7 Confessions Of An Apple Macintosh Specialist
It was a dark and stormy night, and the Consumerist team was hunkered down at HQ poring over leads. Suddenly, we heard a ruckus coming from the alley. Footsteps, followed by the sound of breaking glass and a cat crying out as if to say, "OMGWTF?" We ran out to see who it was, but by the time we got there they were long gone. Only the noise of faint footsteps could be heard dissolving into the distant hum of the night. I glanced down and spotted something on the ground. As I knelt down to pick it up I saw it was a tattered white envelope bearing the words, "7 Confessions of an Apple Mac Specialist." Its contents, inside...
7. iPods have two fixes. Resetting and Restoring.
If both of those features do not work, your iPod is trash. Unless it's under warranty or you purchased AppleCare, then they will give you two options. First is to trade in your iPod for 10% off any model (except shuffle), or they will give you out of warranty replacement, Which usually means that you will pay around $100-$250 depending on the model you purchased.
6. We have 4 things that we will try to sell you when you purchase a computer.
AppleCare, of course, is your extended 3 year warranty, we are told to sell it as a service plan, but it does not do ANYTHING extra, but extend your warranty, and does not cover anything extra. .Mac is a ripoff unless you use the web site hosting. ProCare has to be the biggest ripoff. All this does is upgrade your AppleCare for one year. It has a little perk for business uses, but otherwise useless. Lastly, One-to-One training, which is the best deal in the store.
5. If you have a return outside of the return policy we will most likely take care of you.
If it's sealed we'll take it back, and open, if you speak to a manager and plead your case, they will most likely take care of you no matter what.
4. We do not know ANYTHING about when some product will come out.
And we aren't allowed to speculate on anything that isn't on apple.com. We can get fired if we even tell a customer that a 3G iPhone might come out.
3. Apple Employment: If you want full-time, do not get into this company.
To be full-time, it is a recommendation that you be with the company for a year or more. The shifts are horrible, and they typically have more than 100 people working in a single mall store. For part-time you can get anywhere to 4-20 hours in one week, very very unreliable."
2. Why we will ask you for your e-mail at checkout.
This is for two reasons. One, we will send your receipt to your email, and two there is a survey at the bottom of the email. This leads to the store being ranked on what is called detractors and promoters. The company takes an average from the surveys and ranks us. 10-9 is a promoter, 8-7 is a "passive" and 6 below is a detractor. Which leads to the next confession.
1. If you fill out the survey and rank us 6 or lower, a manager will call you the same day or the next, corporate policy.
They usually will ask why you had a bad experience, and offer to make it better, usually by discounting something or another for you. These are directly related to the salesperson who checked you out, so we get our asses reamed when we make a detractor. Also, If you complain to a manager, nothing usually gets done, it goes in one ear and out the other. Buy something very small, have them email your receipt, and fill out the survey. The management will wait on you hand and foot. Oh, and return the product.
(Photo: madmarch)
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Comments:
Well until this gets changed to "anyone can rate a store" then the last line seems to be some of the best recourse.
I never thought .mac was a rip. I use it all the time.
Very interesting and useful information, especially about the survey on the receipt. Still, one of the few "confessions" that makes it more likely to do business with a company.
these sound more like tips than confessions.....don't they?
Procare is not entirely useless if you are a "pro"...actually.
Also I would bet it depends where you are in the country - ie your location.
I'm in NYC and had my video card die. I work as a video editor off the machine (at home - just me and the mac) and was in the middle of a job.
here's the thing I found with the procare. they may not FIX it faster (i don't know), but they will diagnose it with 24hours. I was almost sure that it was the video card but if it was the motherboard, then I was in trouble.
Either way the faster I know the issue, the faster I can act and get my ass to another machine OR know that it's a 30 second card swap.
My location was a factor (nyc) as they were swamped and the diagnosis was (without procare) up in the air. This was before the last 2 stores even opened, so it was intense over at the SOHO store. Add that to the fact that even bringing the thing in was a hassle. (it's NYC - i am not insane so I don't own a car)
But I would guess for the 'normal' owner it's not huge advantage.
Ouch. That detractor policy seems like a recipe for denial-of-manager attacks on a store :)
Once I found a perfect Boston area shop that does AppleCare repairs in-house (rather than your system getting shipped out to some remote depot they keep your system inhouse and ship in the parts) I've been very happy with AppleCare.
I go through macbook pros like mad (typically one per year) and gift the used one to family members. Giving them a year-old laptop with 2-years of Applecare remaining works out really well.
Combine Applecare with a Renters/homeowners insurance policy and you are covered even from your own stupidity. I tripped on some stairs and smashed a laptop screen that would have been about $1K to replace - fully covered by my renters insurance.
The other tip left off this list was that Apple academic pricing is better than even apple resellers get. The price difference is not worth it for low margin items like ipods but you can save many hundreds on laptops. Taking occasional evening classes at a local university counts as you only need to provide an institution name and your student ID.
I have always had wonderful service from the Apple Store. Sounds like they need to treat their employees better. That is disappointing.
I am also a former Mac Specialist and have a few bones to pick with this.
AppleCare is a fantastic deal. It extends your physical warranty from 1 year to 3 years. If your machine needs to be repaired ONCE in years two and three, your purchase was worth it. Repairs are expensive. Additionally, it extends your phone support (which covers a lot, iTunes, iMovie, Mail, etc) from 90 days to 3 years. Great for new users and folks who don't want their parents to be calling them 3x a week.
.Mac is very meh, but good for new users who want to click one button in iPhoto to send pictures to their grandkids or whatever. It can be useful to the right people.
Be very very nice to Geniuses. They have final say on if something gets repaired out of warranty. If you bitch too much, you'll get nothing.
So you get shitty service and in order to have someone listen to you you've gotta buy something? I think the logic here is that it couldn't have been that bad if you buy something. In past retail jobs I had the manager would blow you off if you called the store and complained. Now if you had the balls to complain to their face they'd do anything to keep you happy.
@Jordan Golson: Sorry dude. That is a rip off. Pay with an Amex and if something breaks within 3 years they'll refund the purchase price.
ooh, I wanted to post this a long time ago but the whole confidential disclosure thing scared me off (I remember signing lots of pages). I wasn't familiar with the survey thing (new this year?).
#1 is true (during my time I was the "trifecta" king, and shudder at the thought of .Mac)
don't get me wrong, certain things that you can attach when you buy a computer can be helpful, but buy them only if you need them and can take advantage of them.
With that being said, I always advice getting Applecare with your computer (laptops especially) no matter what
I have had Macs since 1985, and I've had AppleCare since the program started. A couple of times, I've had repairs done beyond the cost of what I paid for the computer. The people who work for AppleCare are nice, very smart, really know their stuff, and take care of the problem -- in my experience...and as a newspaper columnist who spends every day pounding her computers (an iBook and a 20-inch iMac) you could say I'm a serious user.
Apple needs to start offering something like Dell's CompleteCare. I fear for my PB every time it leaves my desk.
I got the AppleCare with my PB...my HDD died and I used it...but unfortunately my options were send it in or use CompUSA...next time I'm sending it in (thank god CompUSA went under, THAT was a horrible experience).
Which brings me to another point...Apple needs more stores. I'm not driving 2.5 hours to an Apple Store. 2nd largest city in GA, and no Apple Store for ~120 miles.
I disagree entirely that AppleCare is not a great deal.
AppleCare is a wonderful deal, even more wonderful if you are a Mac-knowledgeable family member of someone who buys a Mac.
My father in law is on the phone with AppleCare all week. Every one of those phone calls represents time he isn't asking me questions like---I unplugged my Mac mini to move it, plugged it back in, and now it isn't on. What do I do? "Turn it on." "But I plugged it back in." "There's a button on the back, press it." "Oh, I didn't know there was a button." "Hey, can you please call AppleCare with questions like these, instead of me when I'm in the middle of a deposition?"
God bless AppleCare.
Not to mention that Apple's machines are so tightly packed and integrated that just about any repair costs more than AppleCare.
We've had .mac since the start, and we're quite happy with it. Mostly we use it to host our photo pages, and yes, I could find a place to do that cheaper. The ease of clicking "publish" and moving to the next thing is worth it. I think they hump you a bit on the 2nd email address.
I like the sync functions as well.
As far as Apple treating their employees well or poorly, they must at least treat them fairly- go into a place that treats their people badly and you can usually tell.
I'm also a former Mac Specialist, and one of the main reasons I quit is that I can't in good conscience push AppleCare, ProCare, and all that BS on people.
Usually, they're already stretching their budget to include an Apple computer instead of some cheapass Dell, and the computer will do plenty to try to force them
Although the retail experience is far better at Apple than other stores, they risk ruining it with forcing employees to push high-margin, low-value items like these.
Oops! I meant to say the new Mac will do plenty to let them know of the "value" of .Mac when they boot up for the first time.
Booting up for the first time is like this:
"Enter your personal information.
Want .Mac? No? Really? Are you sure?
Are you sure you don't want .Mac? Really sure?
FIne, enjoy your computer, jerk."
Interesting, seeing as how I plan to buy an iPhone today.
And yes, I know the 3G model is right around the corner, but my *brand new* Sony Ericsson broke after a three-foot fall. I'm going to give this iPhone to my fiance when the 3G model comes out. I hated this phone from the start, and i don't want another piece of shit.
@chrisdag let me know next time you need a new one...id be happy to buy it off you for a reasonable price
@TehViking:
did you have a jingle whenever someone bought *just* .Mac?
::does a little truffle shuffle::
"selling naked dot-mac"
Apple is the only company that I enjoy calling when I have a service problem. Their employees have some personality. Twice I've had Apple employees check out my web page after talking to me on the phone, which I got a huge kick out of. Just all-around decent.
I also use .mac and like it enough to pay for stuff I know I could get cheaper elsewhere, but the total system integration is really nice. I actually think the web hosting is the least of the package, not the best part.
@Amy Alkon: Yeah, AppleCare has more than paid for itself on two laptops for me. A replacement monitor by itself is more than what I paid for AppleCare.
@stupidjerk: I think that's the point of the confessions - I think too many readers take it personally ("OMG, these people are mean! And they don't care about customers!"), but knowing how they think and operate is more than half the battle.
@pastabatman:
Eactly. ProCare gets you express service at the bar, and yearly tune-ups on your machine. It's just that most people don't need this.
It does not, however, have a damn thing to do with AppleCare.
For point 7: Yes, you can fix an iPod by either resetting, or restoring, but you can at least attempt to salvage your data before wiping the drive.
Try putting your iPod in hard disk mode ([support.apple.com]) before doing a complete reset. If it syncs up with your computer, then you may not have to restore. Also, you can navigate to your music folder, and save your music files. They are named with cryptic names, but you can still get the files. And if you upload them back to your iPod after resetting, iTunes will still know the names of all your files.
There was a salesman at the SF Union Square store who had the WORST body odor ever. I actually had to turn my head when he was checking out my items to catch a breath of fresh air. I couldn't figure out how his co-workers could stand it. So I guess I should have rated the store a 6 then told the manager what was what when they called. Next time.
for point 7, the figures might be a little off. i had a broken and out of warranty ipod that they offered to replace with an identical model (30gb 5th gen) for $60. even though the current base model is 80gb, i still feel like $60 was a pretty good price.
also, the 10% discount does not apply on the iphone either. this might be obvious to some, but it is an ipod model to an extent.
@TehViking: While .mac really isn't too bad since the update, for the first year I worked there it hadn't been significantly updated in a seriously long time, and was mostly a joke to anybody who knew what they were talking about.
@discounteggroll: Dude nothing beats the naked trifecta: "Hey, I bought a computer yesterday from so-and-so, and forgot to get those extra things, the imac (everybody calls .mac imac, dunno why), the warranty, and those class things."
Clearly a fraudulent posting. A real Apple person would use a glass-cutter and wear a black cat-suit. Because that's how they roll: it's the attention to detail that counts.
Breaking a window?! Making a ruckus?! How... PCish!
PS: and the cat would have been petted, and a saucer of milk left behind. A PC tech guy would have tried to impregnate it. Thinking it was a dog.
In response to #7, regarding IPod replacements, I'd like to share a contrary experience I've had.
I dropped my IPod in the parking lot to my 9-5. Result: click of death, goodbye hard drive. I called apple support or whatever its called and informed them that I was starting a business and we used several macs and I myself had a new Mac Pro (both true, but noone checked up on me, I could have been lying). I told him I had messed up my IPod and that their superior support in this matter would supply me with a reason to continue ordering Mac products, and that I considered myself and other small studios like myself to be very valuable customers. The associate was very friendly, called in a higher-tier support staff, and set me up with a mac store appointment with a "note about my situation" attached.
Long story short, I walked into the store, told them my name, and they immediately replaced my IPod for free, no questions asked. This same strategy worked for getting free repairs on my Mac Pro and several of my partners in the studio have had similar luck. Note that all of these cases required a call ahead of time to apple support.
Moral of the story:
With Apple, I find that providing a gentle reminder that they are still vying for market share while simultaneously presenting yourself as a supportive, faithful, but important customer helps your situation incredibly. Try it.
@workingonyourinvoice:
my attach rates were the highest in the area (somewhere around 105%/97%/91%), but I don't think I EVER had a naked trifecta. I did get some pretty impressive stuff (i.e 3 procares on 1 computer). naked .Mac sales ruled. naked procare sales got you on the genius' and creatives' really good side (I won't get into detail about that)
I like dot mac. I just wish I could edit calendar entries via a web interface and then it'd sync to your computers and devices when attached.
I've been using dot mac for years and I find it absolutely invaluable -- especially if you have other Apple products.
There's no faster way to publish movies and photos -- great for me and also new people I introduce the Mac to.
I manage 6 different sites and blogs easily within one iWeb application, all with one-button publishing to my .mac site, and all with different masked URLs.
Many mac lovers like having a .mac email address -- I know I do.
My Apple TV can access my own as well as anyone else's .mac photo and movie galleries -- impressive on a big screen.
There are also many new third-party software companies that integrate dot mac into their product for sync/publish/backup.
But the most crucial feature for me is the sync feature. All of my bookmarks, contacts, calendars, keychains, mail, and even dock settings and computer preferences are sync'd between my home and office macs and my desktop. It's like working on only one computer no matter where I am, and that is awesome.
For $99/year? Or $69 if you buy a Mac. Sorry, I think that is a GREAT deal.
@discounteggroll: The naked trifectas (or quadfectas after the intro of 1-to-1) is really bad karma though, as you're probably snatching the metrics from the person who sold the computer. You just hope they were stupid and didn't properly pitch the stuff...
As much fun as ARS was (worked in the highest volume store in the region) I am soooo glad to be out of retail.
Disagree about AppleCare. I've been a Mac user since the first Mac, and always tell the Apple people first of my loyalty...AppleCare has saved my butt twice over the years.
As to AppleStore employees, many young people do not have old-fashioned values of "customer is always right" or "customer comes first...not employees". Apple's emphasis on CUSTOMER care leads people to think that the employee is not the king...and they are right. Keeping the customer the king is a major reason for Apple's success...and my loyalty.
Been a Mac household since Lisa. Tried MS, didn't like it. Now learning Linux so I'm not hog tied to Mac. In any case, Mac CSR has been 'mostly' helpful, and dayum they've tried my patience on occasion. But then, I detest where customer service in general has degraded to since the days of an actual human telephone operator on the other end of the phone who knew your neighbors and the first name of the local sheriff.
Big ... is the problem.
When I learned DotMac was not an Apple company but a vendor under their name, I exited. It's probably useful for those people for whom it is useful, as per the above comments, but I don't like dealing with hide-and-seek corporate whack a moles when it comes time to face who's on first.
I use .mac for the web hosting, email, online backups and "back to my mac." iChat... not so much.
I think it is a good value for me. YMMV.
"7. iPods have two fixes. Resetting and Restoring."
and also:
www.ifixit.com
Used it to replace a bad headphone jack on my 5th gen.
Apple Store Quote: $150
Bought a new jack for $25 with shipping, opened ipod with a credit card, replaced, and presto--problem fixed.
@Jordan Golson: Yeah, got a link to that Bevill? I just bought an MBP -- with an Amex -- and I believe the deal is that they will extend the warranty an additional year beyond any existing warranty, extended or otherwise. So if you buy AppleCare, then the warranty will be 4 years.
Also, I told the guy at the store, when he asked me about buying AppleCare, that I would buy it from Amazon for $50 less, and he was surprised that that was an option.
Agreed.
When I needed help from Apple, I have gotten nice, helpful people at both the Apple Store & Apple Care. They have been nothing but excellent. (And I have never worked for Apple).
Personally, it seems Consumerist has a personal bias against Apple, or maybe it's just me.
He should have mentioned that ProCare is specific to the Apple Store you buy it at and cannot be used elsewhere.
@ionerox: Not really express service. It just makes it easier to reserve a slot.
Doesn't mean that you don't sit around waiting for 2+ hours after your time (yes, this has happened to me... I left after the store had closed, and my problem was a dead hard disk and I knew it and the guy knew it -- 90% of the time we spent working on it was writing up the repair order).
The store really needs to stop making people wait for 2+ hours.
Sounds to me this guy just wanted to vent. A shame too.
@Jordan Golson: I totally agree, I purchased an iMac g5 when they were still on the newer side. My apple care just ran out last december. I had it repaired at the apple store as well as having a tech come to my house and replace the hard drive and logic board at one point. No clue how much that cost but I'm going to venture a guess that it was quite a bit.
I also utilized the phone support quite a few times...
I would absolutely buy it again.
@Bevill: Really? So ANYTHING I buy if I get an Amex has this policy? I can buy a cell phone, drop it 2.5 years in and get a new one free? Really?
Is that why they charge you a fee to have an Amex?
What kind of "EXTRA" do people expect from AppleCare? Its an extended warranty. Its clear from the website and the box that its an extended warranty. Is this guy claiming he's pushing it as something more than an extended warranty?
Anyways, I've never bought AppleCare, but it seems like a decent enough deal, esp. for notebooks.
For some reason this article makes buying Applecare sound like a bad idea. Let me repeat what I've told... god, a million people?
BUY THE APPLECARE.
Apple care is a good deal, and I'd say essential if you get a hard-drive based iPod. Google made .Mac obsolete, I only use it for the iDisk, but this is the last year I give Apple $100 for a semi-useless feature.
Interesting, and hopefully no people take advantage and purposely complain to try and get a discount.