Long time Apple user considering leaving Apple

[Kevinm78]

I have been using Apple products since I bought my first Mac in 1986. I have owned dozens of Macs, every iPhone, Apple Watches, iPods, iPads and numerous other Apple products.

But recently I'm getting disgusted by the way I'm being treated by Apple. There seems to be an arrogance from Apple, which has been steadily growing and affecting the way they treat their customers.

Two recent examples. Upon entering an Apple Store a customer now needs to check in and get in line even to get a simple question answered. Yesterday I asked if they had stainless steel Apple Watches in stock. I needed to be placed in the line to speak to a rep. 15-20 minutes later I was told, "Oh no, we don't have any series two watches in stock." I needed to wait in line to get this information?

I bought a black stainless steel Apple Watch with a black Milanese loop band. When I got home I discovered the band was too long for my small wrists. I would rather have the black activity band. But even though they had the activity band in stock, I couldn't simply exchange the bands. This makes absolutely no sense. Apple got a $750 watch returned, lost the sale and lost a customer because of this inflexible policy.

I'm sure Apple can get away with this arrogance as long as their products are hot. But history shows this never lasts forever. And if a loyal Apple customer is getting disgusted with this treatment, imagine how the casual customer feels. I'm looking forward to a better solution.

Any ideas?

 

[I7guy]

Do you think your entitled to preferential treatment or are you bemoaning that Apple as a company has to change with the times?

 

[bgro]

Why not just check stock online and save the trip?

 

[chabig]

I bought a black stainless steel Apple Watch with a black Milanese loop band. When I got home I discovered the band was too long for my small wrists. I would rather have the black activity band. But even though they had the activity band in stock, I couldn't simply exchange the bands. This makes absolutely no sense. Apple got a $750 watch returned, lost the sale and lost a customer because of this inflexible policy.

You bought a product that consisted of several parts all together. You can't just change your mind and return or exchange part of it. No retail operation works that way.

 

[tbayrgs]

I have been using Apple products since I bought my first Mac in 1986. I have owned dozens of Macs, every iPhone, Apple Watches, iPods, iPads and numerous other Apple products.

But recently I'm getting disgusted by the way I'm being treated by Apple. There seems to be an arrogance from Apple, which has been steadily growing and affecting the way they treat their customers.

Two recent examples. Upon entering an Apple Store a customer now needs to check in and get in line even to get a simple question answered. Yesterday I asked if they had stainless steel Apple Watches in stock. I needed to be placed in the line to speak to a rep. 15-20 minutes later I was told, "Oh no, we don't have any series two watches in stock." I needed to wait in line to get this information?

I bought a black stainless steel Apple Watch with a black Milanese loop band. When I got home I discovered the band was too long for my small wrists. I would rather have the black activity band. But even though they had the activity band in stock, I couldn't simply exchange the bands. This makes absolutely no sense. Apple got a $750 watch returned, lost the sale and lost a customer because of this inflexible policy.

I'm sure Apple can get away with this arrogance as long as their products are hot. But history shows this never lasts forever. And if a loyal Apple customer is getting disgusted with this treatment, imagine how the casual customer feels. I'm looking forward to a better solution.

Any ideas?

First...I'm not apologizing for Apple's retail customer service. No doubt you felt the service experience was up to what you'd come to expect from Apple. Some counter points you might considering though:

1) Apple Stores are now far, far busier than they used to be years ago. Apple wasn't always one of the largest providers of mobile electronics and computers and the iPhone the best selling phone. More people now use Apple products than ever before--which means more customers in the store and more customers with problems. I visit my local store probably at least once every month or two and it is always swamped. The 'check-in and take a number routine', while maybe tedious, helps ensure they don't have neglected customer's standing around.

2) Regarding the watch, have to say I agree with @chabig. You're expecting Apple to do what no other retailer would do. Considering how many dozens of combinations of watch case/band you could put together, it's impossible for them to offer each individually as a packaged set. Yes, it would be more customer friendly if they from the outset let customer's construct their own set by purchasing the case and then choosing a band...but they haven't and expecting them to break apart every watch set is unrealistic.

I'll agree in that I don't think service at Apple retail stores is quite at the level it used to be but, I think that's primarily due to point number 1 above. However, I still think their service is far and away better than any other retail service--by a long shot.

If you are going to leave Apple because of lacking, in-store customer service, where are you going to go instead? Assuming you live in the US, you're going to be hard pressed to find anything else close. For smartphones you're either dealing with carriers or Best Buy, while your choices for other hardware (computers, smartwatches, streaming products) are limited to big box retailers like Target, Walmart, or Best Buy. Otherwise, you'll be purchasing online.

 

[ceva321]

Online purchase is hard to beat, no crowds, no lines and packages are always delivered to your home.

 

[Hanzu Lao]

I have been using Apple products since I bought my first Mac in 1986. I have owned dozens of Macs, every iPhone, Apple Watches, iPods, iPads and numerous other Apple products.

But recently I'm getting disgusted by the way I'm being treated by Apple. There seems to be an arrogance from Apple, which has been steadily growing and affecting the way they treat their customers.

Two recent examples. Upon entering an Apple Store a customer now needs to check in and get in line even to get a simple question answered. Yesterday I asked if they had stainless steel Apple Watches in stock. I needed to be placed in the line to speak to a rep. 15-20 minutes later I was told, "Oh no, we don't have any series two watches in stock." I needed to wait in line to get this information?

I bought a black stainless steel Apple Watch with a black Milanese loop band. When I got home I discovered the band was too long for my small wrists. I would rather have the black activity band. But even though they had the activity band in stock, I couldn't simply exchange the bands. This makes absolutely no sense. Apple got a $750 watch returned, lost the sale and lost a customer because of this inflexible policy.

I'm sure Apple can get away with this arrogance as long as their products are hot. But history shows this never lasts forever. And if a loyal Apple customer is getting disgusted with this treatment, imagine how the casual customer feels. I'm looking forward to a better solution.

Any ideas?

I have an idea. How about you cut back on the entitlement.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If I were the OP I would complain to Apple about this particular store. I can walk into the Apple Store in Cardiff and ask about stock and product availability without needing an appointment at the Genius Bar. It sounds like the people working in that one were rather lazy.

 

[kasakka]

You bought a product that consisted of several parts all together. You can't just change your mind and return or exchange part of it. No retail operation works that way.

Exchanging it for the right combination should be possible. I've never bought a regular watch and have the seller refuse to replace its strap or have it sized to fit my wrist.

Having to wait in line to get a simple question about availability answered is just ********. I agree about complaining to Apple about that particular store.

 

[macrem]

Upon entering an Apple Store a customer now needs to check in and get in line even to get a simple question answered.

In every Apple Store I visited around the world, I have always been pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to talk with an employee. For more involved technical questions, you may be referred to the genius bar. This seems to be standard practice. It might be worth contacting Apple to mention this particular store's unusual practice & troubles it causes. Apple might not be aware that a particular store is working this way.

This paragraph and next are going to be anecdotal (I also want to vent)... recently I moved to an area which has no Apple Store, in my current area I have to go through resellers (the same kind of place you'd go to for Androids). I tend to go to the #1 consumer electronics reseller in Europe, where the standard practice is by design always as you described: just the other day I went to ask if there were any iPhone 7 Plus' in stock. (Incidentally was informed I could just call to get this info, which is a joke as whenever I've called after getting past the recorded menu options, the phone just rings and rings until it hangs up, regularly with this electronics store.)

Back inside the electronics store, finding an employee to answer a question is most often tricky business. I found an employee who was already talking with a customer and luckily no one else was in line waiting for him, so I was up next! They kept talking and talking for what seemed like 15 minutes. While talking they took a stroll to look at a product on the shelf. Then the customer walked away and the same employee knowing I was waiting patiently all this time just started helping another customer who happened by. This kind of thing happens all the time. These non-Apple stores have no one to refer people with complex questions to.

I bought a black stainless steel Apple Watch with a black Milanese loop band. When I got home I discovered the band was too long for my small wrists. I would rather have the black activity band. But even though they had the activity band in stock, I couldn't simply exchange the bands. This makes absolutely no sense. Apple got a $750 watch returned, lost the sale and lost a customer because of this inflexible policy.

I'm sure Apple can get away with this arrogance as long as their products are hot. But history shows this never lasts forever. And if a loyal Apple customer is getting disgusted with this treatment, imagine how the casual customer feels. I'm looking forward to a better solution.

Any ideas?

I don't know of any consumer electronics company that would offer the level of service you're asking, it might seem like a fair solution but logistically it's too much hassle. I'm not surprised they would take back a $750 sale rather than give you an accessory for free (which no one is authorized to do) and be stuck with a band that's unpackaged/used/unsellable by Apple Store. If you feel strongly you might want to write Apple and say that a high end watch seller would likely do this sort of thing for a customer, so Apple should think about offering something similar. But I wouldn't expect an Apple Store employee to make this decision.

If Apple doesn't offer a package with the watch and band you like (not just out of stock), I would either get the watch you wanted with the least expensive band and then buy the other band as an accessory, or keep the original package and sell the Milanese band (which probably has a higher resale value than a new activity band). If you really wanted the watch, I would not let such a thing get in the way.

 

[vikingjunior]

Trying walking into 5th ave NYC store and wanting to ask a question, the AW3 would be out by the time you get a answer.
Some stores are a little crazier than others and hence have different policies.
Give it a week and your little resentment towards Apple will pass and you'll be back on the iPhone forums.

 

[Khalanad75]

If I were the OP I would complain to Apple about this particular store. I can walk into the Apple Store in Cardiff and ask about stock and product availability without needing an appointment at the Genius Bar. It sounds like the people working in that one were rather lazy.

I doubt they were being lazy. I know my local store in Roseville usually has the customers outnumbering the staff in about a 9:1 ratio or so. it's non-stop busy from the time they open to the time they are shuffling the last customers that have been helped out the gate past closing.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I doubt they were being lazy. I know my local store in Roseville usually has the customers outnumbering the staff in about a 9:1 ratio or so. it's non-stop busy from the time they open to the time they are shuffling the last customers that have been helped out the gate past closing.

I think all Apple Stores are busy, I am yet to visit one that isn't. The ones in the UK have staff walking around with modified retail iPads that allow them to check stock levels remotely. I have never had to book an appointment or wait in a queue for a simple enquiry to be answered. In busy times you might have to wait 5 minutes but it's never bad.

 

[Michael Goff]

You're contemplating leaving Apple, that makes products you like, over logical store policies? Is this what I'm getting?

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

You're contemplating leaving Apple, that makes products you like, over logical store policies? Is this what I'm getting?

The way you say that reminds me of this