So a couple weeks ago I went to put a DVD into my disc drive and couldn't get it in. I left it alone and took it into my local Mac store today. The prickish, holier-than-thou "genius" looked at it and got the drive to work again, but it won't read discs (discs can go in but can't be read). He said that they'd open it up and might have to put in a new optical drive, which could cost up to five hundred bucks. He made it sound like they probably wouldn't have to charge me that much, but the fact that he quoted that number made me mad BECAUSE I have some friends, and one of them spilled wine all over the other one's keyboard, and the friend whose computer it was got the ENTIRE keyboard and everything that was damaged fixed FOR FREE. And I don't get why mine would cost so much when his was free! Both were accidental damage or whatever, so why does mine have the potential of costing so much? I have Applecare and my computer's still under warranty and such. Agh! Just need some clarity. Thanks.
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WTF Applecare?
- Thread starter megananne
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I'm a bit confused. Did you do something to break the drive? If it just stopped working properly, it should definitely be covered by AppleCare.
But if it is obvious that there is physical damage to it, it most likely won't be covered. Your friend's machine should not have been covered for wine spillage, so either they managed to get it replaced without the reason for the problem becoming known, or they found some very kind Apple techs to help them out.
But if it is obvious that there is physical damage to it, it most likely won't be covered. Your friend's machine should not have been covered for wine spillage, so either they managed to get it replaced without the reason for the problem becoming known, or they found some very kind Apple techs to help them out.
I think I dropped it once, because there's a small crack above the drive where like, part of the keyboard edge is gone. I never noticed it, and I don't remember any severe drops, but I'm fine with paying if they make me pay. There's cosmetic damage and I accept that. I probably did drop it and will pay if they make me, though it sounds like they aren't going to.
I just don't get the wine spillage either! I highly doubt that my friends could have covered up the wine spill both inside and outside of the machine, so maybe they did get a nice techie or whatever. I'm going to talk to them; it was just really frustrating to be told I would have to pay when I know that they didn't have to for a much more severe accident.
I just don't get the wine spillage either! I highly doubt that my friends could have covered up the wine spill both inside and outside of the machine, so maybe they did get a nice techie or whatever. I'm going to talk to them; it was just really frustrating to be told I would have to pay when I know that they didn't have to for a much more severe accident.
maybe your friend went to a genius of the opposite sex, and the genius was attracted to your friend's good looks. so maybe you should go to the apple store again, but this time visit a guy (i'm assuming you're a female). make sure to dress your best...and put on some nice perfume.
There are some good store level Apple employee's out there.... I haven't met them... but I hear they are there. The REST of them (useful one's excluded) are working for peanuts so I have no idea where they get the attitude from. I kid you not the local Taco Bell starts people at $8.25 an hour for limited part time, and that's above some of the Apple stores part timers wage. Yet, you walk in and some of them treat you like they own the friggin company.
Being an ex store owner, ex store manager for retail, and an ex corporate regional manager I can tell you that it is RARE that anyone at store level even remotely represents the companies attitude. Only in the store manager spot most of the time. Even the assistant mrg's are left so far out of the loop they only know what they are told to know.
When it comes to going to apple for service, you need to call corporate FIRST, then go to the store with pre-authorization. Apple just replaced a slew of parts on my MB, which has no apple care. They sent a courier directly out to get it. If I had walked into a store and tried that Id have been laughed out of the parking lot.
If you are attempted to be charged anything, call corporate before you give in on the payment since you are under wty. Unless you drop kicked it into the side of a garbage can, you owe nothing. Your initial purchase price was drummed up by apple to cover the apple care for the first year. You've basically already paid for the repair.
Being an ex store owner, ex store manager for retail, and an ex corporate regional manager I can tell you that it is RARE that anyone at store level even remotely represents the companies attitude. Only in the store manager spot most of the time. Even the assistant mrg's are left so far out of the loop they only know what they are told to know.
When it comes to going to apple for service, you need to call corporate FIRST, then go to the store with pre-authorization. Apple just replaced a slew of parts on my MB, which has no apple care. They sent a courier directly out to get it. If I had walked into a store and tried that Id have been laughed out of the parking lot.
If you are attempted to be charged anything, call corporate before you give in on the payment since you are under wty. Unless you drop kicked it into the side of a garbage can, you owe nothing. Your initial purchase price was drummed up by apple to cover the apple care for the first year. You've basically already paid for the repair.
Uh...wow.
My guess on the situation is that the wine spill probably wasn't noticeable by the genius. Your damage however is.
The best advice is to never admit to anything and say I don't know why it stopped working.
Some people get lucky. My friend spilled something on his keyboard, and they fixed it for free.
If you want to receive the worst possible customer service take this guy's advice. Otherwise act dumb and admit nothing.
i hope you're talking about me...because i think one1 posted some very useful info.
it'd be nice to know where i can find the phone numbers to apple's corporate
Don't worry about the guy above you, he obviously doesn't understand business administration even in the least..
Here's a number to help you
Apple Corporate: 408-996-1010
Ask the operator for Jeanne Toulouse, VP of Customer Care. She is Apple's highest ranking customer service agent, and she reports directly to Steve Jobs.
Here's a number to help you
Apple Corporate: 408-996-1010
Ask the operator for Jeanne Toulouse, VP of Customer Care. She is Apple's highest ranking customer service agent, and she reports directly to Steve Jobs.
I've always had fewer issues going into the store than phone people. I took my obviously dropped powerbook into the Apple store and the first guy I talked to told me to just say I didn't know how it happened.
My strategy would be to take it to the store, have it repaired and if and when they want payment then you call corporate. Calling corporate right out will require them to send you a box. If they refuse the repair for free on user damages ground it'll be repair time + 1-3 days before you get it back from shipping time + any days spend convincing them to give it to you for free.
The Apple store will either do it for free or quote you a price right there(you don't pay until you pick it up) which gives you time to haggle while it's being repaired and automatically shipped back to apple.
It'll take longer to get back to you if you do it over the phone.
Last piece of advice is to not act indigent and complain heavily about how something that's not your fault isn't being covered.
Don't worry about the guy above you, he obviously doesn't understand business administration even in the least..
Here's a number to help you
Apple Corporate: 408-996-1010
Ask the operator for Jeanne Toulouse, VP of Customer Care. She is Apple's highest ranking customer service agent, and she reports directly to Steve Jobs.
I wouldn't call the low level things you've done business administration either.
You "think" you dropped it once? You "probably" dropped it?
How can you not be 100% sure if you've ever dropped it or not? If I dropped my ~$1500 laptop, I would remember the time and the date and it would have haunted me for weeks until I was sure my MacBook was damaged or not. Every time I would look at the "small crack above the drive where like, part of the keyboard edge is gone", I would have flashbacks.
Sorry dude, but something with your story isn't adding up, and you're looking to this forum for justification against the Apple Tech Guy's decision
(Sorry, I just don't like calling them 'Geniuses'. If they're geniuses, then I guess I'm a super-genius, since on many occasions I've ended up knowing more than them when I've brought my Mac issues to them. And I don't think I'm a super-genius.
). I think you know exactly how you damaged your MacBook, and you're looking to this forum for ways to get it fixed for free. Which is fine, but just be honest- tell us exactly what happened to your MacBook, and people here will try to give you helpful advice on how to take advantage of AppleCare.
If I'm way off, I apologize, but your story is just, well, not believable.
Don't worry about the guy above you, he obviously doesn't understand business administration even in the least..
Here's a number to help you
Apple Corporate: 408-996-1010
Ask the operator for Jeanne Toulouse, VP of Customer Care. She is Apple's highest ranking customer service agent, and she reports directly to Steve Jobs.
If you try that without having gone through the proper customer support system they won't put you through and rightly so.
Does it look anything like this? If so, it may not be your fault - there is a known problem with the MacBook case that cracks where the magnetic latch meets the case, although it occurs on the front edge of the case not above the drive.
http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01508eu7.jpg
People are people. Including the ones standing on the other side of the counter. This includes the guy at taco bell, as well as the guy at the apple shop. If you get a attitude with them, why would they help you, as someone pointed out, there working for peanuts.
Yeah, try getting another guy to look at it. My experience, mostly other people's experiences as I've only damaged my Mac once, with Apple support: if it's still under standard 12-month warranty, no AppleCare plan, if it's reasonably clear it's your fault, you pay; if not, they fix it for free. If you purchased an AppleCare plan, most Apple Store genius bar techs and AppleCare technicians at the service centers seem to go out of their way to fail to notice the user broke the product. A smashed display, kind of hard to ignore; wine stains inside a notebook Mac, shrug, Funny looking splotches inside this MacBook, wonder what happened on the assembly line? Oh well, I'm hear to fix the keyboard, not analyze our assembly process.
They may not but they damn well should. Anyone who will find and is willing to call the senior executive of a corporate division is an unknown quantity; it's in the best interest of the company to see that person is satisfied.
However, with the current trend in retail customer support, I couldn't tell you. The old customer service model, when a customer had a legitimate complaint about service: "We're very sorry, we've disciplined the employee, we'll take care of your problem, and we'd like to offer you a $20 credit (or 10% discount or some such something) toward your next purchase, just to thank you for your patience with this situation and encourage you to remain our customer."
New model: "Ah, sorry, [then fill in the blank with some lame excuse]."
Recently, specifically with an Apple Store, I had a situation arise in which an employee refused to follow what I know to be official store policy -- I later confirmed it was still at the time and also remains official store policy for that very store as well as others -- and when I explained to him it was store policy, he became rude, when I insisted he should follow store policy, he became belligerent. When I asked for the phone number of Apple's equivalent of a district manager, he refused to provide it. I called and spoke with the manager of another Apple Store who did at the time confirm the employee was wrong and way out of line and should handle my issue as I requested, but that he explained he had no specific authority over that store's employees, even in his management role, as it was out of his district; but he did provide me the district manager's name and number for the store in question.
The employee should have been fired. What I got was, "Ah, sorry." And, yes, the guy still works at that store.
This is fascinating, really. Someone is looking for help with Apple's customer service. Someone else provides as a resource a high-level contact name and telephone number. You insult him for your skewed, ignorant perception of his resume. Without making the determination of "level" of position, relative to many factors unknown in this case, depending on the particular job responsibilities the role of retail store manager is may indeed be business administration. The role of regional manager in the retail industry is certainly business administration.
And all this from someone, by his user profile on this forum, is a 24-year-old student -- at that age, I trust you're a *graduate* student -- at a second-rate state university -- okay, actually third-rate, save for the fact some unfortunate history of which you may or may not be aware has given the place a recognized name. Perhaps these days it's a fourth-rate school, as you list as your Web address the online edition of the school's newspaper rather than the school's Web site proper, leading me to believe you have some official association with this newspaper. In another post in this thread you make some suggestions and close that post with advice not to act "indigent". Do you mean that in having your Mac repaired you should not act poor? You should not give the impression you don't possess the financial means to support yourself? What, exactly, were you getting at? Of course, you also split the infinitive right before you used this word apparently beamed to your brain, at random, from an unknown source that is not a dictionary of the English language. I'd roll the dice and guess you meant "insolent"; however, considering your compositional skills, this would be a bad bet.
I have no idea whether or not this other gentleman has worked in "low-level" positions, but as for you, you should thank your lucky stars our economy needs low-level roles, because that's *straight* where you're headed.
No, you have to go through the proper channels otherwise everyone would call the corporate division first, which would render it useless. No-one will take you as anything other than a whiner if you got rejected by the corporate number without exhausting the proper support channels first.
If there have been no previous complaints he should have got a verbal warning, then a written one, and then fired, we all make mistakes after all.
That's not my experience. I've managed often, as needed, to get E.V.P.s of very large firms on the phone, and they tend not to ask me to go through channels.
And there is some behavior so egregious it demands immediate termination. He was within his 90-day fire-at-will period. Being wrong was fine, being a jackass and offensive, rude pig was not. They should have fired him when they had the chance.
When my iPhone stopped having the ability to maintain a connection on a wireless network for more than a few minutes at a time, I took it into an Apple store to only like an idiot make a crack about how stupid the employees looked with that apple card thing around their necks.
Needless to say, I didn't get my iPhone fixed and he recommended buying a new one o.o --- grumpynesss.....
anyhow, as the above poster said, I had my "not so little anymore" sister take my phone in for me, same guy not only provided a brand new iPhone (refurbished, but new to me ) but a free set of pink headphones. (which she didn't let me have -.- )
So, lesson in Apple Care.
Opposing Sex w/ decent looks + Apple rep = win
XD
Needless to say, I didn't get my iPhone fixed and he recommended buying a new one o.o --- grumpynesss.....
anyhow, as the above poster said, I had my "not so little anymore" sister take my phone in for me, same guy not only provided a brand new iPhone (refurbished, but new to me
) but a free set of pink headphones. (which she didn't let me have -.- )So, lesson in Apple Care.
Opposing Sex w/ decent looks + Apple rep = win
XD
When my iPhone stopped having the ability to maintain a connection on a wireless network for more than a few minutes at a time, I took it into an Apple store to only like an idiot make a crack about how stupid the employees looked with that apple card thing around their necks.
Needless to say, I didn't get my iPhone fixed and he recommended buying a new one o.o --- grumpynesss.....
anyhow, as the above poster said, I had my "not so little anymore" sister take my phone in for me, same guy not only provided a brand new iPhone (refurbished, but new to me
So, lesson in Apple Care.
Opposing Sex w/ decent looks + Apple rep = win
XD
Lesson 2, Positive attitude, regardless of sex - snarky comments = likely satisfaction (and more "manly" headphones).
Besides, the Apple rep may be gay...