Apple Store Ala Moana Customer Service Sucks...Big Time!!!
First of all...apologies to Gee Why cuz I know he's a big Apple supporter. But man, did I have a terrible encounter with stupidity today at the Apple store in Ala Moana.About 2-3 weeks ago, I bought an iPod Nano from the store but I didn't open it and use it until about a week ago. That's when I found out that the "back" button wasn't working too well. Yeah, it functioned okay enough I guess, but whenever I pressed it, it didn't have the "clicking" sensation as the other buttons did and I sometimes had to press it 2 or 3 times to get it to work. Being that it was a brand new purchase I felt that I had the right to return it for one that worked properly. So I stopped by the Ala Moana Apple store at around 4:45pm today (Sunday) to exchange it for another one.
I walked up to the cashier's counter and explained my situation. The cashier I encountered was some snot nosed kid with bleached blonde hair who looked no older than 17. This was our conversation:
Me: I'd like to exchange this nano for another one. The "back" button doesn't work properly.
Bleached Blonde Cashier (BBC): Tries out the buttons. Seems to be okay to me.
Me: The "up", "down", and "front" buttons all have a click feel to them when pressed. The "back" button doesn't.
BBC: Yeah, but it still works.
Me: Still, I consider it a defect and would like it exchanged.
Okay, this guy is basically telling the customer to just accept a defective product. STRIKE ONE!
BBC: Do you have the receipt?
Me: No, I don't. I threw it away.
BBC: Well, we're not really supposed to do exchanges without the receipt.
Me: What if it was a gift? How would I have the receipt then?
BBC: Blank stare
STRIKE TWO! By this time, I was already getting fed up but the stupidity was just starting to build up!
Then BBC tells the guy next to him, a taller chubbier cashier (TCC) what my deal is and I hear him say, "He says the back button doesn't work properly but I can't find anything wrong with it". Yeah, call the customer wrong right in front of his face. That's just wonderful service! NOT!
Me: Can't you just use the UPC code and look it up on the computer?
BBC: Oh yeah...okay. Looks on the computer
BBC: Oh, it's been past 2 weeks already. We're supposed to charge you a 10% fee because the item has been opened.
Me: Are you kidding? You're going to charge me for a defective product? I'm not paying that fee.
Are they serious with this 10% fee? No way I'm paying that! STRIKE THREE!
BBC: Actually, you need to set up an appointment with a technician and they'll try to help you with your problem.
Me: I really don't think that's necessary. I know what the problem is. The dial doesn't work properly. The technician will say the same thing.
BBC: Yeah, but we have to have the technician see it first before we can do anything.
So he takes me over to a computer to make an appointment and then leaves to take care of another customer. I go through the motions and discover that the next available appointement is 6:50pm! Are you kidding me? I have to wait almost 2 hours for this crap? STRIKE FOUR!
So I went right back up to the cashier desk. This time, I got TCC. TCC was actually standing next to BBC the whole time so he knew what my situation was. By this time, I was getting really pist off.
Me: I was told to make an appointment to see a technician for this defective nano but the computer says that the next one is at 6:50pm. I'm not going to wait 2 hours for this. That's crazy. Can't I just see one of your managers?
TCC: Okay, I will exchange it for you right now. But I'm really supposed to charge a 10% fee for this since it's past 2 weeks and it's opened.
Me: So you would charge people a 10% penalty for returning an opened product? How are they supposed to know it's defective if they don't open the package? And you're charging them for a faulty product? Isn't that unfair?
TCC: Blank stare
Then, as he hands me the package, he tells me.
TCC: Don't lose the receipt this time.
Me: I didn't lose it. I threw it away.
STRIKE FIVE! Can you believe the nerve of these guys?
Now the icing on the cake. As I was driving home, I got a phone call from the Apple store.
Apple: Is this Myong Choi?
Me: Yes.
Apple: Did you make an appointment to see a technician at 6:50pm today?
Me: Yeah, but I don't need it anymore.
Apple: Oh, that's good because we're closed at that time anyway.
STRIKE SIX!
Believe me, the transcripts above have not been exaggerated or embellished. That's almost word for word what happened at the store today. That Apple store better get their shit together because I was not a happy consumer today. I have little tolerance for stupidity. I mean, these policies that they were throwing around at me were just ridiculous. A 10% fee? A 2 hour wait to see a technician? That's just crazy.
This might've been the last purchase I ever make at an Apple store. Their customer service sucks!!! If you ever have customer service issues with them, don't let them bully you around with their bullshit. If you believe it's within your rights, demand to see the manager and get past the teeny bopper cashiers.
IDIOTS!
posted by Myong Choi at 11:42 PM
5 Comments:
Bravo! I'm glad you got your replacement.
Yeah, too bad you had a bad experience there. I haven't gone to the Genius Bar for a long time but have heard stories at many Apple Stores around the US about how busy they are hence the long wait for appointments.
The first employee BBC sounds like a dweeb. For gifts, I think they issue gift receipts??
You're not the only one who got hit by the 10% restocking fee. Another guy I know got hit by that but argued his way out and they almost charged me that fee for a Nano that was going to be a gift (I had the receipt though). The cashiers are supposed to tell you about the 10% restocking fee when you buy items there and I have been told about it. I also think it's on the small print for the return policy but I don't read it like I don't read the return policies for other stores.
It's now recommended that you book appointments for the Genius Bar on-line so you don't wait around for hours.
Having an appointment after the store closes is just lame.
Glad you got your replacement. But I have to play devil's advocate on this one and flip it around just a bit...
So you purchased a $150 item, didn't check it out for 2+ weeks, and threw away the receipt? If I did that, my wife would get on my case. The long wait for the Genius Bar is unfortunate but how much would you have to pay for tech support at the Genius Bar? Nothing. It's a free service Apple provides. You don't see much other tech companies doing that. No Microsoft shop to fix Windows, no Dell shop to swap out known GX270 and GX280 capacitor/motherboard problems when you have 100+ of these machines at your location. So yeah, getting free tech support might be a sought after and busy commodity.
The stupidity of the employees is bad but hopefully will get fixed. Yeah, I love Apple products but your experience shows that their customer service needs some major improvements.
Good comments, Gee Why!
Throwing away the receipt was a mistake on my part, I admit. I usually don't do that for major purchases. I had bought a charger for my nano (and why are they selling these separately by the way?) at the same time so it was on the same receipt and then returned it. When the return transaction was complete, I threw away the receipt mostly cuz I trusted Apple's product quality and assumed that the nano would be fine when I opened it later. Yeah, shoulda kept it around.
And I wasn't upset about the 2 hour wait for the Genius Bar. I was upset that they made me go through that process when all I wanted was an even exchange, and not a consultation on what was wrong with my purchase. Even if they said it could be fixed, I wouldn't want them to fix it, I'd want a brand new one that worked properly.
When I bought the nano, they made no mention of the 10% fee either.
More than anything, it was the attitudes of the employees that got to me. I can comprehend and tolerate store policies, but not when they're being applied inappropriately and especially not when the employees are giving me the "mightier than thou" act.
But thanks again for your perspective! I tend to get irrational in my arguements sometimes so it's good to get a 3rd party input!
No prob. But I'm with you about opening up new items. It should be perfect!
Was that TCC guy the manager of the store? The managers should be made aware of customer perceptions so that they can address the service issues and improve the overall Apple experience.
Hmm...not sure. TCC seemed to be BBC's superior, but when he actually did the exchange transaction, he had to call over another guy to press some buttons on the register.
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