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Incompetent Geniuses?

E

easy-mac

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 14, 2008
90
1
Be warned, this is a rant.

I am seriously beginning to question the competency of the Geniuses at the Apple Store. My problem isn't so much with their knowledge level or abilities as computer technicians, but rather with getting things done when they say they're going to.

Back on January 7 I take my wife's i7 iMac to the Genius Bar because it is flickering. The Genius is very helpful, runs a few tests and concludes that the graphics card is bad. I knew it probably wasn't that simple, but why not give it a shot right? So he tells me they have to order the parts and they'll be in in a few days.

The next day I get a call, my parts are in and I can bring the computer in to get it fixed. That night I take it in and they tell me it'll be ready in 48 hours. Fast forward a week and I still haven't gotten a call that my computer is ready. I call them and ask when it'll be ready and they tell me they have the parts in and I can bring my computer in any time! My jaw just about hit the floor. Apparently the computer was placed on the wrong rack and they hadn't fixed it yet, so they tell me they'll get right to it. 3 days go by and again I hear nothing so I call again and would you believe it, they tell me the same thing! I can bring my computer in any time! This time they guarantee me that it will be ready the next day and tell me they're starting on it right away.

The next day I get a call saying that they have done the graphics card replacement, but upon testing the problem is still there (surprise, surprise), but they're going to order me a replacement iMac and in the meantime I can come pick my computer up and keep it until the replacement arrives.

At this point it had been about 10 days since I had taken the computer in and I was a little frustrated because they had promised it in 48 hours, but I was happy they were trying to take care of me and make up for it. Now things really get annoying.

On Sunday afternoon I call asking for an update about my replacement. The person who answers the phone took my name and then puts me on hold to go check. When he comes back on he tells me that they didn't get their shipment on Friday, but it'll be here Monday and they'll give me a call to come pick it up. Well Monday comes and goes and there's no call. So today I call to ask if the computer is there and if I can come pick it up, and you won't even believe what they tell me, "The graphics card is here and you can bring your computer in any time to get it fixed!" I told him that they had already replaced the graphics card, it didn't work, and I was supposed to be getting a replacement computer. Apparently there's no record that a replacement was ever ordered. So this Genius took my name and phone number again and said he would have the person who handles replacements call me tomorrow to straighten everything out.

At this point I'm just fed up with it. I've been waiting 2.5 weeks for a replacement that apparently was never ordered, the whole time dealing with ever worsening screen flickering and blackouts. When they did the repairs the first time they put a large scratch on the back of the computer and a couple of dents on the top and lower lip, and didn't reset the glass evenly, but when they told me I was getting a replacement I didn't really bother to pursue it. Now I'm afraid that'll come back to bite me since they haven't ordered a replacement and might say that they won't because of the new graphics firmware update. I haven't had time to test the computer since installing the update, but when I get home tonight I'm going to put it through some serious paces to see if it still flickers.

I know the guys that work at the Genius Bar aren't perfect, but is it too much to ask that they just do what they say they're going to do? I think I've been reasonable up to this point, but if they refuse to replace the computer what should I do? Should I call AppleCare or go even higher? I'm just ready for this frustration to be over. Anybody else have an experience like this? What did you do?
 
Which apple store/country is this?
Pretty lolz story. Imo you wouldn't be being an arse if you went down there and started shouting and making a scene.
 
Incompetent Geniuses, is this like a Oxymoron? lol

I think pretty much the same goes everywhere,
a competent IT person > Mac Genius/Geek squad whatever...:rolleyes:
 
Yes please which store is this so I know to avoid at all costs if near me! Incompetence is an understatement with that kind of service.
 
Forget the store management, I would call Apple Customer Relations and tell them what you've been through. I had issues with the Apple store repairing my 24" iMac, they did the actual work, but they ended up messing up the fan in the process and could never get it right again. After multiple repairs I just didn't want to deal with getting fixed again so I contacted Apple customer relations and they were very helpful and replaced my 24" with a 27" iMac.
 
Ok, so I just got off the phone with the person who orders the replacements and he said that the replacement was ordered, but it is still on backorder for 2-3 weeks :( I asked him why I keep getting told to bring my computer in and he said they keep the repair ticket open until the issue is resolved, but for some reason there was no note about the replacement on the ticket. He told me to ask for him directly if I had any more questions and that I will receive a call when the replacement arrives.

I guess I can understand this to a certain extent, but I still feel like I'm getting the runaround for some reason. I guess one positive that will come out of this is that my Apple Care will be reset from the time the replacement arrives, so I'll get a couple more months of coverage.

For those who are interested, this is the Apple Store at the Summit in Birmingham, AL. Overall I've had some very good experiences with their Genius Bar, but this is the first real problem I've had with any of the 7 Macs and 4 iPhones that either I or my family has owned. I can't say this detracts too much from my view of Apple's customer service because every time I talk to somebody they're very polite and courteous and apologetic, but I do wish they would keep better notes about what's going on with repairs. Now if two or three more weeks go by and I still get the same responses I got before that's another thing, and I'll go to Customer Relations, but for now I'll wait patiently and hope everything goes smoothly from here on out.

Out of curiousity, has anyone ordered a replacement i7 in the last 3 weeks and received it yet? If so, how long did it take?
 
Geniuses my A__! They are pathetic. And never mind dealing with the manager. I went in with a third defective iMAC and he was asking the 'geniuses' for help. He didn't know what was going on.
 
geniuses are as smart as you or I, honestly.

I took the same exact training coursework as all the geniuses. You can purchase it from the apple.com store. It's called, "applecare Technician Training" and it gives you access to everything the geniuses have access to. All the tech manuals to take apart EVERY SINGLE current mac, portables, desktops, you name it.

The manuals are all pretty idiot proof too. It will say something like, "make sure you do this before doing this, and don't forget to do this after doing that, and make sure to carefully blah blah blah."

I just got my iMac repaired, and to my dismay, when I brought it home and used it for about a week, I saw on my iStat pro and SMCfancontrol that the optical drive fan was reading a big fat 0 for rpm speed. This made me very mad. I know the tech manual says not to forget to replug in the fan! Also, they gave me a new optical drive and when I put in a disc, it makes a loud grinding noise. Like what the hell apple, you gave me a defective 'new' optical drive?

Yes, the geniuses are just like you and I, but most are more stupid. Oh, and they don't know ANYTHING about computers. All they know is what they have read in 'applecare technician training.'
 
Elaborate

Yes, please do...

I am not a fan of the whole genius concept. The two times that I have actually went in and talked to them I have walked away feeling dirty. There is nothing like having someone who has half a clue talking down to you like you know nothing.

I will never buy a computer from an Apple store. I do all of my research and buy online. The only thing that I use the Apple store for is to get a hands on when new hardware comes out.

The main thing that I applaud the store for is the incredibly good experience when it comes purchasing something. I can go in, spot the least "knobbiest and normal" looking person in the store, tell them what I want and get checked out without having to stand in line at a counter, I also really like the whole bit of having the receipt e-mailed to me. The last time I was in the states I was very impressed with the iPod touch cradles that allowed them to swipe my card. Very cool.

To be quite honest, the whole Apple store feel almost makes me embarrassed to own a Mac. A high percentage of the people that work there put forth the whole hipster douche-bag front that makes me want to puke. It's almost the same experience as eating at TGIFridays...
 
NiuFengLe said:
Yes, please do...

I am not a fan of the whole genius concept. The two times that I have actually went in and talked to them I have walked away feeling dirty. There is nothing like having someone who has half a clue talking down to you like you know nothing.

I will never buy a computer from an Apple store. I do all of my research and buy online. The only thing that I use the Apple store for is to get a hands on when new hardware comes out.

The main thing that I applaud the store for is the incredibly good experience when it comes purchasing something. I can go in, spot the least "knobbiest and normal" looking person in the store, tell them what I want and get checked out without having to stand in line at a counter, I also really like the whole bit of having the receipt e-mailed to me. The last time I was in the states I was very impressed with the iPod touch cradles that allowed them to swipe my card. Very cool.

To be quite honest, the whole Apple store feel almost makes me embarrassed to own a Mac. A high percentage of the people that work there put forth the whole hipster douche-bag front that makes me want to puke. It's almost the same experience as eating at TGIFridays...
Click to expand...

You've walked away feeling dirty? That's strange in itself...You just state that you like the operational side of the store, e-receipts, not standing in-line for a purchase, etc., then you dump on it in the next paragraph where the store makes you embarrassed to own their product. I don't see your correlation really.

These are sales people, and yes, you will find them in any retailer from clothes to computers. If you don't like the experience, then yes, you have the option to stay at home on a Saturday night, drink your mountain dew, play video games, and order everything online, with the occasional moonlighting at your local Apple store so that it gives you another excuse to post on this board.

Good luck with that...
 
cmvsm said:
You've walked away feeling dirty? That's strange in itself...You just state that you like the operational side of the store, e-receipts, not standing in-line for a purchase, etc., then you dump on it in the next paragraph where the store makes you embarrassed to own their product. I don't see your correlation really.

These are sales people, and yes, you will find them in any retailer from clothes to computers. If you don't like the experience, then yes, you have the option to stay at home on a Saturday night, drink your mountain dew, play video games, and order everything online, with the occasional moonlighting at your local Apple store so that it gives you another excuse to post on this board.

Good luck with that...
Click to expand...

Apparently while you were psycho-analyzing me you did not take notice that I said when I talked to the "Geniuses" I walked away feeling dirty.

As to my statements about being embarrassed to owning their products it's because of the facade that is thrown on at the stores: The majority of the people that I have had to deal with at the Apple stores seem like they would be more suited to working at Abercrombie & Fitch. It's just my personal opinion. Although, when I think about it the people at Best Buy are not much better. It's also my opinion that researching online before making purchases is best. Getting the insight of people here on the message boards and reviews on other websites is better than trusting someone at one of the "box" stores like best buy or for that matter the Apple store.

Like I previously said. The Apple store "system" is excellent. Great buying experience in regards to process, but the hipster crap leaves something to be desired. The Genius bar, also leaves something to be desired.

And no, I am not a part time Apple store employee. Games, every once in a while I like to indulge in a game or two but it's not my life. Soda is crap, will rot your teeth out. What I am is a professional, and I use my Apple products for engineering and analytical purposes.

Lastly, where the hell do you find the "correlation" between posting here and working at an Apple store?
 
Every time I've taken an Apple product in for repair or diagnosis it has been repaired or reset at no cost to me and that includes out of warranty items.
 
I hate the apple store's. It like they are trying so hard to be 'cool', it looks so un-natural.

Yes the computers are expensive but why does that give them the right to charge more for simple accessories?
 
i7QuadCoreMania said:
I think pretty much the same goes everywhere,
a competent IT person > Mac Genius/Geek squad whatever...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
It's a real shame that competent IT people won't work for a Genius/Geek Squad salary.

If I had to guess, 30% of a Genius' day is involved doing actual repairs. The other 70% is spent interacting with customers at the bar. This is where most competent IT people would fall apart, IMO.

NiuFengLe said:
To be quite honest, the whole Apple store feel almost makes me embarrassed to own a Mac. A high percentage of the people that work there put forth the whole hipster douche-bag front that makes me want to puke. It's almost the same experience as eating at TGIFridays...
Click to expand...
I guess location has a lot to do with that. In my area, we don't have hipsters in general, so I guess it's no big surprise that the local Apple Store isn't full of employees putting on that front.
 
Its like all walks of life, you'll get those who are very good at their job and those that are less so. I think more people get frustrated with IT techs these days because there's so much info out there on the web which the Geniuses for example, may never have seen. I'm sure most Geniuses don't spend ages on these forums for example, trawling through threads like the iMac yellow tinge problem. But then maybe Apple should encourage their Geniuses and support people to do so because its quite disappointing to call Apple and hear tech people saying they're not aware of things like the yellowing problem when there's a 100+ page thread about it on their own support board.

Having been an ex-tech when I was starting out, I do find it incredibly annoying when they try to fob you off with excuses or explanations which are clearly false thought. If they don't know the answer, they should just say so, I think its better to be honest than make up a load of bs.
 
I've been very lucky!

I've been very lucky indeed! I bought my first iMac back in January (actually my first Apple Computer), and it has worked flawlessly. I did sign up for One to One, and after four lessons, I have always felt that the folks teaching the classes were very qualified. This is at the Wellington, Florida Apple Store, very good people. I have not had to deal with the Genius Bar, nor have I had any problems with my computer. Nevertheless, if I had gone through the kind of experience that Easy-Mac had, I would be seeing red as well. I wish him luck, and hope he gets his replacement iMac, and that it works.
 
aristobrat said:
It's a real shame that competent IT people won't work for a Genius/Geek Squad salary.

If I had to guess, 30% of a Genius' day is involved doing actual repairs. The other 70% is spent interacting with customers at the bar. This is where most competent IT people would fall apart, IMO.


I guess location has a lot to do with that. In my area, we don't have hipsters in general, so I guess it's no big surprise that the local Apple Store isn't full of employees putting on that front.
Click to expand...

it's not the salary, most IT people don't want to deal with users. i sit near our helpdesk people and people are always coming over with stupid questions. the latest trend is people buying Android phones and coming over asking for push email. i also set up a daily report for people that shows the last day's failed logins, account lockout's, etc. it's unreal how many people can't type a password in correctly. or even remember one
 
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