Apple Third Street Promenade

Reviews 3

JO

Jodie Escobedo

I went on the web and confirmed my iPhone battery was one with a bad battery and would be replaced if it was malfunctioning. The website had me make an appt at this apple store. I live in Santa Monica and I HATE the promenade. There is no parking, I hate the crowds and it is a pain in the butt to find any store in this outdoor orgy of consumerism. But my phone is only holding a charge for a few hours at this point so I figure Ill just have to suck it up. Get in and get out and it will be over quick. NOT! I show up and am told to "squeeze in over there" and a finger is pointed toward a table which already has all the seats taken, at the back of the store with the word "genius" on it. So I wait, 10 minutes later a 20 something "genius" walks out and calls my name but cannot hear me because the place is massive and full of hipsters all talking and yelling over each other. I have to get up and go over to her to get her attention before she moves onto the next sucker, I mean customer. I tell her why I am there and she starts to tell me to do a back-up. I tell her I just did one. "Please replace my battery". She says she has to check it out first and spends about 2 minutes running a "test". She then tells me "yup your battery is bad and there are no other problems. We dont have it in stock. Youll have to come back in a couple of weeks as we have to order it." Seriously! This store is the size of a football field and you dont have the battery for the iPhone 5 in stock that you made me make an appointment to have changed? Its a defective battery, you sold it, and you know its gonna need replaced so you dont bother to have it available? 1,000 of them cannot take more room than box of copy paper! This was the biggest waste of my time ever. I was a Mac user since 1986 and they have progressively gotten worse and worse and worse. I have given up on apple computers as they are now way overpriced, intended to be obsolete as fast as possible and a pain to get anything fixed or upgraded on. I bought the first iPhone and hated its unreliable and glitchy system. Within weeks I had to trade it in for a blackberry. I stayed away a LONG time. Finally, 18 months ago I decided to try another iPhone. They must have gotten it right finally or they wouldnt be so popular? I figured. Obviously WRONG! I am sick of the jealous boyfriend called "iTunes" who wont let me talk to any other file management programs, and I am sick of their attitude that they are doing me a favor having me come into their hot, loud and crowded "store". NewsFlash Apple. I dont like spending time running errands to get my cell to work. I dont like the after school hangout spot you call the "applestore" and its not fun for me to visit it! My phone is not a toy or a hobby. Its a very expensive tool I use and count on. I cannot wait weeks to have a battery that functions. If you didnt want to have to deal with these types of problems than just make the damn battery user accessible. Oh, wait, I forgot, you dont want me to be able to talk to any other electronics manufacturers. There you go again you jealous ass! You dont own me! Would I ever set foot in that hipster hangout called "The AppleStore"? Hell no! Will I be buying another apple product anytime soon? Hell no.

RI

Rishi Gupta

To preface this review, here are a list of Apple products Ive purchased: - PowerMac 6100-60 - PowerMac G4 533 - PowerBook G4 667 - MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo - MacBook Air 2011 - Mac Pro (the garbage can) 6 core which is a $7000 workstation I use for my job - iPhone 3GS - iPhone 4 - iPhone 4S - iPhone 5S - iPod Touch 3G, 4G, 5G - Apple Cinema Display 27" - 2 Apple TVs - Apple Time Capsule - Probably many Im forgetting Ive also worked at Apple for 3+ years as an Engineer in corporate. If you use an iPhone, youve used my software. Right now Im the cofounder of a company that makes iOS games. So Im pretty invested in Apple. So I absolutely do not need to be treated like trash by the lackeys who work here, this location has been consistently disrespectful and rude. Ive had genius bar issues, employees who lack product knowledge, and service slower than a race between Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson. The final straw was today when I came to *see* (not buy) the iPhone 6. Im trying to decide if the 6 or 6+ will work better given the size difference. I went in there and picked up one, and Im grabbed by the security guard. He yells at me that I cant stand there. First, dont touch me, second its an iPhone on display. He says if I want to watch the iPhone, look over "there" as he points off waywardly. Why the hell would I come to the Apple store to look at a picture of an iPhone? I have this tool called the Internet where I can pleasure myself to iPhone pics all day if I cared to. I explained Im looking at the iPhone on display which Apple has hooked up to some headphones, but hes insistent Im not allowed to. What the hell? And employee finally comes over and says theyre trying to setup a line there or something, and led me to a different iPhone. At this point I was pissed off and left. Then I went back in to try to speak to a manager who the original employee claimed he was. Nothing but derision as I explained they might want to train their security guards to be a bit more cordial to customers. If I wasnt so invested in the Apple ecosystem, this experience would significantly sour me on the products, and if I were on the fence - Id more seriously evaluate Android / Windows. Fortunately for Apple, my livelihood is dependent on them, so that simply means I wont go to this location anymore and will have to make the trek to Manhattan Beach or the Grove now. But really, this location can be replaced by yet another Starbucks for all I care.

WA

WalkOn DogWalks

the 1st day the iPhone 6 came out it was about 100 degrees outside and there was such a long line. People were waiting for like 3 hours! Apple staff were running around handing out these ginormous umbrellas and bottles of water to everyone. i do just love all things apple--so this is my bias. ive always gone to the Promenade Apple Store for purchases and other help. I love the experience, the people watching, the btw incredible dog friendliness, the slight chaotic euphoria that seems to go along with all things apple and the people who love them. i love the new store, the airport hangar vibe, the light, the space, the vibe. all things apple. yes. oh, and i didnt wait, on that 1st iPhone 6 day, in the long long line in the heat--not for very long anyway. i did share a ginormous umbrella with a very nice Russian (I think he was Russian?) man, who spoke not a word of English, and his wife. We smiled at each other a lot and nodded, unified by our shared love of apple. And i went in the store and handled the 6 and the 6+ and decided after all that the 16 gig 6 would be plenty good enough for me--since after all I will also be buying the watch the second it comes out. two days later i called the promenade store and was able to order and pay over the phone and walk in the store an hour later, (they texted to let me know ready for pick up) wait about 20 minutes in a line (with my dog) and collect my bright new beautiful new (space gray) iPhone 6--all shiny, bought and paid for. i think thats just incredible service and excellence. above and beyond the incredible design, craftsmanship, technology, engineering. i wont even go into the memories of taking my recently deceased mother into the Promenade Apple Store, years ago now, to buy her an iPhone. How incredibly patient, polite and helpful everyone was. And my mom came to love, understand and rely on her phone, even through dementia and cancer. why does apple attract so many haters? it makes me feel very loyal and protective of them--like apple needs my help. lol. well maybe not. but apple has made my life better, truly & i love them.