"Customer mentioned Consumer Law"

[mijail]

I recently took my MacBook to be fixed to the Apple Store here in Australia (because of sticky keyboard issues). When the Genius got my data, I noticed a checkmark in the form he was filling in his iPad; it said something like "customer mentioned Consumer Law".

Any idea of what exactly is the purpose of that checkmark? What would happen if I had mentioned it?

 

[DeltaMac]

Pretty sure that service is immediately denied if you mention customer law. No business wants to hear that.
The shop will ban you forever, even if they mark that block unintentionally.

yeah, not really...

That kind of data would usually be used for statistical data (answering the question "What percentage of our service customers mention customer or consumer law?" or something similar. Having that on the customer input form would make that information easily available.

 

[mijail]

That kind of data would usually be used for statistical data (answering the question "What percentage of our service customers mention customer or consumer law?" or something similar. Having that on the customer input form would make that information easily available.

But the question remains: what for? Why specifically pay attention to whether customers mention Customer Law?

Or do you mean that Apple likes keeping statistics just for statistics sake, and they care about Customer Law as much as about my height?

 

[DeltaMac]

As with any statistics, the value is in how data are used.

I suspect that Apple doesn't care how tall you are, but they might care how often consumer law is brought up.
If you actually brought that up in an Apple store, and if you have an issue that might be covered under a consumer law, perhaps the law requires that bit of information to be a part of the customer record, and perhaps the Apple store has no choice in the matter, assuming that you brought up the subject.
The law, from what little I know about it, is there to protect you, as the customer.
I am thinking that you might feel some comfort in knowing the store keeps a record of information relevant to your service questions. Asking about consumer law, and your rights usually should mean that you are a knowledgable consumer.
So, Apple ticks the box.

Why not ask your question when you next go to your Apple store?
All I have are a few semi-educated guesses.

 

[mijail]

Thank you for your guesses, but yeah, they are not helping much.

They clearly want to keep track of who / how many people *mention* Customer Law when bringing something to be repaired - that is why the have a checkmark, of course. They clearly care about the customers being knowledgeable. That much is easy to guess.

The problem is, why? I can only think of ugly reasons to track this. Are they going to be more careful if I mention it? Are they going to treat me worse if I don't? Are they checking how much leeway they have to be nasty before people notice? The Genius didn't explain anything about Customer Law himself. And Apple has had problems with Customer Law before, same as they did in Europe .

So yeah, next time I go there I will ask. But I keep hoping for someone to know something concrete.

 

[DeltaMac]

I think you are over-thinking this a bit...
There's a tick-box on a customer entry screen.
It either gets ticked, or not, apparently depending on some interaction with the customer.
I can't accept that ticking a box determines the "mood" of the discussions, and that someone has to, somehow, be annoyed now because there is a box ticked on a screen.

I did notice that you did not say that you were poorly treated at your last visit, only that you saw a checkbox, and now your confidence in the store seems affected, and for no good reason that I can see.

In the end, it is probably not the shop's responsibility to educate a customer about consumer law. The shop only has to comply with the law, and it's on YOU to have some awareness that you might have an issue that would fall under that law's protection.
And, filled up with knowledge, you ask. And, assuming that you are accurate about what you saw, the shop would tick that box, as a result of a discussion with you. I don't think you can read anything more into it, than that... It would be similar to the other form entries that normally happen with a service request.
So, it would appear that the repair shop wants to keep track of the fact that you asked about that, and that may be a requirement on their end. Maybe that's the reason. Not a bad reason, IMHO.

 

[mijail]

I think you are over-thinking this a bit...
There's a tick-box on a customer entry screen.
It either gets ticked, or not, apparently depending on some interaction with the customer.

Yes, that's an excellent retelling of what we already repeated multiple times.

I can't accept that ticking a box determines the "mood" of the discussions, and that someone has to, somehow, be annoyed now because there is a box ticked on a screen.

Unfortunately, I can't see how what you "can accept" or not matters at all.

I did notice that you did not say that you were poorly treated at your last visit, only that you saw a checkbox, and now your confidence in the store seems affected, and for no good reason that I can see.

I didn't mention whether I was poorly treated because that has nothing to do with my question.

My question was about why does Apple care about whether customers mention Customer Law.

<guess, guess, guess>

Thank you again for your guesses. Now if you don't mind I'll keep hoping for someone who has an actual answer.

 

[Tech198]

But the question remains: what for? Why specifically pay attention to whether customers mention Customer Law?

Or do you mean that Apple likes keeping statistics just for statistics sake, and they care about Customer Law as much as about my height?

Apart from Apple just knowing, there would be no point, as Apple already knows, and publicizes "on their own website", so the link here could be "differences in how Apple interprets it, and how the law actually is" would be the reason for the checkbox.


The only reason Apple wants to know is because they are admitting (in secret) that their ARE in fact differences. That would make more sense than just stats for no reason.... They need the info for something always.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Given your attitude I'm almost positive no one here will provide a satisfactory answer unless they've recently quit working at Apple.

 

[mijail]

Given your attitude I'm almost positive no one here will provide a satisfactory answer unless they've recently quit working at Apple.

If attitude is what I need to stop the unsatisfactory guesses and get some realistic answer, I've got lots!

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

What did Apple say when you asked them what it meant?

 

[mijail]

I will ask when I pick up my fixed computer, hopefully this week. Still, I won't be surprised if the Genius doesn't know or doesn't answer - why, even asking here generates "oh don't worry, it's only meaningless statistics" answers!

 

[ActionableMango]

If you get an answer from the Genius Bar, please come back and share it. Thanks.

 

[OLDCODGER]

I wonder if it is due to Australian law giving two years warranty, not just one?

 

[steve62388]

It could be something that works in your favour.

I have had a couple of problems over the years with different Apple devices that were initially declined free repair. When I wrote letters that clearly showed I was aware of my country’s consumer laws, they relented. Was Apple breaking the law when they first refused to rectify the problem? Maybe. By making it clear I was prepared to go to small claims to find out, they would have made the assessment it wasn’t worth their time, money, precedence and bad PR to risk losing.

 

[mijail]

It could be something that works in your favour.

I have had a couple of problems over the years with different Apple devices that were initially declined free repair. When I wrote letters that clearly showed I was aware of my country’s consumer laws, they relented. Was Apple breaking the law when they first refused to rectify the problem? Maybe. By making it clear I was prepared to go to small claims to find out, they would have made the assessment it wasn’t worth their time, money, precedence and bad PR to risk losing.

Yes, that is exactly the kind of "ugly reason" I said I suspected for tracking that information. And I still couldn't think of any better explanation.

Anyway: I went to pick up my MacBook and asked the genius about the checkmark. He seemed to not know what I was talking about, but allowed me to look at the iPad app, and there we found the checkmark. He seemed a bit lost and mumbled about it being unimportant in my case because I was covered by the guarantee. I tried to press a "what if not?", but he didn't seem to have anything concrete to say.