Apple Customer services - your view?

[Argo_Rei]

I'm in the middle of a complete nightmare with apple customer services at the minute. The keyboard/trackpad on my 4-week old MacBook froze (despite the update to fix this) and hasn't come back to life for 5 days now.

1. (Monday) I rang up the day after the problem first started, was told to update (how do you update when you cant move the mouse/type?) and then take it into an Apple Store.

2. (Tuesday) I took it into the apple store (40 minute drive), where a 'genius' took it into the back, came back 5 minutes later with the totally helpful diagnosis of "its broken" and was sent back home with it and told to call up again. Not very happy!

3. (Tuesday part 2...after my pointless drive) I rang up again and was told to take it in store again. I admit to being slightly aggressive at this point, and asked to be put through to a manager, refusing to be bounced from phone to store to phone to store again. The manager promised me they'd pick up my MacBook to repair it, and i'd be recieving a call the next day.

4. (Wednesday) After not recieving a call, waiting for a phone call until AppleCare closed and then googling my backside off looking for a complaints email before shouting over the phone again...i emailed the manager again...no reply, so i emailed Steve Jobs

5. (Today) Recieved an email from the manager i spoke to 2 days ago saying id be getting a call before midday. No call from Apple, no emails from anyone. So i rang up again. Everyone i spoke to was very apologetic, i was put through to another manager who told me i'd be recieveing a call confirming collections dates.

6. (Today Continued) Recieved a call from a different manager, who told me they'd like to take the details of everyone i spoke to so far so that the customer service fiasco could be sorted. I was once again promised a phone call in about 15 minutes to confirm the collection date for my repair...

7. (Today Continued...again!) No phone call regarding the collection date. Its now 2 hours after AppleCare closed here in the UK, 3.5 hours after i was due a call. After being messed around so much when a repair could have been scheduled 4 days ago with the first phone call, I was about to draft an email to the last manager i'd spoken to (at last count i'd spoken to three) when i notice a new email in my Inbox. Not from an @euro.apple.com email address like i was expecting, but a nice @apple.com mail address. Apparently emailing Mr Jobs actually worked, and my complaint is now being dealt with out of Cupertino CA. I've replied to manager 4 (now in california!) with my contact details, and am again, waiting for some sort of resolution. I've actually stressed in this email that whist dealing with the complaint is fine and dandy, I'm still sat here with a shiny new MacBook that doesnt work.

I'm now waiting for a reply!!

I've never had any problems with apple in the past, and when i had my good old iPod mini repaired, the process was quick and easy, everyone was very helpful and the whole thing was sorted within about a week.

Has anyone else had this kind of nightmare trying to get Apple to repair something? Up until now, Apple had me comletly impressed but now, the promise of various phone calls, being tossed back and too when all i want to do is schedule a damned repair has me slightly annoyed...Please tll me im not the only one being messed about!

[Zeal]

QQ SIR!!

Altho that was a good read.^^

[screamforme02]

it was a mighty fine read. you are good at telling stories, i think i would be way more popular if i could recall events like that and be able to put together sentences that well. lol. Hope every thing works out for you. Lets us know what happens when something...err.. happens lol

[cpjr]

Only problem relating to an Apple device I have had the honor of going through was my Iphone's circuitboard frying itself.....Apple replaced it even after the "Genius" told me my Summerboard theme looked "cool".

For that.....Apple, I salute you.

[Aiyo]

Dam! All that.. is just crazy, I'd get so pissed and so tired and apple after that, id just through "my broken" laptop at the genius that was not help...

[Argo_Rei]

it was a mighty fine read. you are good at telling stories, i think i would be way more popular if i could recall events like that and be able to put together sentences that well. lol. Hope every thing works out for you. Lets us know what happens when something...err.. happens lol

put a wannabe journalist in a bad mood and the only real weapon he has is the ability to compose a clear sentence

anyway, update:

I stayed up until 2 am watching Family guy and waiting for some sort of correspondance from manager number 4 (The american one)...I didnt get any. Woke up this morning and checked my emails. recieved one at 2:30 (just missed him!) with the promise of a call back today so i can give details of what store i'd like all of this sorted from. I've emailed saying with the time difference thats going to be extremly awkward (i'm in work all day), but gave him details of the store anyway. I made sure to note that id been in the store already and wouldnt be happy if i walked out empty handed.

So i typed up my email, thanking Mr.4 for his patience, and decided for the hell of it id turn my MacBook on...just hoping the damned thing might have fixed itself for some reason. This is the first time i've turned it on since Mr Genius took it into the back of the store, and its been stuck on the grey screen with the apple logo and the nice little spinning circle for over an hour. so not only was the 'Genius' award-winningly unhelpful, the idiot has actually made the broken macbook even worse.

I was about to draft another email to Mr.4 with details of this new found problem, when my phone rang. It's x company ready to schedule a collection so i can get the MacBook repaired...finally. I made a joke to the woman about being 4-5 days late, and she went silent for a minute before deciding it'd probably be best to bite the bullet and tell me my MacBook wont be collected until Wednesday. Fighting the urge to shout abuse or throw something, i told the poor woman that it'd have to do. I was so irritated i forgot to ask how long it might take.

So 5 minutes after this phone call, and having stormed through my house shouting my annoyance at anyone willing to listen, i got back onto the old PC ready to type another email to Mr.4. I've detailed the new problem, the fact that the whole process is going at a rate so slow i'm half certain its going backwards, and added that if this had been dealt with properly from phone call number one, id have had it back by now.

So im now waiting for the earth to turn so Mr.4 can wake up and tell me what hes going to do...This whole thing is absolutly ridiculous

[screamforme02]

Only problem relating to an Apple device I have had the honor of going through was my Iphone's circuitboard frying itself.....Apple replaced it even after the "Genius" told me my Summerboard theme looked "cool".

For that.....Apple, I salute you.

thats awsome.

and well i hope the world spins just a little faster for you 2day.

ps the pen is mightier than the sword. lol

[Argo_Rei]

update: new MacBook tomorrow

[trpcltrbl]

lol good story... i enjoyed reading this... i bet i've had more experiences with my iPod... but yours is the best. If you got your iPod touch at Best Buy, and bought insurance on it, there is no more "restoring". I'm on my 36th iPod touch in like 2 months . Whenever I want a new one, I just SSH into my iPod and delete EVERYTHING in the / "root" directory :P. They then exchange it. I had a similar problem with my MacBook Pro, and my sister has had a similar problem with her MacBook Air as well. Anyway, your story is the best.

[reeko]

i enjoyed reading it... sounds like 5 days 'mac'less and your turning into the incredible hulk.

[Argo_Rei]

lol...it wasnt so much being without the mac, more being messed around! I expected to ring up and have a repair scheduled or a replacement ordered. instead i was being bounced from phone call to store, to phone call, to being told to go into store again...then having to ring up to find out if anything actually was happening, only to find out it wasnt

If i'd rang up, been told it was being repaired and that had been the end of it, id have been less hulk-ish

[sciberjack]

ouch... that's a tough one the only thing I can relate to that is my father did have a customer who purchased on of the G5 quads right before they quit selling them, when the MOBO died they took it bak for 6 weeks and tried to fix it for him. On the 7th week he got a phone call a few minutes before the FedEx guy showed up apologizing to him about not being able to fix the machine due to a lack of parts but hoped he would enjoy the newer faster one they sent to replace it.

When I broke my 4GB iPhone the insurance paid all but $95 (I think, very little) of the new cost to purchase an 8GB because they quit selling the 4s.

Hope you have better luck next time, they're usually better then that.