[Ti] Apple Store Service blows

[Michael Bigley]

>I met the district manager there once (when I was spending $15,000 
>on Christmas presents). I think her name was Stacey, but I am not 
>sure. She seemed nice.  I don't know how to contact her, or I would 
>sent this same rant.  I wonder if she would care.

Your experiences sound too familiar to mine and others at the Kenwood 
(Cincinnati) store for this to be a localized, district manager issue 
(though contacting them may help Apple in the long run). This is 
obviously at top-down training (or lack thereof) issue.

And I am sure Apple is losing potential switchers at these stores; I 
have resorted to take my potential switchers to the Apple store for 
the "eye candy" effect: lots of working peripherals; the software 
selection that eliminates the lack-of-software misconception.  Then I 
take them to MicroCenter to make their purchase. That way, I am 
assured they will get a good customer experience as well. The Apple 
Store is also a quick way to get Mac specific connectors/cables that 
MicroCenter does not keep in inventory.

Unattended switchers are probably going from the Apple Store to 
MicroCenter too, but I doubt they make their way to the back of the 
store where the Apple department is.

Conversely, I was in my local Lowes recently and actually had some 
great customer service experiences. I walked up to 2 employees who 
were obviously discussing some work-related task issues; I waited, 
not in a hurry for them to finish. When they noticed I was standing 
there, the both, literally, jumped around to face me, apologized and 
addressed my questions eagerly.

That single act could have been a fluke, but later as I was strolling 
down another aisle, a not-young fellow was hauling a huge load that 
looked to be about 4 times his body-weight down a cross aisle.  He 
screeched the load to a halt to let me pass, with the load nearly 
rolling over him. Though I was the one who felt bad, he apologized, 
then as I began to move by, asked if he could help me find something 
(obviously this was training, as it wasn't a fluid part of the 
exchange, but more of an "oh, yeah, remember customer service").

I have not always had such good experiences in service at these huge 
chains, but someone appears to be addressing customer service 
seriously at least locally. Now that I think of it, I wonder if THAT 
is the reason I have been driving past Home Depot to get to Lowes...

Until Apple -- the folks at the top -- say customer service is a 
serious issue, it always will be a negative one.
-- 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Mike Bigley                Maineville, Ohio
       http://www.norbertrunning.com
Please support an American Indian Elder &
Medicine Man by visiting the above link.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>