Genius Bar New Info
Well, what a change a few months make. Since I published my last tip about the Genius Bar, Apple Retail, in it's wisdom (and how am I to argue?) has made some significant changes to the stores. Here's a run-down of some of them.
- Concierges no longer exist, they are part of the store staff and are on the floor.
- The multi-color shirts are going away. The "Aircraft Carrier" shirt color scheme is going away.
- Geniuses are getting very strict with their damage assessments.
- One-To-Ones are only going to be offered to new buyers of systems or you can try a workshop project.
Well, that's a lot, I know but it's how Apple is going. And probably it will simplify things. I don't know how many complaints Apple got about the shirts or the Concierges, but that must have had something to do with it.
So, what to do? WIth the advent of the new iPod Touch Easy-Pay systems, ANYONE in a red shirt (at least for Christmas), can help you book or log into an appointment. Not to mention, they can also help you with a sale. That's going to speed some things along. This should make it simple for anyone to go to any specialist on the floor and get the information they need. BUT, if you're going to get something repaired DO NOT simply walk in and expect an appointment. Either go to the stores website at home or ask a specialist on the floor to help you set one up for LATER. DO NOT expect to get an appointment that day. It's simply not realistic. And getting pissed at the staff will never help you, only hurt your chances. I've seen too many people throw a fit in store until a manager broke down and made an appointment for them. Let me tell you from experience, this is NEVER a good way to get good service from ANYONE. If your child did it, you'd spank them. And I've wanted to do that to a lot of parents who pulled this stunt in the store.
The Geniuses are also looking very critically at ANY damage. I was told that a genius saw a white, water ring on a key and immediately voided the computer repair for "water-damage". What I would say would be to carefully clean your computers with Windex or iKleen to get rid of residue marks and simple dirt before you bring it in. If you have a case, use it. If you don't have a bag or case, get one. It doesn't matter if it was made for a Mac or not, anything that will keep your computer from getting messed up will help you. Also, don't come into an Apple Store with a computer or iPod that looks like a potato chip or hockey puck and expect to have it covered by AppleCare. I'm covering all of my computers with Zaggs Invisible Shield. It's a great plastic skin you apply to the surface of the computer and it sticks on like a decal. It's incredibly tough and long lasting. For $50 it lasts for a few years and gives me a little extra grip on my laptop. It's worth every penny.
As for One-to-Ones, I'm going to have to say I'm not amazed. Apple had to do something to make sure people weren't taking advantage of it or that they were getting so many One-to-One clients they couldn't really handle them all. Lets face it, for $99US you get a FULL year of personalized computer training on ANY subject you want and help with any software that staff can cover and that's one HELL of a bargain. Some people would come in with school projects to do, and some would come in with work projects. Some would develop their businesses, and others would simple want to learn something new every time. I had people get ticked off if they couldn't start Exactly at the start of the hour because they'd be missing a few minutes. The biggest problem for the Creatives was that they weren't able to work with the same person every time and that caused a LOT of problems.
Heres what I told people when I was a creative and they couldn't get me every appointment. We'd try to get them in when we were there, but we couldn't guarantee it. So, if you can't get the appointment you want, you can, either go to another store nearby or you could use a freelance consultant. Since I'm working as a freelance, this has been a huge success for me. There simply aren't enough hours in the day and being free to go TO the customer is a much better solution for many people. So I would strongly suggest that if you're unhappy with One-to-Ones, ask your creatives for a consultant they know of and get their number. There are many people like me who left the store for one reason or another and are hungry for the work. Sure, it won't be $99/yr, but you'll get a personalized, in-home class and you simple can't beat that.
Let me know what you think.
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