I’ve been calling computer hardware support for many years. I’d venture a guess that I’ve called over 500 times, most of those to Dell, so I’m going to speak to my experience when calling them. I’ve been in charge of support for thousands of Dell machines, a wide spectrum from enterprise servers to desktops to notebooks. You’re probably chuckling to yourself “He’s called over 500 times? What kind of quality is that!”, but the truth is every manufacturer has defects. Since most PC manufactures get their parts from the same overseas (READ: dirt cheap) suppliers, they all have about the same failure rate. But I’ve always said that I recommend and buy Dell not for the quality, but for the warranty support. Dell has the best warranty support in the computer business. Apple doesn’t.
They don’t get their parts from the same suppliers as most PC makers. No, they’re far choosier about the components that go into their machines, which is why they’re twice as much as any comparable PC. Which is why I will hold them to a higher standard, since the vast majority of their user-base is happy to smug you into suffocation about what pinnacles of quality they are. So forgive me if I get upset that the brand new THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR MacBook Pro which I bought for Kent has been a flaming turd since the day we opened the box. It grey screens (crashes) randomly, and has since minute one. Since day two the sound stared wigging out, making sounds like a ghost was getting raped with a freshly cut pine bough. Then after another day the sound just quit working (with much relief to the ghost, I’m sure). But you know, I know that even THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR computers can have a bad apple (heh) in the bunch. That’s why we bought the advanced AppleCare plan, right?
Wrong. AppleCare is the worst support experience I’ve ever had. I paid $349 to call a DMV owned by Steve Jobs. Seriously. Let’s start with their support hours – 6a-6p PST (that’s 9a-9p for those of us in EST). Wait, what? They have support hours to begin with? Why they don’t have 24/7 support simply escapes me. How can they possibly even try to be a contender in the global PC market, specifically to businesses, with support hours? I know that if I want to call Dell at 3am on Christmas morning while sitting in my underwear at home just because I want to talk to someone, they’ll be there. You know what’s better? I can call them, and with their next business day service (that costs less than AppleCare for a three year extension) I’ll have parts and/or a technician on my doorstep on December 26th. That’s the kind of service it takes to be a global player. But let’s just hope their computers don’t run the call-center…
Because I got hung up on. Yep, the first time I called in (right at 9am with a two minute wait), I started to talk with the support person and then got bounced to hold music followed by a hang-up one minute later. Nice. So I called back and now my wait was TWENTY MINUTES. Twenty minutes. For a THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR computer. I had to wait twenty minutes (to be fair, they picked up in nineteen minutes forty-seven seconds) to speak with someone after being hung up on. I’ve never had to wait to speak to someone at Dell. Ever. Once you get through the menus you talk to someone. How can Apple, the crusaders of “friendly” computing, not have enough staff to serve you within three minutes?
They’re too busy insulting their customers. That’s right. Not only did the gentleman I spoke with sound like he’d been toking-up right before his shift, he was downright rude and full of attitude. I actually had to tell him to cut out the attitude. I don’t like having to tell the person I’m calling for support to reduce their attitude.
Not that it did me any good; I still have to wait to get the notebook repaired. Our AppleCare Protection Plan doesn’t have a next day service, nor does it have a replacement service for a brand new THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR computer. Dell does, for less than the price of AppleCare. Your options are mailing it in and get it back “Uh, maybe a week or so?” (quote from my support representative) later or you can take it directly to the closest Apple Store which “Uh, might be faster than mailing it in”. So now not only have I lost the productivity of my web developer, I get to lose a nice chunk of my time as well shuffling the THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR computer to the other side of town. And I get to wait for my support appointment this afternoon, because you can’t even take it in at your leisure. God forbid you actually need to get YOUR computer fixed on YOUR schedule.
Apparently Apple truly does “think different”. Unless they start thinking more like Dell’s support department then I pity any professional who has an issue with their PC. God forbid trying to administer an office full of these things. Let’s hope my experience at the store today is better, 1:15pm sharp. I think they flog you with a wet cane if you miss the appointment.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Here’s a good link on another Macbook Pro DOA experience:
http://chrisbensen.blogspot.com/2007/07/my-recent-macpro-purchasing-experience.html
It seems like your Mac is DOA so you should be able to request a replacement … though hopefully more people at Apple know this DOA policy now than when this guy posted this.
November 19th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Wow, you got hung up on after telling the support guy to “lose the tude”? Maybe you should lose yours. Also, I think you got ripped off. All the MacBook Pros list from 1900 to 2700. What did you spend all the extra on?
November 19th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Daniel,
Perhaps you should re-read the post and notice that the attitude came after the hang up. For what it’s worth, after I corrected him, he was significantly nicer.
And I didn’t get “ripped off”, you said it yourself, up to $2700 + a $350 AppleCare plan + tax + shipping is well over $3000 dollars. We spare no expense in the name of a happy team.
Chris
November 19th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
And yet my experience has been just the opposite. I’ve never had a problem with an Apple machine, and tons of problems with the others and their support. You talk about the Apple Care person having an attitude (and shame on him if he did)–your article is oozing with attitude. You don’t like Apple and it shows. That’s attitude. I’ve had enough problems with PC’s in my life to write a book, but what’s the point. And some of the worst support that I’ve ever had came from PC support. I suppose it depends on the attitude you approach a problem with. If you don’t like Apple going in, you’re commitment to resolving a problem is going to be weak, and the result is a lot of gripping. I’ve never met a PC IT person yet who liked Apple. They were trained on Microsoft and that’s all they know. The principle of our local Jr High, where they have 300 Macs and 300 Pc’s says the Mac side runs itself. The PC side needs an IT person to keep it going, and the reason he hates Macs is obvious. He wouldn’t have a job. My business runs on all Macs, and we never have had the need to call in an IT person. Are Dell’s bad? No. If you like them, use them. I like Apple and I’m not going to waste my time gripping about the others.
November 19th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Dumbass Maczealots like Randy reminds me to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Of course they never ever had problem with any Apple machine, and if you have, you’re a traitor, not worthy to kiss the Turtleneck Man’s feet.
Btw, Chris maybe you should write a mail to the Führ… err CEO, sjobs@apple.com, in Apple land sometimes it helps to solve bad support problems. You know this is a one man show…
November 19th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I’ve had Macs for 20 years now and Applecare has always treated me great. I’m often amazed at how short the time is from pickup at my door to return, often 3 days max.
November 19th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
My experience with my MacBook Pro 2.33 is the opposite from yours. It’s been running perfectly since opening the box. It’s loaded up with programs, runs BootCamp/Winxp Pro, Parallels, SlingPlayer, Microsoft Office, etc. No grey screens, no noise, just steady work day after day since opening the box. I’ve owned five Macs since purchasing a brand new MacPlus 128 and I’ve never had to use AppleCare on any of them. They were all working when I retired them.
Maybe you got a lemon of a computer. It can happen to anyone. You shouldn’t be insulted by any salesperson even for a $20 product, so don’t keep harping about a $3000 product. You can be insulted by a Lexus salesperson for a $60,000 car. Correct them and move on.
As far as time is concerned, most people in NYC are always waiting on line no matter where they go. Suck it up.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I’m one of Innova’s resident Apple fanatics, and I got to hear a lot of the support call. The guy Chris spoke with was really rude, and I could tell that from across the office.
Seriously, I love Apple products, but they’re support is not nearly up to standard. Make an appointment with the Genius Bar? Sorry, I bought the top-shelf (read: Apple) gear because I’m a professional and I like to get shit done. Not because I like to work around Apple’s service deficiencies.
And yes, Chris does have an attitude. He only shows it when it’s warranted though, and I would say some snot-nosed punk on the other end of a tecn support line for a high-quality brand like Apple being anything less than apologetic and respectful is grounds for a little piss and vinegar.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Er… Computers go wrong. As does lots of electronic equipment. I’ve not been able to fault Apple Care personally, but sometimes shit happens.
Take a Valium man, chill out.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Also: @Constable Odo:
Seriously. I’ve got a Macbook Pro (personal, not purchased for me) and I agree, it rocks. Never had any problems with it except the CD-ROM makes an odd noise on boot and I need to have that looked at.
Nobody said we don’t get shitty components now and then. Where you read that I’ll never know. Furthermore we weren’t insulted by a salesman, we were insulted by tech support — if I’m calling for a defect on a product I bought, I expect polite and apologetic service, not some half-stoned kid. And yes, there is a difference between a $20 keyboard I bought and a $3000 laptop. I wouldn’t hold them to the same standard. If I payed $400 for a cheapie laptop I’d expect it to fizzle out on me. If I pay top-dollar I expect it to not.
Also, welcome to the internet. We’re not in NYC, and it’s likely that Apple’s call center isn’t in NYC. I don’t give a shit what you guys put up with, but every other call we’ve put in to Dell has been a several-second wait. So we clearly have something better to compare this to.
November 19th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
My experiences with AppleCare are very different from yours.
How many times have I used AppleCare, let me count the ways:
PowerBook G4 hard drive died — called up AppleCare and very expedient with the repair
PowerBook G4 hard drive dies again — called up AppleCare and also very expedient with repair
MacBook Pro — MagSafe power adapter having kinks in DC line, asked for replacement and being shipped.
AirPort Express problem, customer representative very helpful with diagnosis and said will replace.
In all those cases, the specialists have been extremely helpful and courteous. In one case I was trying to get some hardware help with D-Link bluetooth adpater (wasn’t waking up the machine; the option to have Bluetooth wakeup machine was greyed out) and the specialist said if I’ve talked to D-Link. I said, “Well, I did and this sounds like an Apple problem.” The specialist laughed and said “I guess we’re giving you the round robin. Let’s see what I can do to help.”
I’ve never had a bad experience with AppleCare.
Also, their support hours you’re talking about are for the US number. If you call their other support centres around the world, they have different hours.
November 19th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
I gotta say, I didn’t know we had… well… anyone who paid attention to our blog. I’m pretty impressed! I want to address the comments and give an update.
I do not inherently dislike Apple. Truth be told, before I got my new D620 ATG I spent a lot of time considering a MacBook Pro. In the end, because I do so much Microsoft-based administration and so many rugged things outside of the office the ATG won me over. I want to like Apple. I respect their hardware – when it works, it’s the best. I secretly drool for a back-lit keyboard. But what you’ve mistaken here for pre-call attitude is actually post-call attitude. How can Apple (or their supporters) expect to win over someone on the fence with treatment like this?
Apple Store Update:
It’s awfully white in the apple store! It hurt my eyes! I hate Apple! Just kidding…
Anyway, after talking with the “genius” at the “Genius Bar” (this is a new concept to me) they were at first going to take in the MacBook for repair until I mentioned the DOA policy. He hadn’t bothered to notice that the PC was less than two weeks old. They gladly swapped it out for a new one, no negativity at all on either side. All in all it was a pleasant experience and I got what resolution I needed out of it. Kent gets a working Mac and I got new blog friends.
The service at the Mac Store certainly helps heal a nasty wound, but the inherent issues with AppleCare remain and I stand firm that they have a lot to learn from Dell. Though, if anyone is counting, this does make it same-day service from Apple…
Special thanks to MP for the link and tip. You rock.
November 19th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
How much did you pay for that MacBook? Not sure I picked up on what it cost from the story. Just kidding!!
November 19th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Chris, from your respose above, you truely are an ass!
November 19th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Randy, I’m confused. Did you misunderstand my comment?
November 19th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Just two notes. I think you might mistake the amount of money you spend with Apple’s level of support. Apple treats all purchases, $30 or $3,000 the same wrt support. Yelling “I SPENT THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS” makes no difference.
Second, you mention taking our computer to Apple for repair, and complain about having to make an appointment. When and where exactly do you take you Dell computers when the have a problem? I realize your corporate service agreement with Dell has them send someone out within 24-hours, however, you can always take your computer to an Apple store for in-person support — warranty or not.
November 19th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Holland,
It doesn’t matter how much money one spends on any product, you should never be treated like you’re calling the DMV (not even at the DMV).
That’s an interesting point. Though in my opinion I like having my issues fixed without ever having to get up from my desk. However, if you have an Apple Store nearby and the time to get the issue fixed in person, it is very convenient. I touched on that point already, making a clear note that I had the problem solved same-day which was excellent – though I had to waste two hours to do it.
March 27th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
This from a tech support agent,
If you call technical support with the intention of identifying an issue, isolating to the affected component and finding the most effective resolution, that is exactly what you will get.
If you call with the intention of picking a fight and making someone’s day hard because you unfortunately received a DOA product, it is much less likely that you will find any of the above.
Everyone in technical support wants calls to go well. We sit and take those calls day after day. None of us could not afford a THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR computer and would prefer for our jobs to go as smoothly as possible when we have to be listening to customers instead of being with our family.
The title of your rant is “I get to gripe about Apple!” I’m sure there have been some people on the other end of a phone line who have had to deal with plenty of your griping. It’s obvious that this isn’t your first time.
Maybe you should learn how not to make a bad situation worse for yourself and everyone involved. Your life may go a little more smoothly.
August 4th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
None of you seem to get Chris’s point. We just went through this with our iMac (Top of the line before they only just released the new extreme, 3 months after we bought the OLD extreme…) and my fiance was on hold for god know how long and I was sitting there when the girl on the other end did nothing but give her attitude.
She told them to hold off when she realized we still had to give them a credit card for a hold, even with a 3 year apple protection plan that hasn’t even reached it’s first year yet, to have the mouse replaced.
They didn’t listen and went through with the transaction and to their credit the mouse arrived the following monday. She had called them on a saturday, I believe. But what they didn’t do, a week after we sent them the broken mouse, was remove the credit card hold.
Also, the hold placed was an indefinite hold with no expiration date. She had to contact them again, at our bank’s request, and ask for a letter on company letterhead with a manager’s signature to be faxed to our bank to have this insane hold they placed removed.
This turned into another nearly hour wait, being transferred several times, until finally someone said it should be taken care of by tomorrow, and they didn’t seem too sure about THAT.
I am an apple fanatic. Having had to administrate every PC we’ve had, we decided to go to Apple (where I wanted to be in the first place…) and when I finally told my fiance I could rebuild our PC her exact words were “Fuck that, we’re getting a Mac.”
All that having been said, I will say this customer service nightmare, equal only to canceling a plan with VONAGE, and is still not over, has nearly turned her off of apple and is why she found and emailed me this site.
I have done everything from being a nutritionist in a hospital to working several call center positions, and even collections, and I will say that it has been one of the worst customer service experiences we have experienced.
And that is pretty bad considering our issues with Comcast and Vonage.
I agree that Apple needs to drop the pretension and get up to the game if they want to be the best, because their AppleCare customer service sucks and yes, their shit CAN stink too.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Totally agreed Chris, and it ain’t any better 3 years later (worse story than you this week).
I’ve worked with every manufacturer 100k+ machines over the years , Dell Support miles ahead of rest, under their on-site next day (which less than Applecare) they’ve fixed majority issues ever had immediately on site and can’t remember a no show either.
Apple Laps/Desks do well enough cause the products are great but if the had Dell support deals they’d take over the world.
Recon Dell have kept windows dominant in enterprise in recent years, not Microsoft.