iPhone X So, a man walks into an Apple store.....

[Pipper99]

It seems like an overreaction, and calling the customers (yeah, he included himself, too, I know), iSheep seems a bit condescending, too.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Agreed. Everyone seems to be so snooty lately. I've always had the option to return at my scheduled time. A customer's time is valuable. There's only so much time you can spend in an Apple store looking at cases and computers until you get bored, that typically happens within 10 minutes...and their chairs/benches are really uncomfortable. Also, I've NEVER had a time at Apple (phone pickup, Genius Bar appointment, regular purchase) that started on time without me having to wait around, so he's probably looking at a time further than 30 minutes away.

Apple definitely can send a text message when his time is nearing, I've had that done plenty of times. They're just trying to get him to stand around and spend more money while he waits.

Good to see somebody else gets it.

All of his tech is Apple and he has no idea about waiting 30 minutes in an Apple Store?

There is something called desire and will. If you are passionate enough about a product, you do what it takes to obtain that product. If you have to wait and twiddle your thumbs for 30 measly minutes. You do it.

My god man. I used to wait in line outside of an AT&T store for 18 hours to get an iPhone on launch day.

Desire and will don't create time.

"My god man", waiting in line for a phone was normal at one point in time. You're not alone, trust me. My issue with this is that I was JUST in an Apple Store that was willing to text people when their turn was coming up. That's been Apple's policy for as long as I can remember.

It wasn’t like he had to wait an hour. It was 30mins and who knows he coulda probably been seen sooner.

Again, there's no way he could have known if that was a possibility. And as another poster mentioned and I can corroborate, waiting past your appointment time isn't unheard of.

 

[Janeilfen]

Well I thought my “rant” would cause a stir. But hey, lighten up. It’s my money and my time. All I was doing was getting it off of my chest. I am not having a go at anyone here. Of course I wouldn’t sell all my Apple stuff, but I also will not now be buying an XS. My beef was the “if you leave the store thing”. It just came across as Apple arrogance.

 

[mollyc]

Would you have preferred to have held the box in your hand and then waited for 30 minutes on line just to check out?

I had a genius bar appointment yesterday and I was early, but they wouldn't even check me in until 10 minutes before my appointment time. It's just how they do things.

 

[maka344]

I’ve never waiting outside an Apple Store at launch and nor will I ever do so but I wouldn’t mind waiting 30 minutes while the queue is dealt with.

 

[MattEcho]

First world problems, tell that to people in the Carolinas who have flood damage and maybe no power still. THAT is devastating, not petty I have to wait 30 min to get my new toy.

This is laughable, I never get this argument. So, because bad things happen to people around the world or people have a lower standard of living, I need to accept crappy customer service? Do I have that right? They should teach this concept in business school...lol

 

[1144557]

This is laughable, I never get this argument. So, because bad things happen to people around the world or people have a lower standard of living, I need to accept crappy customer service? Do I have that right? They should teach this concept in business school...lol

Because other people are dealing with worse things in ife than the incredibly minor inconvenience having to wait 30 min for a new toy and kicking and screaming when they dont get it when they want it.

Crappy CS? Yeh because there were clearly more customers to help than employees so you have wait. Yup, ok. Because there is any retail business immune from that.

 

[Ebok]

instead of getting upset maybe realize why such policy is in place.

perhaps they had people setting up appointments and not returning, causing "reserved" phones to be sitting there when they could have been selling to people waiting.

broaden your mindset and realize things are the way they are for a reason and it's not to piss you off.

 

[simplynando]

Well I thought my “rant” would cause a stir. But hey, lighten up. It’s my money and my time. All I was doing was getting it off of my chest. I am not having a go at anyone here. Of course I wouldn’t sell all my Apple stuff, but I also will not now be buying an XS. My beef was the “if you leave the store thing”. It just came across as Apple arrogance.

I actually ordered my iPhone XS Max online at Best Buy and they delivered to me the same day (using their courier service) and it only took about an hour and I never had to leave home. I also added AppleCare+ that I'm paying for monthly. I didn't even know that was an option! Plus, I made some reward points at Best Buy off of my purchase. That's honestly a much better experience than anything I've had at Apple.

 

[Macalway]

Best just to be cool, always. How about it when to do crap to you 'deliberately'? I get this a lot actually. People are people. If they are miserable, they might want you to be.
They will try to get reactions. Now in this instance that's not the case, and yet there's this petulant reaction. Imagine if they wanted to mess with you? What kind of fit would ensue

Incompetence, meanness, crazy, lazy, I see it all.

Have a nice day

 

[Diorama]

Or, you know, being able to go get a coffee or a muffin while you wait for your time to come up. It makes absolutely no sense for you to lose your spot in the queue if you leave the store.

Until you come back 25 minutes after your slot, and throw a ****-fit because ‘I’M A PAYING CUSTOMER!’, demanding to be seen before the people who have been patiently waiting because ‘I WAS HERE FIRST!’.

Not you per se, but people like that are why we can’t have nice things.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I always order online for in store pickup. They email me when the order is ready, I set an appointment and go to the store at the designated time. Never had one problem using this method in several different cities and locations..

 

[m0sher]

Or you can just go with android that doesn’t have any stores, anywhere and you have to have some stranger come over to your house instead when It’s best for him not you.

Pick your pioson but Apple customer service hands down is better than anything android can provide you, so even though it may not be perfect it’s definitely better.

 

[gurase]

It's fair that they have to wait their turn, but if they are giving out appointments why make people stand around in the Apple Store? That's just bad policy.

Exactly....what is the point of giving a time slot if they aren’t going to attempt to honor it? Just say it’s first come first serve at that point.

 

[ectospheno]

egged on by his wife, who insists she buy him a new iPhone XS for his significant birthday. They look at the phones and play with them. They notice there are very few staff about, but lots of people just standing around as if waiting for a bus. They decide to approach the member of staff who is manning (womaning in this case) the front door. She explains to them that to buy the XS, they have to be given a time slot. They are given a time slot of half an hour from now, and it will expire half an hour after that. Fair enough, so we say we will go and do some more shopping and return at the allotted time. She says if we leave the store we will not be seen when we return. WTF! So now they realise why all the people are standing around, apparently not waiting for a bus, but waiting to give Apple heaps of cash. We are not happy with this Apple attitude and told the staff member to cancel the appointment and left the store.
Now I must tell you that I am an Apple person. All our tech is Apple, if at all possible. We like Apple products and are (usually) prepared to pay some of the extortionate costs involved in having those products. But you know what, that experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I would sell all our Apple kit and go over to the other side. Or would I?
I wonder if all those iSheep are all still herded together in the store? And yes, I am probably an iSheep as well.

I believed you until I hit "iSheep". You were doing so well until then.

 

[Diorama]

Exactly....what is the point of giving a time slot if they aren’t going to attempt to honor it? Just say it’s first come first serve at that point.

I think you’ve misunderstood what happened.
A queue is first come first served. That’s really the essence of lining up, forming a queue, or taking numbers. It’s to ensure that the first to come are the first to be served.

The only issue here is that you can’t leave the store. I’ve explained the probable reason for this, but let’s look at the two options here:
A) wait in a physical line, shuffling forward one foot each time a customer is served
B) be free to walk around the Apple store, check out the MacBooks and watches etc, and still be served in your fair turn.

Option C, where you take a number and come back for your slot, is going to cause issues.
For example, you can’t predict how long it will take for the five customers ahead of you to be processed. What if that guy isn’t eligible for IUP? His 30 min appointment just became 5 minutes. Where are you? In Starbucks half way across the mall. Great. When you come back, and see that customer “21” is now being served, and you are customer “19”, you are going to get worked up, angry etc. Not worth dealing with.

 

[5105973]

So you’re not going to get an XS now...at all?

Oh well, happy birthday. I hope you enjoy whatever it is you did get.

It is definitely a strange experience shopping or getting service at an Apple Store these days. You never quite know how it’s going to turn out. I think they’re still experimenting and seeing what works. I am constantly getting surveys from them after I’ve visited.

 

[GloriousAndrew]

I came in here expecting a funny joke.

I was completely disappointed.

 

[Appurushido]

egged on by his wife, who insists she buy him a new iPhone XS for his significant birthday. They look at the phones and play with them. They notice there are very few staff about, but lots of people just standing around as if waiting for a bus. They decide to approach the member of staff who is manning (womaning in this case) the front door. She explains to them that to buy the XS, they have to be given a time slot. They are given a time slot of half an hour from now, and it will expire half an hour after that. Fair enough, so we say we will go and do some more shopping and return at the allotted time. She says if we leave the store we will not be seen when we return. WTF! So now they realise why all the people are standing around, apparently not waiting for a bus, but waiting to give Apple heaps of cash. We are not happy with this Apple attitude and told the staff member to cancel the appointment and left the store.
Now I must tell you that I am an Apple person. All our tech is Apple, if at all possible. We like Apple products and are (usually) prepared to pay some of the extortionate costs involved in having those products. But you know what, that experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I would sell all our Apple kit and go over to the other side. Or would I?
I wonder if all those iSheep are all still herded together in the store? And yes, I am probably an iSheep as well.

Were you planning to buy the phone outright? Or a sim-free version? The past two times I'be bought phones I have just paid for it by Apple Pay on the Apple Store and did picked a up, or better yet, after looking at the phone in the store, I bought it on my phone and just waited for a rep to bring it out. Easy as pie.

But if you were doing a carrier plan, that is another story.

 

[gurase]

I think you’ve misunderstood what happened.
A queue is first come first served. That’s really the essence of lining up, forming a queue, or taking numbers. It’s to ensure that the first to come are the first to be served.

The only issue here is that you can’t leave the store. I’ve explained the probable reason for this, but let’s look at the two options here:
A) wait in a physical line, shuffling forward one foot each time a customer is served
B) be free to walk around the Apple store, check out the MacBooks and watches etc, and still be served in your fair turn.

Option C, where you take a number and come back for your slot, is going to cause issues.
For example, you can’t predict how long it will take for the five customers ahead of you to be processed. What if that guy isn’t eligible for IUP? His 30 min appointment just became 5 minutes. Where are you? In Starbucks half way across the mall. Great. When you come back, and see that customer “21” is now being served, and you are customer “19”, you are going to get worked up, angry etc. Not worth dealing with.

I completely agree that with a number system like that, it’s reasonable to expect the customer is present when their number is called, otherwise they lose their spot.

In this case they were given a specific time slot AND a specific time that slot expired. What is the point of having to wait in the store for that? Just set the phone aside for the allotted time, and if they don’t pick it up, sell it to the next person. If the store has no idea how long each transaction will take, they shouldn’t take appointments.

 

[scrappygolucky]

I think you’ve misunderstood what happened.
A queue is first come first served. That’s really the essence of lining up, forming a queue, or taking numbers. It’s to ensure that the first to come are the first to be served.

The only issue here is that you can’t leave the store. I’ve explained the probable reason for this, but let’s look at the two options here:
A) wait in a physical line, shuffling forward one foot each time a customer is served
B) be free to walk around the Apple store, check out the MacBooks and watches etc, and still be served in your fair turn.

Option C, where you take a number and come back for your slot, is going to cause issues.
For example, you can’t predict how long it will take for the five customers ahead of you to be processed. What if that guy isn’t eligible for IUP? His 30 min appointment just became 5 minutes. Where are you? In Starbucks half way across the mall. Great. When you come back, and see that customer “21” is now being served, and you are customer “19”, you are going to get worked up, angry etc. Not worth dealing with.

If you give someone a time slot in half an hour that also expires in half an hour, that is not a queue, that is an appointment. And if it is an appointment, you should be free to show up at the appointed time.

If they want to do a queue, then they should set that expectation by having people actually take numbers. No one would have a problem with waiting if that's the system. Being forced to stay in the store for an appointment is the issue.

 

[Diorama]

Just set the phone aside for the allotted time, and if they don’t pick it up, sell it to the next person. If the store has no idea how long each transaction will take, they shouldn’t take appointments.

I honestly think it’s probably more about managing customer emotions rather than anything else, probably easier to deal with customers who are annoyed about not being able to leave the store compared with customers angry that ‘their’ phone has been sold to someone else.

 

[dstew201]

What did you want to happen, OP? How could Apple have handled this to your satisfaction? Letting you skip the line?

I THINK he simply did not want to stand around for 30 mins! Why couldn't they (Apple) provide a ticket, number, whatever, so he could come back at the alloted time, and retain his place???
And if he came back 30 mins too late, well then out of luck...

But once again, WHY should a consumer be subjected to standing in place (essentially) for 30 mins????? Which for me,and my ADHD tendencies, would NOT be comfortable! Apple is forgetting who runs the show!! Us sheep ... err. consumers!!

 

[AppleHaterLover]

You're buying an item that's selling by the millions every week and expect to be treated the same as someone buying an $250K Ferrari.

Yeah right.

I've waited more at Wendy's during holidays

 

[dstew201]

If you give someone a time slot in half an hour that also expires in half an hour, that is not a queue, that is an appointment. And if it is an appointment, you should be free to show up at the appointed time.

If they want to do a queue, then they should set that expectation by having people actually take numbers. No one would have a problem with waiting if that's the system. Being forced to stay in the store for an appointment is the issue.

Right!!! At the very least, provide the customer a ticket, which guarantees everyone's place in line.... Sheesh... You would think a technologically innovative company could create such a simple system!!