Customer Service Sucks at Mac (Apple) Store El Paseo Village
This review begins on August 19. So, I took my MacBook pro in to get a battery change as well as to checkout my magic track pad that morning. The Genius rep checked my MacBook pro diagnostics to confirm that the battery was shot. When he ran an additional test for the magic track pad it passed, but said he would have the repair crew double check it after the battery was replaced. See, the magic track pad was being bad. The cursor was cursed, and I fully explained what I had done per Apple’s online users forum from users that experienced similar issues with their magic track pads. Nothing like playing S&M games with a magic track pad to get it under control. LOL! Back on tack now, I provided the Genius rep with my phone number, and I was told that I would be able to pick up my MacBook by end of day. Nice I thought. Not so terrible, right? Well here comes the shit.
So, starting at 3PM, I called the store number to get an idea for when I could pick up my MacBook. Mac has an automated phone system, and I first neglected to have my repair number handy. Stupid me, but hey I got to speak with a human. Yeah, not. The young lady was polite, asked for my call back phone number incase we were disconnected, and then asked for my repair number. I explained to her it was in an email that I could not access while speaking to her. She then attempted to search by my name and as she was doing that the phone connection got disconnected. I thought, oh no she didn’t, and waited for a few to get a call back. Well that was fruitless. Lazy young woman was my opinion now because she never call back. WTF, why bother asking for a call back number when you’re not ever calling back. Dumb. Armed with knowing I needed the repair number, I retrieved it and called back for more fun. This time I used the automated system and got a message saying, “your computer is being repair.”
Great I thought. Ah, to quick to the draw.
At 4:30PM, I called again, and received the same automated message. Since the store is open until 7PM, I thought okay and went back to work. Boy was I dumb. At or around 5:50PM I called back, but this time I spoke with another live body. She took my repair number, and placed me on hold. Next, I was transferred to the Genius repair department. Here is the bad gone real bad. When I asked the man what the status was. He starting going on about how the entire upper casing had to be replaced due to not being able to replace a screw that he undid that held the keyboard and track pad together. He further went on to accuse me of having dropped liquid onto the keyboard, and that he had left me a message four hours ago on the number I proved. Wow! I asserted, “dude I did not got a call from you, and I’ve never dropped fluid onto my keyboard.”
I instructed him to put it back together, and I’ll deal with the magic track pad when it acts up. Here goes another shit whammy. He stated, “well, I can’t because a screw that holds the keyboard and track pad is like no bueno.”
Now, I’m talk stern, really stern to him. He then told me to stop shouting. Clue one Genius, fix it break it dude, I had you on speaker. I’m not shouting. Clue two, never talk back to the customer. I again went off on not being notified, and he flapped, “you’re the 619 number.”
I stated, “yes.”
He read the number back, and lighting bolts he did have the right number. Guess his fingers didn’t do a good job at inputting just as his finger screwed my screw. Now caught with an unexpected additional $200 plus add on repair brought on by Mac, I asserted, “dude, just fix it and I’ll deal with this mess via social.” Oh, he did not like that at all.
He went on rambling something, “it will be just like new, and I’m saving you money by doing it here instead of shipping it out.”
I was like, “dude, there was nothing the matter with the keyboard, you failed to call me about the issue before diving in, and I’m not indebted to Mac. I could careless about the Kool Aid speech that Mac makes you drink.”
I ended the call because I was going to burst.
Now, I took 10 to cool before calling back to speak with the store manager. Oh this was lovely, not. So, the young woman who took my call is another reason why this store’s customer service experience sucked wind! I had to dig, and claw to have her get a message to the store manager (Julie is her name. She’s the one who can fire them all). Why the young woman kept trying to divert me to some other manager is beyond me. Shit, I even asked her what part of my English did she not understand. I was thinking to myself, “OMG the store is run by a Mac Cult who drank way to much Mac Kool Aid.“
You know I was hot pissed. Trying to placate while failing to listen equals dumb _____s in my book. If I wanted to speak with just any old manger I would have asked to just speak with a manager. No, I asked to speak with The manger. You know the one. The one who could fire everyone in the store.
On Aug 20, Julie called me back at 4:42PM. Don’t you love technology. It timestamps beautifully. Anyways, she said she reviewed my order. Understood what was going on, and said she would waive the keyboard cost, and apologized for any issues I encountered the other day. Now, I though great. I stressed to her I was more pissed at the sucky customer service due to not being called about the issue before Mac took liberty. Heck, I told her that she called the same number that repair had. Guess she knows how to input a phone number, and repair doesn’t. I also drilled about the arrogance of the Genius rep who I spoke with. Julie went onto to further say that the part came in, and that my repair was getting finished. When finished, the repair department will call. She further stated that she appreciated the harsh criticism, and will use it to learn from for their training. Blah, blah I was thinking, but hey I’m an optimist.
At 5:54PM the Mac Store called, but I was out. The message said that my MacBook was ready for pickup. Great! Today, August 21, I went and picked up my MacBook pro. Here goes Julie’s grand slam vomit lie. Everything that she said to me on the 20th about Mac covering the keyboard was a LIE. I hate liars more than you can imagine. It took everything I had to bite my tongue. I knew I had to get my MacBook back, and get the frick out of that shit store. After paying bail to get my laptop back in my possession, I told the young man to inform Julie, who he stated the manger right, that she lied, and I will blog it about it. Hence, my review.
Prior even to writing this review, I tried reaching out to Mac via twitter, and even posted a synopsis review on the Macstoreelpaseovillage FaceBook page as well as Google + reviews. Not even a peep back from Mac or the Mac Store. Now, that’s shitty customer service. It’s a shame that the customer service does not meet the same reputation as the product. It speaks volume about the brand.
One ★ is all this store deserves, and even that is one star too many.