Apple Store in Clarendon
I love Apple. I love Apple Stores. Except for this one. This is the letter I sent to steve@apple.com. I wonder if there will be any response.
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I have been a Apple user since 1982, and a Mac user since 1984. Apple has always prided itself on ease of use and customer service ethic. So what happened to your Clarendon retail store in Virginia? Someone should tell the manager there he isn't working for Dell or Gateway and to get with the program.
I have had pleasant experiences each time I have gone to the retail store in Tysons. Since it is closed for renovation, I went to Clarendon to purchase Panther server and return a Powerbook power supply that broke AGAIN (they all seem to break in the same place. I take them to Tysons and they are replaced cheerfully and quickly). The "Genius" at Clarendon told me he was unable to help me without a machine serial number. I had already driven for 45 minutes through traffic to get there the first time, and asked him to please look up my serial numbers in your purchase or repair databases, because I was listed in there many many times. The person said he couldn't do that. I told him that I knew he could by using last name and zip code. He said it was too difficult.
Another salesperson overheard and said the same thing about being unable to look up the information. I asked for a manager. My husband was standing near the manager on the other end of the store, when the manager burst into a rant about unreasonable customers (meaning me, obviously) which was overheard by other customers.
The manager would not talk to me. However, the salesperson returned and told me that the connector in question never breaks in their store, therefore I must be misusing the product. How does one misuse a power supply and connector? In any case they told me that nobody should be replacing these for me because they never break at the store, but they would replace it ONE LAST TIME. If the product is defective, then why only replace it ONE LAST TIME? Especially since the latest power supply (which I PURCHASED while this escapade was going on) has been redesigned to FIX the problem. I spoke to three other Powerbook owners whose power supplies broke in exactly the same spot, and I only queried a few friends. Imagine how many I'd find if I post the question to a website or two
I can't tell you how disappointed I am in the attitudes here. This is the second time I have had poor service in the Clarendon store. The last time was dealing with a keyboard replacement. The final "resolution" of this issue was to tell me to call Apple Customer Service (for which they didn't give me the telephone number for, despite asking). After finally saying they would replace the power supply, I was told they didn't have any in stock for replacements, but they DID have them for purchase. I am supposed to telephone their store and give them the case number to finally get the replacement.
Please let management know that Apple stores should be friendly places that are as easy to use as your equipment?