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Is It Possible to Get Bad Customer Service at Apple ?

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Real Estate Agent with Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker DRE #00697006

At first blush, I wasn't sure the Apple store in Kona was really an Apple store. I'm still not certain. I stopped by the store last year to pick up a couple of cables. The place was packed and it took a long time to get somebody to ring up my purchase, but I don't recall anything unusual about it.

However, I was astonished that when I stopped by the store last week, it would not sell me a MacBook Air. My plan was to order through my local store and after it arrived at the store, bring down my MacBook Pro to transfer my data. Whenever possible, I try to spend my money in the community.

The clerk at the store instructed me to order it myself through Apple.com and then bring it back. He assured me I did not need an appointment. Just bring the new computer down and we'll do it for you, he said. Except that is not what happened. I was unprepared for that experience.

You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: Customer Service at Its Worst at an Apple Store.

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Weintraub and Wallace Realtors

 

 

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Elizabeth Weintraub is co-partner of Weintraub & Wallace Team of Top Producing Realtors, an author, home buying expert at The Balance, a Land Park resident, and a veteran real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown, Carmichael and East Sacramento, as well as tract homes in Elk Grove, Natomas, Roseville and Lincoln. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put our combined 80 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at RE/MAX Gold. DRE License # 00697006.

Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of RE/MAX Gold. Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice; it could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.

Comments(8)

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Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Elizabeth,

I never had bad service at Apple either on the phone or in the store.  In Europe when Ron's iPad got squished in the plane seat, we were sent to an Apple approved store in Rome...service sucked, and we left and went to Florence where there was a real Apple store.  Within minutes, we had a new iPad, all the data transferred and had a wonderful time speaking English and Italian.

My iPad was losing its charge, and Apple just gave me a new one for the cost of a new battery, $99.  A

Feb 03, 2019 09:47 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Oh my gosh, this is incredible. I wonder if Apple knows the experience customers are getting in Kona? Might be worth a call, or a letter.  Sorry to hear, but now you know they are not the place to go for help. Can't believe he yelled out at you in the parking lot. 

Feb 03, 2019 09:58 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Ron and Alexandra Seigel Dealing with electronics in Europe is much different. Usually I've received great customer service as I struggle with the language and make them feel sorry for me, LOL. It's always something, when you're traveling, a lost adapter, a battery charger.

Who sat on your husband's iPad?

Feb 03, 2019 10:00 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD He seemed disinterested, too. Like he'd rather be out back toking up than working in the store. But then, wouldn't we all?

Feb 03, 2019 10:01 AM
Debb Janes

No tokes for me. Lol. And like you, it really makes me happy to take great care of clients, so I can't relate to ho-hum dude. He needs a new job - selling pot perhaps? 

Feb 03, 2019 10:16 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Elizabeth, having nothing from Apple, cannot attest to their customer service, but know all of your technology is.  

Feb 04, 2019 06:33 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Joan Cox Apple's customer service is fanatically superior to just about any other company I come into contact with except maybe Nordstrom, LOL. I called the Apple customer service line last night for help with erasing my hard drive on my old laptop. Their online directions say after erasing, you have to reinstall the OS, but I don't have the disks. Oops, said sales rep. That is a mistake on our website. You don't have to reinstall OS.

Feb 04, 2019 10:23 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Elizabeth- That's not the kind of service I would have expected from Apple, not that I've been to that many Apple stores. It's so frustrating!  My service has been good but I haven't had much reason to contact them. 

Feb 04, 2019 06:41 PM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Kathy Streib I suspect part of the reason that Apple Customer Service online is so superior to other businesses, especially tech companies, is because Apple products don't have a whole lot that goes wrong. Not like Windows. So IT guys who handle Window problems are probably 10 times as busy. So that's why you can always get through to a person right away at Apple. They don't have anything to do, LOL. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Feb 04, 2019 07:17 PM