Apple/iPhone Rant

[*NikkiBell*]

So a few weeks ago, I noticed that the original charging cord for my iPhone was starting to come apart. I plug it in by my bed and it is a difficult plug to get to every night. I must have pulled it by the cord a few times and now the white casing around the inner wires is cracked and some of them are showing through. Because I'm petrified of fires (thanks to a fire that destroyed the house across the street this summer), I decided it was time to get another charging wire.

I already had an AC adapter that I keep in my office. However, I wanted another one and we went to Apple while shopping at the mall yesterday. Here's where the aggravation set in. The store was totally mobbed, as usual, and I squeezed myself through to the appropriate section. Of course, they don't carry the original charging wire you get with the iPhone. Let's call that "Annoyance #1."

I then decide to get an iPhone dock. I thought it'd be a neat little gadget that I can just leave plugged in by my bed. Yes, I realize I could just leave the charging wire plugged in, too, but that's a whole other story. Anyway, I pick up the charging dock and go to the so called "Genius Bar" to pay. I wait. I wait. I wait. And, oh yes, I wait some more. And so begins "Annoyance #2."

Finally, the "genius" bimbo behind the counter stops talking to her friend about the nail salon a few doors down and is about to ring me up. Instead, another genius, who I swear was a Sheldon (BBT) lookalike, walked to the side of her with a package. He told her to ring it up for another customer. Umm, hello? Did you not see me standing here for 10 minutes listening to a debate over acrylic vs. gel tips?

Sheldon sees obvious signs of a breakdown and swipes me through using his handy dandy cash register app on his iPhone. Okay, pretty happy now. Life is good.

Flash forward to this morning when I open up the package and set the dock up. Did you know that you have to take your iPhone out of its case in order to use the charging dock? <--- Annoyance #3

To be continued next weekend after another trip to Apple...

 

[georgemoe]

So this rant was really all about you breaking your charger?

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Jorge!

No! It was all about the fact that they should sell the original charger you get with the phone to begin with. I would not have had any of these issues if they did!

 

[GAN]

Sounds like "nouveau" customer service strikes again. We stopped by the local Apple store yesterday and it was the typical organized(?) chaos -must be the same everywhere. When we see employees like these(and most at Apple are very good) in general, it kills me thinking they're working while so many others don't have jobs.

 

[GBShorts]

If you have a Best Buy near you, try there. I bought the "original" charger there and there's no difference between that one and the one I got in my box.

Good luck!

 

[doconeill]

Sounds similar to an experience I had trying to check out at a CompUSA once.

Aside from there being only one register open and the person at it being exceedingly slow, I finally got up there to pay for my stuff with a credit card. She goes to put my card through - and stands there for a clean 30 seconds staring at the register. Eventually she realizes the charge didn't go through, and tries again. And again. It is obvious that the system is down, and someone flies by and mentions this to her. So she thinks about it for a while, and then says she'll have to call. She picks up the phone, stares at the dial for a while, hangs up and tries the register AGAIN. Guess what? It still doesn't work. So she picks up the phone again and actually starts to dial this time.

At that moment, some front-end "manager" flunky comes to her register to gather the cash and checks. So she HANGS UP THE PHONE, stops everything, and opens the register and begins counting out the money!

I then said, very loudly, CAN YOU FINISH RINGING ME THROUGH FIRST? IT HAS TAKEN LONG ENOUGH! The line of customers behind me all muttered assent to that, but the flunky and the register girl looked at me as if they couldn't believe the audacity that someone would interrupt THEM. She begrudgingly finally finishes the transaction, and I can finally leave. At that point, the store manager happened to be coming in, and I left a few words with him as I left.

It was a long time before I set foot in that store again, after they acquired and closed a nearby competitor that wasn't as incompetent.

 

[georgemoe]

Jorge!

No! It was all about the fact that they should sell the original charger you get with the phone to begin with. I would not have had any of these issues if they did!

If you're going to stick your tongue out at me Louise, do it right.

 

[daneenm]

Nikki, you should really give your feedback about the performance of the staff to the store manager. They watch these things very closely. Also, the next time you are there you should note that you do not have to wait at the genius bar to pay. Most people on the floor carry mobile payment devices that allow you to make your transaction anywhere in the store. I know that is not obvious by any signage, but they should be approaching you asking if you are ready to check out.

Sadly, it is the case with most phone and iPod cases that you must remove them to dock, although I have a dock for my 3G phone that I just remove the insert from and the phone+ case are thin enough to slide in without removal. Not the documented way to use it but it worked for me.

 

[tickledtink33]

Apple does make a charger that is the same as the one that came with your iphone. Just checked their website.

 

[luke]

Apple does make a charger that is the same as the one that came with your iphone. Just checked their website.

Yep, I had to buy one after losing mine

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MA591G/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY

 

[vicki_c]

Our Apple store carries the chargers - we have replaced numerous chargers on our iPods/iPhones over the years. But usually I order them from the website or a different reseller, but I have seen them in our store.

As for checking out (again, maybe your store is different) any person on the floor can ring you out from any location in the store. It's all mobile now. At our store, the Genius bar is strictly for people getting service for their stuff.

 

[k5jm]

So this rant was really all about you breaking your charger?

Senor Jorge-- "He can sync an IPOD by dropping it in water."

 

[Justin Jett]

Nikki,

Have you tried www.ifixit.com

 

[OKW Lover]

Nikki, somehow something went wrong here. Apple certainly does sell the same charger that comes with the phone. I've seen them in several different Apple stores. I don't know why they couldn't find one for you when you went.

 

[luke]

Also do you have a regular iPod? If so just use the USB (not FireWire) cable you use to sync that

 

[jcb]

I never mind a good (or bad) rant about Apple's "genius" bar.

 

[BriarRosie]

That is probably the single biggest pet peeve I have about the Apple store. There's nothing telling anyone walking off the street that their roaming band o' employees can ring up your purchases. I think most people (myself included) are programmed to think you have to walk up to a check out counter.

And that's why I think Nikki was at the Genius Bar. That's another place of futile waiting. If you really need service and help, the best bet is to make an appointment online at home. How warped is that?

I think they all have greeters at the door that can tell you how their warped system works. That's pretty much the only way I found out any info.

I had trouble with my iPhone in the fall, because one of the iPhone updates was sucking the battery life dry. There was a new update I didn't know about (but the Apple people did), and I was fine. But I knew from talking with them on prior occasions that you can make the appointment ahead of time, then come to the store when it's your appointment time. You just have to look on their screen behind the bar for your name.

I don't like the nomadic check out system. Often I find myself aimlessly wandering whenever I need to talk to one of them. Or there are so many customers, they are swamped.

I find myself looking for the greeters just so they can relay to the helpers that I need help.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I agree. I had no idea that they could ring me up from their iPhones. I did know about the app, but when I saw a separate line where people were waiting to pay, I figured I'd hop on it. They really need a better system if they don't want people waiting at the counter. It is very confusing and I am sure they are losing purchases as a result.

 

[k5jm]

Ignore the Genius Bar and the Apple store.

Target>Iphone Sync Cable(USB)>5V USB to AC pwr adapter>Self Checkout>take 2 advil and call me in the morning

 

[MM32830]

You can also buy these same accessories (charger, cable, etc.) at Walmart. They are official Apple devices (not third party). They might even be a few pennies less expensive!



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Armamd