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Just left Apple as a Mac Genius...

Can you break down the people you'd see at the genius bar into 2 or 3 groups? Any stereotypical questions always asked?

Also I've got a white g5 iMac, its been back to fix so many times, I'd swear that line of iMacs were lemons. Any thoughts?
 
15 days!? I can't afford to lose my computer for that long :(

The optical drive in my MBP has gone, is there any other faster way to get it repaired that you know of?
 
Answers

irmongoose said:
Here's one - is there some conspiracy going on at Apple to cover up how bad iPhone reception is?
Click to expand...

Nope, not at all. It really is the network providers. I studied an MSc in mobile communications. It really is down to the network provider. My 3GS is very good, in London.

Customer getting angry? Yes. One customer nearly got me sacked. He claimed I threatened to hit another customer. (He had a liquid damaged iPhone) Management seem to side with customers - in these cases Apple staff are guilty until proven innocent...

Pay is rather good actually. Problem is, if you go, there's 100 people wanting your job - Management know this and its good leverage from their position.

Stereotypical customers:

1) the general I want to learn something / I have a problem can you help;
2) the 'I paid ********s for this, I want a new one';
3) the 'I have a problem, but I'm going to talk about it more than you';
4) I know what is wrong with it - it isn't under warranty, but I'm gonna try get it covered for free.

iMac G5's. hhhmmm. There were a few to go huh? Screens, CPU's, MLB's, growing capacitors. It is a good machine. I have a friend who's had his on non-stop for 3 years. Its that bloody white MacBook that gave us the biggest headache...

Gladiators - I think Russell Crowe is a 6-foot cock & refuse to watch his movies...!!

Mord; Retail Stores aren't the only method of repairing a Mac. Apple Authorised Service Centres are often quicker. They use the same Apple parts & carry the work for free in warranty (they claim the cash off Apple). Outside of warranty, they simply charge. London is full of them - look up Cancom or Square Group.
 
FireArse said:
Nope, not at all. It really is the network providers. I studied an MSc in mobile communications. It really is down to the network provider. My 3GS is very good, in London.
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What network? O2 is terrible for me - very rarely see any 3G signal and when there is one it doesn't seem to perform that well at all.
 
Did any one product keep coming in with a particular set of faults that suggested a genuine manufacture or bug issue?

What is the official policy on letting customers use the display machines however they like for as long as they please, and what's the 'backroom' opinion on it?

What's the simplest, almost embarrassingly easy issue you ever had to fix and did you try to spare the customer's blushes when fixing it?

The stereotypes of customer you mentioned were almost all negative - would you say the majority of customers are deeply annoying, or is it just a side-effect of working in a low-morale retail department that all customers eventually become infuriating?

Did you find more women than men coming in with a particular product and/or issue, and vice versa?

Did you notice particular types of people tended more to own Apple stuff than others?


Some quite sociological questions in there, but I'm genuinely curious about it!
 
FireArse said:
Nope, not at all. It really is the network providers. I studied an MSc in mobile communications. It really is down to the network provider. My 3GS is very good, in London.
Click to expand...

Surely after studying mobile communications you'd realise that it's not all down to the network? Of course you're going to get good reception in London, but I've found iPhones to be terrible in areas with marginal reception. I had to go to upstairs into the loft conversion to get signal with mine, with my new (old) phone I can get enough signal to send an SMS anywhere in the house on the same network.
 
I feel so lucky that we have an independent retailer to go to for service and issues. Her in my area we have an Apple store at the mall (horrible place staffed by fat guys and preteens) and then we have MacHeads right down the street. These guys are friggin awesome. I know their lead Apple tech personally and consider him to be a true apple Genius. When you walk in their store you get treated like a king. Repair turn around is incredibly fast as well .

I had purchased a display model MB aluminum for my wife and wanted to get it checked out to make sure it wasn't trashed. I took it down and they where happy to pull it apart run all the mac hardware tests, clean the entire machine inside and out and make sure the battery was good. Best part was they didn't charge me a dime:D:D.
 
Answers

owen-b said:
I guess someone from Apple got to him, eh?
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Nope! Still here - don't be so cynical! :p

Did any one product keep coming in with a particular set of faults that suggested a genuine manufacture or bug issue?
Black & white MacBook topcase (the keyboard assembly), Black & White MacBook HDD (especially rhe 60GB) everything else was random failures or accidental damage. We got a lot of those.

What is the official policy on letting customers use the display machines however they like for as long as they please, and what's the 'backroom' opinion on it?
As long as customers weren't taking the piss eg porn etc, they were allowed to do as they pleased. There were a few laughs behind the scenes if people were on Facbook & filled up the entire 30-inch screen with Safari...

What's the simplest, almost embarrassingly easy issue you ever had to fix and did you try to spare the customer's blushes when fixing it?
iPhone: Customer hadn't removed the plastic film over the display & argued that he couldn't hear anyone on the other end of the phone! I kid you not!!

The stereotypes of customer you mentioned were almost all negative - would you say the majority of customers are deeply annoying, or is it just a side-effect of working in a low-morale retail department that all customers eventually become infuriating?
I disagree - people wanting to learn were the easiest to support!

Did you find more women than men coming in with a particular product and/or issue, and vice versa?
To be honest, it was a very broad mix of people & sexes. A few more girls coming back for iPod support, but since the iPhone & flash memory, iPhone owners have been swamping the iPod bar.

Did you notice particular types of people tended more to own Apple stuff than others?
It was a very broad spetrum!

Keep them coming!

FireArse
 
Hey,

When you went for the interview of Genius did you have to sit the technical test ? if so what kind of questions did they ask ? where they all based around OSX or did they also include iPhone/iPod questions ?

Thanks
 
FireArse said:
(snip)

Stereotypical customers:

1) the general I want to learn something / I have a problem can you help;
2) the 'I paid ********s for this, I want a new one';
3) the 'I have a problem, but I'm going to talk about it more than you';
4) I know what is wrong with it - it isn't under warranty, but I'm gonna try get it covered for free.
Click to expand...

How many MR people did you see in three years!? :p
 
NathanMuir said:
How many MR people did you see in three years!? :p
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How would he know?

I've been in and out of Regent St. so many times that if that is "Store A" then it's like FireArse and I have spoken at some point. I've never had anything other than good service in there though, so unless I've just timed it right I suspect it's a different store being discussed.
 
mm4rley said:
Hey,

When you went for the interview of Genius did you have to sit the technical test ? if so what kind of questions did they ask ? where they all based around OSX or did they also include iPhone/iPod questions ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

There is what's called a 'tech' test. It tests your general knowledge acrosss the board. iPod, iPhone, iLife (I had never used GarageBand & there was a question about it!). This is on top of the hardware stuff - I seem to remember a question about Bluetooth.

This website got me into Apple, this website helped me learn what I knew, the rest is hard work. You need to know your stuff!
 
I hear you on the "Guilty until proven innocent" thing... I just recently ended my almost three year stint at Apple. Was a specialist for two, an inventory specialist for the remaining time, and that is exactly how they handle it when it comes to customer complaints. Even when they've seen how full of crap the customer is.
 
Would you mind saying how much you earnt exactly?

Also, do you know what Apple's policy on work experience is? (for someone aged 15)

Thanks :D
 
FireArse, do you know me on these forums?

And now my technical question, what is with the trackpads on the first generation Unibody Macbooks, the tap to click and dragging works ,but the actual button doesn't work anymore? The clicking sometimes doesn't register at all.
 
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