Apple University Village

Reviews 3

GI

Gideon D

I work in Seattle, My 27" IMAC hard drive broke. I know whats the problem since I spent 3-hour following the online diagnostic. I called before taking my computer in for service, they said I do not need an appointment I can just drop it off. I told customer support that I just want to drop it off get it fix and pick it up when I get back in Seattle. When I got there they were not happy that I showed up without an appointment. I told them I had a conversation with your customer support and I told them what I require "Drop it off pick it up when I get back, I have a flight to catch that day". Since I argue they got a technician to look at my IMAC. I told the technician I have very limited time I just want to drop it off, bad hard drive needed replacement. The technician said cant do that they have to do a diagnostic to make sure that the hard drive is bad. He started showing me all these things that I do not care for, its all technical to where hes started talking like I now what they are talking about. 50 min later since I came into the store, the technician told me. "Your hard drive is bad and needed a replacement" I looked at him thinking, I could have saved 45 min. Waste of my time and your time. Before I left I told them I do not live in Seattle I will be back for work on March 8 and will pick up the computer on March 9. They said thats not a problem, just let them know when I receive the email. A couple of days later I receive an email that my computer is done and I need to pick it up before Feb 28, I called immediately and let them know that I wont be back in Seattle till March 8 I will pick it up on March 9. They said no problem just call couple of days before picking it up. March 7 I called to let them know that I am coming on the 9 and would like to know if I can pick it up at 9 AM. The person in the store first response is " You should have picked it up before march first". I told him someone in your store told me to call a couple of days before picking it up, I told them that I will pick it up March 9. Then I ask him if I can pick it up at 9 AM I have a tight work schedule that day. He said "YES" March 8 I called again to make sure I can pick up my computer on March 9 @ 9 AM. The female that I talk to said "YES" March 9 I called Lyft to take me to Apple store in University Village. I got there at 8:45 AM. I stood by the door for 15 min. @ 9 AM I saw some people in the back, trying to get their attention, I tried opening the door, its still locked. They just looked at me. I know it said on the door they open at 9:30 am thats why I called ahead to make sure I can pick it up at 9 with no problem. Well, they did not open the door till 9:30 and the first thing they ask are the annoying "Do you have an appointment? I told them what Im there for, as much as possible I just want to be in and out, while waiting I realize I need another gadget for my iPhone. (HDMI connector) I saw 3 employees chatting on the corner I approach them and ask for assistance, they looked at me as if they are annoyed that I bother them, the other employee decided to assist me, gave me the gadget that I need, I did not see enthusiasm, like look I am selling you this expensive stuff. Even though I left with my computer fix I am not satisfied the with the people and process they have in that store. A bunch of snubs, mostly the women, the men are more gentle. That is from my experience.

AM

Ambrose Follows

I called the store to schedule an appt to transfer my pictures and music from my old MacBook Pro to my new one. I had already inquired about this when I bought my new laptop and told definitely. I was rerouted to a national Apple service center, told them what I wanted to do, and they scheduled an appointment for me at the Genius Bar. I arrive at my 7:30 appointment, was seated at a waiting table, where I continued to wait for >30 minutes. I overheard another person at my table complaining that it was an HOUR past her appointment time. So, after 30 minutes, I revisited the service agent checking people in and said that it was that far past my appt time and no one had given me a status update, let alone tell me that they were running late in the first place. She said it would be "10 more minutes" which is what they had been telling that other person at my table during her wait. The whole point of having an appointment is to NOT have to wait as long as a walk-in customer! I reschedule my appt. for the next morning and left. Back the next morning, checked-in, sat at the Genius Bar for 25 minutes passed my appointment time (it was only 10am). The rep finally gets to me and is confused "You dont need a Genius Bar appointment for this" and passed me on to another rep at a drop-in table. THAT rep told me it wasnt possible to just transfer music and pictures, by that they could do a total data transfer from the old device to new one, contradicting what my original salesperson AND original appointment scheduler had said. I said fine thinking that I would just delete old docs that I didnt need anymore. Picked up my new laptop the next day and OMG was it screwed up! My brand new MacBook Pro. Awesome. I then spent MORE THAN 2 HOURS on the phone with Apple Technical Support trying to correct the problems that I was immediately aware of. I dont have enough space here to tell you everything that stopped working or the inane overwrites they did. WHY would you remove the modern Numbers/Pages/Keynote and replace them with the 2009 versions?! Thats RIDICULOUS. I cant tell you how awesome it is to spend that long on the phone trying to fix my own new laptop immediately after picking it up from the store. Its now the next day, and I just spent another 30 minutes on the phone with Apple Technical Support fixing another problem that required a reset; they totally sympathized that the store agents routinely eliminate basic functionality needlessly and that a ton of the calls they get are from customers trying to correct a problem caused by the store. Apple- your products are amazing. Your customer service and in-store technicians are the WORST EVER. Time to remodel.

C

C Steen

I have a MacBook Pro--out of warranty--the power cord that was original to it just snapped in half one day--just in the normal course of unwrapping it from the block; there was obviously a defect. That cord was replaced free of charge when I was in NYC--NO QUESTIONS ASKED! (Kudos to the Manhattan store personnel.) A couple of weeks ago, I smelled something burning and couldnt figure out where it was coming from --it turned out to be my power cord--the same exact spot that snapped on the first one. After a quick search I discovered that I was near this store so I went in over the weekend; I got nothing but a terse response from the Genius I talked to--"youll just have to buy another power cord over there on the wall--things wear out." Things DO wear out, but there seems to be a flaw in this product; she just didnt want to hear it -- at all. I took extra care with THIS cord since the original one just snapped at this weak point--now this one burned up. Its an $80 power cord, btw. My husband has also had problems with his power cord for his newer Mac; when it was just barely under warranty---yes, ONE day left on the warranty and the cord just quit working ---that one, too, was replaced free of charge--but only because it was still under warranty. One might get the idea that they have a big problem with power cords--particularly since my husbands was only a year old. At least his didnt start burning! Our family has owned LOTS of Apple products and weve watched quality deteriorate over the last few years; its been sad to watch. Up until recently, theyve always had excellent customer service--even when they couldnt fix a problem-- but this woman had such POOR customer skills that Ill be moving away from Apple products altogether. The Surface has come a LONG way in the last two years; Im impressed enough to give them another try. And I wont be buying another power cord from Apple either. Ill make other arrangements for work, rather than give them another penny after how terribly I was treated at this store.