Apple support useless!

[congodog]

Been an Apple guy since the beginning and my experience has been very good.
When the rare glitch occurred, Apple support was ample, even generous.
Now, that success has rained on them, the support system has become a joke, albeit a painful one. Try the support search for an exercise in futility.
Too big for their britches? I believe so.
And a trip to a local Apple store is like wading in to a shark feeding frenzy, with sales the only focus.
May be time for a non-Windows alternative. Any thoughts?
Congodog

 

[pigoo3]

May be time for a non-Windows alternative. Any thoughts?

Yes. You're blowing things way out of proportion!!! You already stated that you've:

"Been an Apple guy since the beginning and my experience has been very good. When the rare glitch occurred, Apple support was ample, even generous."

So why throw the baby out with the bathwater just because you now have a single issue?? I mean I read your post…and you didn't just say one disparaging thing about Apple…you said MULTIPLE "bad things". All this just for what sounds like a single recent issue. I'm very very sorry…but we have heard 100's and 100's of super positive experiences from folks dealing with Apple. Apple for many years…has been awarded very high customer service ratings & awards.

By the way. I am definitely NOT an Apple fanboy. Apple can & does make mistakes. I've been an Apple user since 1986…and I can probably make a list as long as my arm of things I think Apple has messed up on over the years. But Apple has done a lot of great things too.

Also…NOTHING in this world is perfect. If you were expecting Apple to be perfect…then you had totally unrealistic expectations! You may have spoken with one or more folks that were simply "off their game"…or were having a bad day. And of course…we have no idea what your attitude was when dealing with Apple. If you were seriously angry, grumpy, belligerent, etc…then that NEVER helps!

And by the way. I don't recall seeing any posts from you on Mac-Forums stating what the issue is. If you did…maybe we could help before you went off the deep end dissing Apple after (as you stated)…so many good years!!!

- Nick

 

[IWT]

The only "thoughts" I can offer are that this has not been my experience. I live in the UK - whether that affects anything, I cannot say.

I have used the Apple online chat support and the Apple Care+ phone support on a number of occasions for iPhones and, more often, iMacs. Never found them lacking. They once even sent me a free wired KB because I couldn't boot up my iMac with the wireless version. True, I've not had recourse to visit an Apple Store for a long time mainly because the nearest one is 2+ hours away.

Ian

 

[harryb2448]

Enjoy all those viruses and re-installs!

It is always the purchaser's right to move on.

 

[Realest99]

In my experience Apple support at the store has been great. If anything is software problems they'll fix it. Hardware issues you'll obviously have to pay for. I live in CA so there is an apple store pretty much in every major city.

My advice is try a different apple store if you can. Just stay away from stores that sell apple brands like Best Buy.

 

[chas_m]

1. As you can tell from above (and add me to the list), your vague and ill-defined bad experience doesn't appear to be reproducible. By anybody. Methinks the "problem" may be on your end.

2. I very rarely (across some 30 years now) have to make a Genius Bar appointment, but I recently made one for a friend. We went in, got seen right away, and had a courteous, respectful, and well-explained session with the Genius about what the problem was, what would fix it, and some pointers for future maintenance that would prevent future issues. This is exactly like all previous Genius Bar experiences. I've never had the need to contact Apple by phone, so I can't comment on that.

(aside: I had of course been telling my friend this for years, but she had to hear it from a guy wearing an Apple shirt for it to sink in I guess!)

3. Finally, there are three real options for a "non-Apple alternative" if you choose to go that path: Windows (viruses and reinstalls), Linux (overly complex and user-unfriendly), and Chrome/Android (malware galore). Some people can make those systems work well for them despite their inherent flaws; maybe you're one of them. I don't have time for that stuff any more.

Has Apple stopped being a tiny "mom and pop" type operation? Yes. Do they still generally treat their customers better than any other tech company? You bet your rear end they do!

But I guess some people have to learn this the hard way. Maybe you're one of those people.

 

[lclev]

Well, what can I say to a post like that.... hum...

1. You don't state what problems you are having or ask for help.
2. No discussion of what your experience was with Apple - except to say it was "like wading in to a shark feeding frenzy, with sales the only focus."

I work in IT and I have had to deal with tech support at HP, Dell, Gateway, Asus, Microsoft, Acer, Samsung, and a whole slew of others. I will emphatically state that Apple support is far and above ANY other tech support I have ever worked with - FAR and ABOVE!

I have called apple support on a number of issues. All were solved and they followed up to make sure I was taken care of and satisfied. I have made a couple of visits to the genius bar. I made an appointment prior to arriving and was treated like a valued customer in a fast and efficient manor.

So go ahead - jump on a Windows machine and enjoy the mostly lacking tech support. And did I mention all the malware?

Lisa

 

[MikeFromMesa]

Any thoughts?

I came to the Mac about 2 1/2 years ago after many, many years of both using Windows machines and (professionally) writing Windows based software. I retired and decided I wanted a different experience. I was knee deep in Windows machines and software and thought that I had had enough. Hence the change to the Mac.

With my first Mac purchase (a MacBook Pro) I bought Apple Care and found it to be the most useful and low cost support option I had ever been offered.My experience with Dell Windows laptop support was terrible. My experience with Gateway Windows laptop support was just as bad. But every call I have ever made to Apple Care has been answered quickly and politely and almost all have solved my problems. Technical support listened to my issues carefully, they took me through the steps necessary to solve my problems and, if my problems were not solved, scheduled call-backs to make sure the problem got addressed. I was so pleased with Apple Care that when I bought a new Mac Mini I made sure I also bought Apple Care for it.

Hence I have only good things to say about Apple Care. My experiences in the Apple Store have varied depending upon how busy they were, but when I get to speak to an advisor they were always polite and courteous and tried to help me solve whatever problem I may have had. Sometimes they were not as knowledgeable as they might have been, but I was mainly speaking with sales people, not people at the Genius bar, so I had no complaints. Personally I have no wish to return to Windows and the poor support I can expect there. After years of writing Windows based software I am well familiar with Windows machine and with Windows itself, but I will take the Mac over that, even though I am still learning about OS X.

I do not suggest that my experiences have been representative. I do not know what your issue is the Apple Support as you did not give any specifics, but I wish you luck if you decide to change.

 

[cheddar-caveman]

Have to agree MFM, nothing but praise for the Apple support. Also bought the extra coverage and very good value for money! Their on-line support is also excellent, always someone (US/Brit) there 24/7.
By the way, what was the incident/problem that caused this slating in the first place Gongodog?