My recent Apple Store experience wasn't too magical

[AppleTech22]

After recently being mesmerized by the new MBA's, I decided to sell off my MacBook Pro and get a new thin machine. After calling up nearly every bestbuy in my area, I determined that no best buys had stock of the 256 13" model. So off I went to the Apple Store. I am a huge Apple fan, but strangely enough I have never actually bought anything in the Apple Retail Stores. I have been in them, but never made a purchase. So as a person who is very familiar with the Mac system, I was just going to quick pick it up and do everything myself. That's when I found out about the iQueue. I go up to a completely clueless employee who is just simply chatting with customers and not really doing anything to tell him I am ready to purchase a new air. Then he typed my into his "super" iPhone, and told me it would be about a 15 min wait. I was fine with that, until it turned into 45 minutes. I was just sitting on top of the MacBook Air table trying to piss em' off a little bit when finally I talked to this other shopper who said he just wanted to simply get his new iPad 2 and go, he had been there for more than an hour. Every employee I was looking at was just mingling with first time Mac buyers who need help on how to click on the internet. Finally a repair guy who said that the wait was ridiculous came and helped me and we finished my purchase in about 3 minutes.

So after setting my new Mac up and everything I thought that the Apple Store should implement some kind of iQueue for people who know what the hell they are doing and just want to grab and go.

Anyone else have this problem or is it just my store. If this is going on everywhere, Steve get your ass in those stores and figure something else out.

 

[andrewlgm]

I had a Wi-Fi issue with my Macbook. I scheduled a time to go into the store (main store on 5th ave in NYC), got there 10 minutes before my scheduled time. A store employee signed me in and I literally sat on the floor by the left wall and waited. After a 40 minute wait my name had not yet appeared on their screen, so I called someone over and told them I was leaving and filing a complaint. They immediately took me into the genius bar.

That was the only bad experience I ever had. Also had issues with my iPad 1 the first month I got it. The tablet wouldn't connect to any network, video playing made it restart, etc, so I took it in without an appointment, it took approximately 10 minutes and they exchanged my iPad.

Sometimes they're just too busy, or just an employee who's a dumb... and doesn't know what to do, but I find it to be the most enjoyable experience when it comes to shopping. I like it better than almost every other store. In my view, only Amazon with prime shipping beats it.

 

[Surely]

I had a problem with the iQueue as well.

I went to buy an iPad 2 back when they were hard to get. They had the model that I wanted in stock, but they told me that I had to be put into the iQueue in order to buy it. "Don't worry," he said, "no one can buy that iPad 2 before you, and there's no one in the iQueue ahead of you that is buying an iPad 2."

I waited 10 minutes, and started to get annoyed. I flagged down the guy that originally helped me and complained. He went into the back to get that iPad 2.....and, yep, it was sold to someone 5 minutes before that. That was the last one. Coincidentally, the guy buying it was standing next to me, and heard me groan. "I'll sell it to you for $1,000."

I spoke with the manager, who apologized, took my name and number, and promised he would call me as soon as the next iPad 2 shipment arrived. That was 3 months ago. I'm still waiting for his call. Jerkoff.

After that experience, I called 1-800-MYAPPLE, and spoke with a rep. He was very understanding, apologized, and tried to help me locate another iPad 2 nearby. As an apology, he shipped me a free SmartCover of my choice....I picked the black leather one. Great recovery by Apple.

I'd advise you to call Apple to let them know what happened. Perhaps if enough people complained, they'll fix their stupid iQueue system. Plus, they might throw a freebie your way.

 

[AppleTech22]

Looks like the same kind of thing is going on all over, I simply went up to the manager and said "this is ********, that employee told me 15 minutes and I see all of the others expect that guy(pointing to different employee) standing around and chatting with customers. I will take at most 5 minutes with my purchase and if I don't have a MacBook Air in my hands in the next 15 minutes I am going to file a complaint and advise others of my experience". Then I was helped.

Amazing, I'm 14 and I know more about simple retail business than the idiots at my Apple Store. Bravo to the two guys that helped me and the manager for bustin ass after I had said that. I guarantee that employee that originally booked me down got a little talk at the end of his shift.

The guy that was buying the iPad 2 simply yelled out into the store, is anyone going to help me! He was told he was next when he signed in, one hour later.

 

[macingman]

I'm 14

That may be the reason why pherhaps the initial employee that served you, thought you weren't a genuine buyer and just playing a prank or something. Most 14 year olds don't go in and buy airs. No offence, it's happened to me before this exact situation so I wanted to say it as a possibility.

 

[danpass]

Interesting. When I got my MBP I had to find an employee that was available (Dadeland store is always busy lol).

But once I did and told him what I was looking for, he quickly typed in some stuff in the nearest computer, kept chatting me up (mostly to try and sell me Applecare) and another employee handed him the box about 3 min into our conversation.

Apparently a quick text message of sorts is what he sent haha.

 

[nylonsteel]

re "magical"

steve says aapl product is magical - not the service

"cold shot..." - SRV - 1995

 

[tootall]

When I was a PC user, I went in an Apple store to find out if I could sync data across Macs. I explained that I need to use for work at least 2 different computers and syncing data was a deal breaker...

I met several different "ranking" geniuses that were all baffled by such a request and informed that it was impossible!!! I knew they must be wrong because I had been doing that with my PC since the mid 90's.

A few minutes on Mac Rumors confirmed what I thought, several application were available for the Mac (Chronos Sync, SuperflexibleSynchroniser, etc.). I find the Apple employees not very helpful, the real geniuses hang around these kind of forums...

 

[KPOM]

The retail stores are a mixed bag. In general, I have found that the lower-traffic suburban stores are often better at providing actual service, but even they sometimes get so busy with demos and people trying things out that it can be difficult to just go in and buy something.

I think part of the issue is that the associates don't really learn how to sell. Apple is one of the few companies whose products routinely draw long lines, and the stores in tourist locations (e.g 5th Avenue in NYC) are nearly always teeming with people, and it just takes a small percentage of the actually buying something in order for the store to generate decent sales numbers.

I like your idea of an "iQueue" for people who know what they want and just want to buy it. That said, there are some strategies for getting service. When I purchased my MacBook Air last month, I arrived at 5th Avenue around 8:00am on my way to the office (i.e. before the tourists got there). Even then, I had to flag someone down, but I was in and out in about 10 minutes.

 

[Tiggs]

As the person who helped you said it was an abnormally long wait, seems you were just unlucky. My local store took under 5mins to grab a new laptop when I was just there and tried the new iPad queue system.

 

[Patriot24]

I can't say that I have had a bad experience, but I have had to wait from time-to-time to be helped. I understand that they are busy and that folks are assisted in order of being put into the queue. If I need help or to purchase something, I typically try to pick a time when I know it won't matter if it takes an hour. Trying to squeeze a laptop purchase into a lunch hour never works.

 

[Jagardn]

I find the Apple employees not very helpful, the real geniuses hang around these kind of forums...

But it also has the opposite end of the spectrum.

 

[wordoflife]

When I went to buy my computer, I just found a guy in a blue shirt, told him I wanted to order, and he helped me immediately. He didn't go anywhere, he was ready to take my order. I'm not sure what this iQueue system is but I'm guessing I wasn't put on that. I still don't like buying stuff from there because the process was still very long after he was trying to make me buy onetone, applecare, etc.