When Customer Service Isn’t: APPLE
Oct 22nd, 2008 by David Svet
I had a fairly unpleasant experience recently when my trusty iMac had a meltdown. This is never any fun. I’ve been around computers enough to have lived through a variety of disastrous experiences — all recoverable, but a pain nonetheless. The most recent episode got me thinking about how customer service can create brand erosion. I think the answer is when customer service isn’t.
I believe that brands exist in the minds of customers — it’s all perception based on experience. As marketers, we develop strategies and perform tactics in an effort to generate positive perceptions and experiences for customers. I am in agreement that Apple does a fine job of this and has done so for a very long time. But I just found a chink in the armor and its name is Genius.
When I purchased my iMac, I opted for the extended AppleCare warranty since it’s an all-in-one box and goofier to work on than a tower. When the computer died I went online for help and registered to go to my local Apple Store for an appointment at The Genius Bar. I was skeptical from the start. Genius and bar aren’t two words that I’ve ever used in the same sentence. Genius is a word that I rarely use. It’s reserved for a very few folks who inhabit some pretty rarified air —folks who set the bar pretty high for the rest of us. But off I went, iMac under my arm, filled with hope that this would be a good experience that fulfills the Apple brand promise.
I lucked out with rock star parking! Toted my iAnchor into the store and headed for The Genius Bar. The store was perfect. The products were stunning. The merchandising was eclectic. The atmosphere was cool. The Genius Bar beckoned. Maybe this would be o.k.
So how do we go from all that is good and hopeful to full-scale brand erosion? The Genius Bar isn’t. There were no geniuses, only tech support guys in cool t-shirts who all use the same hair salon. They couldn’t/didn’t use/share the customer data that I had provided. They didn’t listen to my problem in an effort to solve it, rather, they listened in an effort to limit their liability. They sent me to a third party partner at another location for a completely disastrous experience. I am now a month into the process with many trips to both locations and too many phone calls to remember. Still no computer, no connection with my customer information, and nothing approaching fulfillment of the Apple brand promise. InGenius.
There are a few simple rules brands should follow. What’s genius about these rules is they are so simple.
Rule 1: If the customer gives you personal data and expects it to be used, do so.
Rule 2: When technicians engage customers, customers experience your brand.
Rule 3: Your partners are an extension of your brand experience — vet them accordingly.
Rule 4: Great marketing will not save a bad product or service — it simply attracts attention to the problem.
I’m a great big Apple fan boy — have been since my first Mac (512K). I love to see them do well and was crushed to see them trip when they were obviously trying so hard. Someone lost sight of the ball. Unfortunately, it is now part of their brand forever burned in my brain. Erosion can happen one drip at a time.
I’d like to know more about this iMac “meltdown”. It is highly irregular for Apple to send someone (especially with a machine still under AppleCare Warrantee) to a third party for service.
I’m sorry you are disappointed, but I suspect there is more to the story than you are telling us. In fact, I’m willing to bet that the cause of your iMac’s “meltdown” was outside the scope of Apple’s warrantee.
I have to question if this is the new Apple! While Microsoft is busy spending money on Ad campaigns to lure people to Vista, Apple is busy hoarding money by simply SUCKING at customer care.
I am an Apple fan. I used my first MAc in 1986 and have never looked back. Over the last decade I have purchased in excess of US$30k in Apple computer equipment for myself and my family. I have advocated Apple products at work, based on their reliability and Apple customer care.
I bought another Macbook in April 2007; it arrived in May 2007. The machine is mostly used on the desktop, tethered to power and only removed when I am on the road.
Being a savvy user and having read of the Macbook Pro and Macbook battery issues, I applied Apple’s “patch” for the problem - wherein the battery acts flaky and may suddenly just stop being recognised by the Computer altogether. Job done I thought! And if something does go wrong then Apple will replace the battery, it being obviously faulty.
Two weeks ago (17 months after getting the Macbook) the battery in the Macbook just stopped working. It did not die gradually, rather it just stopped working. The machine would not recognise it in any way. The battery charge was zero and it would not begin charging. I made sure it was not a motherboard issue or Power management issue (resetting the PMU and zapping the PRAM etc.) and even tried the battery in another machine (and another battery in the affected Macbook, which worked fine!). The “about this mac” info told me that the battery had ZERO capacity and that it had been cycled only 43 times!
So I jumped on the net and found that indeed Apple had supplied faulty batteries in Macbooks (and Pros) from Feb 06-April 07. These batteries exhibited the exact symptoms my Macbook had (e.g http://www.macworld.com/article/57603/2007/04/battery.html)
OK. No problem, I rang Apple service whom then asked me for the serial number of the battery and the Macbook. After supplying this they told me “Gee, I am sorry but the battery is not on the serial number list of the affected batteries”. And since, even if you have extended Apple care, batteries are only covered for 1 year, I would have to buy a new one.
I tried to calmly explain that it was a little suspicious that Apple had a known problem with batteries that manifested exactly as mine had, had acknowledged that the problem existed in batteries sold up to April 2007 and that my machine was bought in April 2007 (delivered in May 2007).
The technical person assured me that Apple Engineers were very thorough and carefully ensured that all affected batteries were covered in the serial number range and that there was ZERO chance that this could be the same issue. I replied that how careful could they have been, they let over a full year of dud batteries go into Macbooks and Macbook Pros.
The best they would do is provide me with a partial voucher! If I spend $150 at the online store I can get $45 discount.
Big deal!
Needless to day this has left a sour taste in my mouth!
David,
Sorry to hear of your continuing disastrous experience.
I must say that is in complete contrast to all of my experiences with Apple service. Whilst our history with Apple only goes back as far as the early 90’s with a Centris 660AV, we have had few hardware problems with the twenty or so macs I and my family have had over those years. My first problem was with the infamous 17″ AV monitor, which was replaced via courier from a city over a 1000 miles away within two days. A failed screen on my wifes iBook was fixed at no cost, even though the iBook was out of warranty and my latest Mac, a refurb MacPro 2.66 had a logic board failure which was fixed within a couple of days. Apple sent a service man to my home, it was taken away, fixed and returned in a couple of days All in all a great experience for me. I do hope that the “drip” that you mention is an isolated experience and also that it does not permanently sour your many positive feelings toward the company.
Brett,
The third party is a data recovery specialist. The hard drive died and I wanted some files that weren’t backed up. Apple wouldn’t give me the dead drive after a repair so I needed to have the data recovered with the dead drive still in the machine. All the phone calls were because the Apple Store decided not to honor the warranty for my defective monitor - they have relented and replaced it. Now, while the data was being installed on the new drive the data recovery guy calls and tells me the fan is running constantly and I need to go back to the Apple Store…
Tim,
Sorry to hear about your battery experience. I was able to get my defective monitor replaced with the telephone support folks at Apple. The woman on the phone was extremely helpful and mediated my problem with the store. The Genius at the store was a very rude person.
Richard,
I’m still a fan. I have an office full of Macs as well as a pile at home. I think my problem is being exacerbated by the tech support name - Genius. If this guy wasn’t at the Apple Store he’d be at Best Buy, still working retail, still doing tech support, still being a rude boy. Maybe he just needs a new title like Marginally Adequate Tech Support Dude.
Thanks for the elaboration, David.
I have read of others complaining of the same issue regarding warrantee replacement of hard drives. I myself had the drive fail in my G4 Powerbook just before my AppleCare was due to expire. The genius kept the machine overnight and swapped out the drive (keeping the old one, per Apple policy). Thankfully, I had backed it up a few days earlier (SuperDuper! rules) and lost nothing of great consequence.
I suspect that when Apple replaces a drive under warrantee, they return it to the manufacturer for credit (after all, the drive itself is still under warrantee). You can see how just giving the original drive to the costumer would be an expensive proposition, especially if there were a rash of faulty drives (through no fault of Apple’s).
Although you should have been backing up your files routinely, we all make mistakes. It’s a tough lesson you won’t forget. I feel for you.
It would certainly be nice if there were some way for Apple to accommodate your situation without setting a precedent that could result in abuse– perhaps by initially charging you for the replacement, but allowing you a few weeks to attempt recovery, and then backing out the charge when you return the drive (provided the seals haven’t been broken, voiding the drive’s warrantee).
Anyway, I’m glad they made good on your monitor, and wish you luck with the fan.