Terry writes:
I work in an IT dept at a tech company in Utah and we have about half Apple computers and half PCs. We had a 17″ MacBook Pro with a bad hard drive, so I sent it in with AppleCare and got it back within a couple days. They sent it back with a new hard drive, a new battery, and a broken keyboard! There was tape covering the tab, caps lock, and shift keys and when I lifted it off, the caps lock key came with it! (see picture)…
Also, many of the keys around the caps lock key were very sticky. So, one of the repair techs probably spilled something on the keyboard and then tried to clean it off, but took out the caps lock key in the process. So, I called them back and they were great! They said they wanted to make it up to me by giving me some free stuff. The rep offered me an Apple shirt, or a hat, or some software. I considered Adobe CS3 Premium, but figured that was pushing my luck. My wife wanted The Sims 2 for her MacBook, so asked for that. The next morning, it was at my desk! Apple has 2 new very impressed customers.
Apple once again demonstrates the 3 stages of good customer service when something goes wrong
1. Apologize
2. Fix problem for reals
3. Offer item of material value to show you’re really sorry.
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The Mac has games?
On a more serious note though, did they actually fix his problem or merely compensate for it?
Thanks Apple! What if Microsoft did stuff like that in the XBox 360 department? No way.
and i assume they fixed the keyboard too? it would be hard to play the new sims game if your keyboard was still broken
The part that impressed me most is that they let you pick. Most of the time, freebies are things that the company already has lying around and they can just toss in a box to send you; in this case, not only was there a significant expense involved, they had to go to the trouble to pull out a copy. Even if Apple keeps the game on hand (I have no idea), it’s a great customer-service move.
@octoSink: Actually they did do that, did you by chance see the response to the kid that had his 360 wiped of all it’s glorious signatures and drawings? Don’t be an asshat.
Wow…a 3 year old game…great consolation!
@outinthedark:
To be fair though, it’s not often one has a choice with regards to what they get.
Still wanting to know whether they actually fixed this; the problem sounds gross.
@nyaz: I’ve always wondered: What exactly *is* an asshat? Is it a hat for your ass (body part)? Is it a hat an ass (you know, like a donkey, *hee haw*) would wear? Or is it a hat in the shape of an ass (body part or animal)?
@EWGF: Wow, that snark is really getting old, and not true as you well know.
You got lucky that they didn’t send you a Windoze copy of Sims 2.
@Buran:
What are you referring to as snarky?
If it’s compensation, I’ve had terrible experience in the pastand assumed it was normal until I found this site.
If it’s regarding whether they actually replaced/fixed the keyboard, I’m not trying to be at all.
@outinthedark: If you read the post, you’d see that the OP specifically asked for that game. He probably would have gotten a newly released game if he asked for it. Jeez.
I think Apple’s awesome, and this even further proves my point.
Wtih?
@FightOnTrojans: I always figured it meant someone wearing their own as a hat. As in, head up their… y’know.
@jurijuri: Does that suddenly make it worth more? I checked and they released a “complete” collection bundled with 4 or 5 extra expansions. And I did read the damn post. Jeez.
@EWGF: Agreed. You don’t always get a choice it was good of them to make the offer. Just should have gotten more I think. 3 y/o+ software has been in the bargain bin for a while.
@outinthedark:
You acknowledge that the OP specifically asked for that to be their compesation, then continue to complain that Apple should have given more?
thats crazy, that they would do that. do an eecb
so did they fix the keyboard?
I had to send my macbook away and they sent me a free copy of IWork for my aggravation.
Wow you all are lucky. When I had an iBook serviced once it came back with a nonfunctional keyboard. It looked fine, just when you pushed keys it would not register anything. Called Apple Care and they said in the last repair they probably tore the keyboard connector. But it was an old iBook and the last repair had taken nearly a month for a part. It would take some time to get a keyboard for this old model as well.
They did not send me any free stuff. They did offer to provide me a temporary iBook or USB keyboard but I would have to pay shipping for either of those options and a 10% of retail price fee for the temporary use of the iBook. I just sent the old one in and waited another three weeks.
How is that at all acceptable to a company? When our company has problems with Dells, we call and they are out the next day with parts to repair the machine. Not going to be in the office, no worries I’ll meet you whereever you are at. Sorry, having to give up my computer for 3 days at minimum to get a keyboard fixed is NOT at all acceptable. This isn’t a fanboy issues this is providing corporate level support.
When I got my iPod touch it was factory tampered with. I was on the phone for over an hour with their tech support. To compensate me (I was nice the whole time actually) they gave me a $100 Belkin Tunecast II. That’s incredible service right there.
I was the one who submitted the story – to answer everyone’s questions, they did fix the keyboard. The best part was that they overnighted the game (it actually came before the new shipping label) and I was personally contacted by a CSR who gave me his direct e-mail and phone number.
@octoSink: “What if Microsoft did stuff like that in the XBox 360 department?”
My 360 RRoDed 2 weeks ago. I sent it back, get it repaired and then it sat in the depot for a few days. I emailed support asking why it hadn’t shipped back yet. I got a pleasant email apologizing for the delay, my xbox 24 hours later and a free month of live gold.
I thought that was nice.
Asshat = condom. No idea where that came from.
@Jaysyn: Ben’s keyboard is broken, too.
I LOVE SIMS
Is it really ethical to accept a personal gift from a vendor as compensation for a wrong done to your employer?
@EWGF: The old and tired “mac has games” snark, which you know isn’t true.
@FightOnTrojans:
I don’t really think it matters what an asshat is. I think the point is that it is so awesome to say/write.
ummm…you realize you spelled WITH wrong in that post header…right?
Jeez, ben, at least proofread your HEADLINES. It’s bad enough the articles look like they are written by monkeys sometimes, but the headlines too?
Ha ha ha!!!!
They sent the Sims 2?
Now your computer will REALLY be broken (EAxis rocks like that).
Visit moreawesomethanyou.com when you figure out how completely borked the game is.