21–30 of 44 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not for the iPhone itself, but for the account with AT&T or Verizon.
They don't really need the SSN. If they press for it, tell them you're on a visa and you haven't been assigned one. Verizon entered 123-45-678 for mine and it let them create the account :P
this all is largely positive - not really a confession, more bragging... be curious how other customers have fared in the store, for me it has rarely been great http://www.mikolayczyk.com/2010/02/quotes-from-apple-store.h... certainly rings true that they get power hungry and very arrogant as a result
Showing up on-time for your appointment, not being a pain if they have a backlog and you have to wait a few minutes, having everything backed up if possible first, and being consistent and clear in describing what the problem is (at whatever level you know -- you don't need to actually know what the problem is, but describe the symptoms) -- will probably go a long way to getting a better than expected result.
My 3,1 MBP fan broke while I was in Iraq, and I bought a new i7 MBP to replace it. When I brought the 3,1 MBP in the day after AppleCare expired, they were great, and basically replaced the entire system, incidentally fixing cosmetic case, keyboard, etc. damage.
They've been equally good every other time I've gone in with a problem. They also have a great program for business users which gets you expedited service.
My only complaint with the AppleCare service model is that it's not so great outside the USA.
The thing I found most interesting about this article was actually an omission. The hiring process at Apple retail is the most insane thing I've ever experienced. First fill out the application in store. Then follow up with the manager of the store for weeks on end. Then have a quick interview in store. Then go to a group interview with 50 other people. Then go to a panel interview with 3 others. This process took 6…
> "We usually have to tell them that if they unlock their iPhone, it won't work. That it's going to be like a $700 paperweight, and that the antenna will fry itself on T-Mobile. Of course, that's not true, but that's what we tell them." I didn't know Apple stores have an Evil Genius bar.
Reminds of when Cablevision was first rolling out broadband internet and the tech who came to set it up insisted that attempting to connect the modem to more than one computers would "knock out cable TV for everyone on your block."
Earlier quoted context omitted.
They don't really need the SSN. If they press for it, tell them you're on a visa and you haven't been assigned one. Verizon entered 123-45-678 for mine and it let them create the account :P
Be prepared to put up a $400 security deposit if you have no credit/ssn
this all is largely positive - not really a confession, more bragging... be curious how other customers have fared in the store, for me it has rarely been great http://www.mikolayczyk.com/2010/02/quotes-from-apple-store.h... certainly rings true that they get power hungry and very arrogant as a result
Since the front-line genius bar employees have so much discretion to go beyond the minimum required, it's really worth treating them well. Showing up on-time for your appointment, not being a pain if they have a backlog and you have to wait a few minutes, having everything backed up if possible first, and being consistent and clear in describing what the problem is (at whatever level you know -- you don't need to act…
Yes, be sure to setup a business account, they'll expedite, etc. Plus a meager 3-7% discount over time.
The Public Computers section is really interesting. Homeless people that come in to do webcasts? Kinda cool. People changing keyboard settings to Russian? Pfft, everyone knows the real evil genius is in setting it to Arabic -- not only is it illegible, but the screens are flipped
>eventually get to the Genius Bar that answers the question that puzzled me a bit about that name. In itself it isn't a bad marketing targeted for customers, yet it happens to be also successful marketing targeted at the employees. That's really genius, pun intended, as usually help/support desk is very unpopular, churning job leading nowhere and here they turned the tables and made other jobs leading to it instead.
Sorry that this is off topic, but thank you for saying "pun intended". It sometimes saddens me when people try to cover up a perfectly good pun or act like they are above being amused by puns.
I was always under the understanding that working retail is a pretty unglamorous job.