in his shoes before calling him a bald douche bag.

(And as for my personal opinion about your anger... Apple's gonna make money with or without you and with or without the group of people who are whining about some "connectivity issues". If this upsets you that bad, return all apple products, or better yet donate them to someone who will appreciate them, and good riddance :))
Click to expand...

+1.

Not saying that you're wrong for being upset, but Geniuses get blamed for problems out of their control.
 
I kinda wonder .. if this touching the magical brilliant frame antenna issue got past all the seeding and testing because the phones were all encased in the Belkin like rubber things that made them look like prior models.

So no one ever touched them.

This really is too screwy to get past typical testing.
 
It is always a good thing to understand the perspective of the other party when in a dispute...thanks for providing some "inside" info on a day in the life of an Apple Genius...like any profession, there are good genii and not so good genii...
ok, did I just type the word 'genii" twice in one sentence? That is a first in my 55 years on this earth...:confused::eek:
 
May be a low self esteem issue if you can be insulted by an Apple Genius. :p

Should just pat them on the head, say nice try, and tell them that you can see why they got fired from their last burger flipping job.
 
extenet said:
As a former genius, I'll try to give you his P.O.V

So, the iPhone has been out a week and a half, and ever since the first day, there have been tons of people swarming the bar with reception issues. Geniuses generally work 40 hours a week, which means this guy has probably had 60hrs full of appointments with people and their "broken" (not really broken) iPhones. Not to mention there are a lot of people who harass genii (thinking they know it all) asking them why they (as if the genii make the product) would make a product that "didn't work", and what they personally (again as if it's the genii's fault) are going to do about it. It can be pretty frustrating. Not to mention, you went on a Saturday, when the store is generally packed and things can be a little hectic. All things that would make the most sane person a little crazy.

Now before you go thinking I am trying to say you're wrong for being upset at the genii, hold on. I'm not saying his troubleshooting technique was correct (although, a reset would be the first step :)), nor am I saying that he didn't try to "trick" you by turning on wi-fi. But, you must understand that he's not going to just hand you a new phone right off the bat without trying to troubleshoot the issue.

You could have tried a reset/restore at your home (which genii can tell when you last restored, your battery life, call life, application history and other things with the iPhone troubleshooting app they have loaded on all their MBP's), and then politely explained to him you'd tried all the basic troubleshooting steps to keep from "wasting your time"

All in all, just try to remember this guy is at the front line taking a lot of blame, criticism, and harsh words from a lot of angry customers for something he has no control over. So maybe try to take a step in his shoes before calling him a bald douche bag.

(And as for my personal opinion about your anger... Apple's gonna make money with or without you and with or without the group of people who are whining about some "connectivity issues". If this upsets you that bad, return all apple products, or better yet donate them to someone who will appreciate them, and good riddance :))
Click to expand...


First off, the quality of service should not be contingent on the amount of people they have dispatched. If the geniuses (correct plural of genius) have had a tough day, I'm so sorry. I also had a tough day at work and expect to be treated well for support when my product is not working as advertised.

Precisely this attitude of 'if you don't like it, return it' is what shouldn't be part of the Genius experience. Sure, we can say this amongst friends, but the role of customer support in a company is to try to get people to feel as happy as possible.

In this case, the best way to go about it should have been

(a) See how it compares to other iPhone 4s. Make sure it's actually defective.
(b) Explain if it's not defective that the iPhone has the reception software issue as noted in the press release.

No excuse for bad service. Trying to deceive a customer into accepting a product is a major offense in my world. This is why I am an Apple customer, and this is why I hope you are never a Genius when I go to a store.
 
extenet said:
So maybe try to take a step in his shoes before calling him a bald douche bag.
Click to expand...

I'd normally side with you on this point, but this guy deserves it, as do a few of the other employees at the crabtree store. I had major issues with the genius bar at that store that eventually resulted in a few geniuses being fired. A few bad apples (no pun intended) probably aren't representative of all the employees at the crabtree store but I don't think it's worth chancing it anymore when Southpoint is 30 minutes away. I've yet to have any problems there.

All that said, I think that for your sanity and the genius' sanity it's probably best to either just return your phone or wait for the software fix to come out before heading back to the genius bar. My guess is that now that apple as issued an official response the geniuses have very little leeway. I'm not saying this isn't a real problem, just that you're unlikely to get anywhere at this moment.
 
Some people just love to complain!

It rarely does them much good because, as the old saying goes - "Empty vessels make the most noise!" ;)
 
iphoneguy123 said:
This is the beginning of Apples downfall. Either jobs needs to be fired or he will bring Apple down with him.


It was fun while it lasted.
Click to expand...

How come every time I read a retarded post such as this - I look to see when he joined - and it's always within the last month?
 
Call that store and ask for the manager. Tell him you want to come in and speak to him in person. When you get there, tell him you want a full refund. Explain to him why. And tell him that how the "genius" treated you plays into your decision.

Wait awhile. See if future iP4's are fixed. Then buy another.

If you really don't want to give it up, try a bumper.
 
You need a tampon. Stop acting like you're the only one in the world with iPhone 4 reception problems. And you're surprised you didn't get treated better after you acted like a dick to the genius. Right..
 
Even in your one-sided account of the event you come off as a pompous jerk and the genius seems to be a guy just trying to do his job.

Why were you insulted? Why can't you spend $29 to buy a case for your $600 phone or just spend 99 cents for a roll of tape?
 
That's a low blow dude. I would have demand to talk to a manager. Since when are they allowed to try and deceive the customer to solve a problem? He should be suspended for that stunt!
 
Juan007 said:
Even in your one-sided account of the event you come off as a pompous jerk and the genius seems to be a guy just trying to do his job.

Why were you insulted? Why can't you spend $29 to buy a case for your $600 phone or just spend 99 cents for a roll of tape?
Click to expand...

Why the hell should he wrap tape around his phone or buy a case? IT SHOULD WORK AS ADVERTISED.
 
That is a pretty douchy move if this is true. I would have immediately asked for his supervisor.
 
applemax said:
Why the hell should he wrap tape around his phone or buy a case? IT SHOULD WORK AS ADVERTISED.
Click to expand...

It does work as advertised. Show me the advertisement that says "you can put your iPhone in a vice-lock and the signal won't drop a bar even when your palms bleed" please.
 
That's a shame. I don't know if it would help any but I'd report him to the store manager or go even higher and tell your story to Apple's customer service. What a sneaky little prick...lol!
 
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