Apple: building new Windoze users
My computer died Tuesday night. I came home to find it off, and it stayed off, regardless of what I did to assure that power was getting to it. I couldn't deal with it Weds. as I had a mass to sing, but I decided I would get it fixed yesterday. I looked at the list of authorized Apple repair places, found that the Apple Store in Legacy Village was the closest, and decided I would drop it there. I guess I missed the part about "make a reservation" because, I mean, who makes reservations for repairs? Like I'm going to sit in the lobby watching bad daytime TV while the mechanic changes my tires?
So I get there, and in the back they have the "Genius Bar" with a stylized atom over it. A tad twee, no? And 3 people at terminals, and screens above them with names, and the words "All Mac geniuses are booked for today; please come back tomorrow." But I don't get it. Some guy shows me how to make an appointment onscreen, but the first one is on Saturday. And they had something about first-come, first-served. So I figure I can wait around. So finally, this woman talks to me. I'm kind of steamed by this point, and she's really trying to play nice, so she tells me I can be put on standby in case anyone cancels. So I do that. After about an hour with my name not showing up on that screen, just when I'm ready to walk, she admitted to me that I probably wouldn't be seen.
"Would you like to make an appointment for Saturday?
"No, I would not like to make an appointment for Saturday; I live 50 miles away, and I don't come into town on Saturday if I can avoid it."
"So what do you want to do?"
"I don't know what I want to do." This was the actual truth, though at that point, "Go shopping for a Windoze machine" was a definite possibility. I apologized for being tense, and said she was really trying to be sweet. Then I heard the magic words, "You could try Micro Center".
Some minutes later, after fighting the Mayfield construction, there I was. There were 2 folks ahead of me in the line, but they were dealt with promptly and courteously, as was I. I paid my $65 diagnostic fee, was warned that "It might be as much as 24 hours before a tech can look at it, because we're pretty backed up." (which beats 36 hours just to talk to somebody). 17 hours later, I got called with a preliminary diagnosis of blown power supply (duh, that's what I thought) and an estimate. And I'm on my way.
I have been using Macs for longer than a substantial portion of ipod users have been using air. I started with the Plusses at Cleveland State. My first Mac of my own was a Mac II with a big horking B & W monitor, supported by a 3rd party video card (it was a salvaged CAD machine from my wife's job). Eventually the monitor blew, and it wasn't economical to buy one to fit the card, or to buy a new card and cheap monitor. So I got a Performa 68040, an emac G3, and the current imac G5. Neither previous computer had given me any trouble; they were replaced because of Finale feature creep; they just weren't powerful enough. But the current imac has always whined. I thought it was bad engineering until I got the same machine for my desktop at work and found it was silent. Maybe that will get fixed too. Unfortunately, the serial number is too late for the power supply recall.
To summarize: I'm a very faithful customer, one Apple can't afford to lose. I fault the shop girl for encouraging false hope, and the Web designer for lack of emphasis on a way-non-standard process. How about "You must make an appointment"? As I told the help, if I had known I needed to make an appointment, I would have made one.
Oddly, I've been thinking of picking up a cheap (i.e., not by Apple) notebook. Not only would it give me portability, but I could get used to working with Gates-ware and answer all my dad's questions. (Yes, we run Windows on the front terminals, but I run Windows apps, I don't run Windows, if you see the difference.) And I'm sure I'll be getting a new Mac someday. But why let me even consider the alternative?
Comments
Posted by: Ben Cottrill
Posted on: August 17, 2007 02:02 PM
I have pretty much given up on the Apple store. It's bad enough that you have to try to negotiate parking at the "Lifestyle Center," but then the help there is less than stellar. I too will get another Mac (just bought a mini this year for the living room), but I will deal with them online to the extent possible, and buy replacement power supplies from third parties. (I know you can't do that for the G5, but the generic replacement for my G4 powerbook works great at 1/2 the cost.)
Posted by: Mell
Posted on: August 18, 2007 02:05 AM
Funny timing....
My wife has been wanting to purchase a new laptop to assist with her dissertation writing. We were at the Apple Store twice this week. We couldn't draw flies and eventually found out that they don't have the model she wants in stock but call to see what comes in. Daily phone calls were made to the store to enquire about stock and they got snippy and didn't give us information useful in our purchase process (they had given us some bad rebate info when we bought a Mini two years ago.) I know I'm a doughy, unfashionable guy from Parma in shopping in Beachwood, but still, I've had Apple computers since 1984 and have been a stock holder off and on. If I still held stock, I'd be selling it after our Legacy Village experience.
Long story, short... Our vacation day trip to Ann Arbor to check bookstores and Shar Violins was augmented by a trip to the new Apple Store, which was a MUCH more satisfactory visit. Our salesman, Roald, was quite helpful. We did get to make a passing comment to the manager of the Ann Arbor store who is also a regional manager and told us he'd make note of it.