Apple Customer Service SUCKS!

chris_n · 09-09-2009, 10:08 AM

Can't believe that for such a funky brand, Apple has absolutely stupid and sucky service... enough to make me wanna register on hardwarezone just to rant (instead of just reading all the great posts here)..

Anyway, see if you've encountered this before too. It all started when I bough SnowLeopard via fax upgrade (cos my Mac is less than 3 mths old). The idiots sent me OS X Server instead! So, I email them. No reply after a day. So I call them at 545 yesterday, and if you've ever called the Apple line before, you know that the IVRS stinks and they hang up on you if you don't have the info they need (order number starting with 'W', etc)! Anyway, after trying out a few variations, finally managed to speak to someone who transferred my to the after sales line. After being on hold for more than 10 mins, this chap answers and tells me he can't help me and I need to call another number for the snow leopard!! After giving him an earful, he offers to transfer my line, and guess what, the other line is now closed as they stop work at 6pm... and it's 602pm already!! After giving him another blardy earful, he compromises to say that he will call me back in the morning to connect with the snow leopard team. And that was last evening.

This morning, I get a call promptly at 903am, and the call is put through. Barely 10secs later, this rep (who obviously didn't know how to transfer a call) hangs up the entire call! And no one blardy calls back!! So what would you do? Call the number he intially asked you to call, right? Guess what? It's a blardy fax number!!!!!!!!!

And then, I finally get a response to my email:
We sincerely apologize for our overlook.

Kindly return your ‘Mac OS X server upgrade kit’ and we will send you Mac OS X Snow leopard today.

Please indicate ORDxxxxx when you return it.

Again we apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Regards

Apple fulfillment Center

I send back an email stating that I am not going to be inconvenienced by their 'overlook' and demand that they pick it up from me if they want it back, and that I expect to receive a product that I paid for.

Let's see how the saga continues...

leinad · 09-09-2009, 10:13 AM

Mac OS X Server is much more expensive than the client version.

In any case, I think the number you should call is the usual one: 6835-1812. And I hope you kept notes of your case #, since you can escalate the case if so.

/Dan

Errz · 09-09-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leinad

Mac OS X Server is much more expensive than the client version.

In any case, I think the number you should call is the usual one: 6835-1812. And I hope you kept notes of your case #, since you can escalate the case if so.

/Dan

lol sell the server, and pay $48 for the normal one

siron · 09-09-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Errz

lol sell the server, and pay $48 for the normal one

Haahaa Yeah I'll just do that!!

Anyway do update us!

On a brighter side I've have good experience with Apple Care hotline though.

Nikong · 09-09-2009, 12:32 PM

Just to share my experience with Apple. The 1800-My APPLE hotline is really hard to get through. I took around an hour holding on to the handset before somebody pick it up. My first question to them was what was taking them so long? They told me it's due to promotions going on that's why the waiting time is longer than usual. I relate to my friend and he too find it bizzare to be on hold for an hour. Is this normal to be on hold for so long?

Another experience is an advice to all folks out there who order from Apple online to double check your credit card statement. I went in to check my statement as soon as my order was processed and Apple deducted the correct amount of money for the first time round. And yes, there is a second deduction! A whopping S$396 was charged to my acc for no reason by Apple. Immediately I call them up and they told me it was a mistake on their finance side. I was omg, how could they make this kind of mistake? What if I didn't check and months later I discovered it? It would mean time wasting + hassle + frustration for me, the bank and Apple finance to investigate something as imbecility as this.

But i could understand, it could probably be due to the promotion and extreme popularity to the product, people are calling in to enquire and make order thus confusion arise and result in the call waiting time and the blunder deduction. Anyway, just my experience

hlyagami · 09-09-2009, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikong

Just to share my experience with Apple. The 1800-My APPLE hotline is really hard to get through. I took around an hour holding on to the handset before somebody pick it up. My first question to them was what was taking them so long? They told me it's due to promotions going on that's why the waiting time is longer than usual. I relate to my friend and he too find it bizzare to be on hold for an hour. Is this normal to be on hold for so long?

Another experience is an advice to all folks out there who order from Apple online to double check your credit card statement. I went in to check my statement as soon as my order was processed and Apple deducted the correct amount of money for the first time round. And yes, there is a second deduction! A whopping S$396 was charged to my acc for no reason by Apple. Immediately I call them up and they told me it was a mistake on their finance side. I was omg, how could they make this kind of mistake? What if I didn't check and months later I discovered it? It would mean time wasting + hassle + frustration for me, the bank and Apple finance to investigate something as imbecility as this.

But i could understand, it could probably be due to the promotion and extreme popularity to the product, people are calling in to enquire and make order thus confusion arise and result in the call waiting time and the blunder deduction. Anyway, just my experience

not to offend you or what. Do you really have the patience to wait for 1 hour? cos normally people won't do this.

Nikong · 09-09-2009, 02:29 PM

I was at my office desk and plug in my ear piece to my phone while doing work. Ironically, my colleagues thought I'm in a conference meeting. Yes, I did wait for one hour before it finally picked up.

dereklim1985 · 09-09-2009, 02:29 PM

i got a time need to get me on hold for 30min for the call to get through...

siron · 09-09-2009, 02:30 PM

Yeah an hour wait is kinda extreme!! I'll go #%*%#~!!!

Haha

PetPet · 09-09-2009, 02:36 PM

No problems with services on my side.
Maybe you want to escalate the matter

lawreo2002 · 09-09-2009, 03:05 PM

on the contrary, my experience with the online store has been good...bought a nano, received it in my office ...i found a scratch on the body, which i dun like. i called up the online store. they offered to send someone to pick up the set (no question asked) and sent me a new set 2 days later ....and because of this, i even got a 25 bucks online voucher from them for my 'inconvenience' , which i totally did not expect....used that to buy SL at a discount ..

after that, i bought all my stuff from online instead ...like imac...all went well so far

no offence but sometimes, what goes around comes around....be patient and understanding when things go wrong...dun be too offensive loh...

gooifier · 09-09-2009, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_n

Can't believe that for such a funky brand, Apple has absolutely stupid and sucky service... enough to make me wanna register on hardwarezone just to rant (instead of just reading all the great posts here)..

Anyway, see if you've encountered this before too. It all started when I bough SnowLeopard via fax upgrade (cos my Mac is less than 3 mths old). The idiots sent me OS X Server instead! So, I email them. No reply after a day. So I call them at 545 yesterday, and if you've ever called the Apple line before, you know that the IVRS stinks and they hang up on you if you don't have the info they need (order number starting with 'W', etc)! Anyway, after trying out a few variations, finally managed to speak to someone who transferred my to the after sales line. After being on hold for more than 10 mins, this chap answers and tells me he can't help me and I need to call another number for the snow leopard!! After giving him an earful, he offers to transfer my line, and guess what, the other line is now closed as they stop work at 6pm... and it's 602pm already!! After giving him another blardy earful, he compromises to say that he will call me back in the morning to connect with the snow leopard team. And that was last evening.

This morning, I get a call promptly at 903am, and the call is put through. Barely 10secs later, this rep (who obviously didn't know how to transfer a call) hangs up the entire call! And no one blardy calls back!! So what would you do? Call the number he intially asked you to call, right? Guess what? It's a blardy fax number!!!!!!!!!

And then, I finally get a response to my email:
We sincerely apologize for our overlook.

Kindly return your ‘Mac OS X server upgrade kit’ and we will send you Mac OS X Snow leopard today.

Please indicate ORDxxxxx when you return it.

Again we apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Regards

Apple fulfillment Center

I send back an email stating that I am not going to be inconvenienced by their 'overlook' and demand that they pick it up from me if they want it back, and that I expect to receive a product that I paid for.

Let's see how the saga continues...

OMG.

Apple gave u a chance to earn more money and get Snow Leopard free and yet u complaining abt them!?

I wish Apple provide banking services too......

chris_n · 09-09-2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawreo2002

no offence but sometimes, what goes around comes around....be patient and understanding when things go wrong...dun be too offensive loh...

I agree, but when THREE things go wrong, that's a bit much (they say they are closed while I am on the phone and AFTER I've been on hold for so long; they disconnect my call when I'm on the line and they don't call back; they ask me to send the package back at my cost!).

Quote:

Originally Posted by leinad

In any case, I think the number you should call is the usual one: 6835-1812. And I hope you kept notes of your case #, since you can escalate the case if so.

This was the number I called , who then transferred me to after sales, who then transferred me to the OSX team.

I think at the end of the day, they have terrible, terrible customer service process.

And oh, I'm the type that will go on hold for one hour too. You never know how long you'll have to wait the next time you call, so better bear with the pain first.

At least with speakerphones, I don't have to physically 'hold on' for that long.

leinad · 09-09-2009, 03:30 PM

I think in this case, Apple definitely screwed up. If I were you, I'd escalate and ask to speak to a manager. Just cite the same case number.

I have noticed that recently, the orders hotline seem to be manned by locals. That's probably why the customer service has dropped quite drastically.

/Dan

dereklim1985 · 09-09-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leinad

I think in this case, Apple definitely screwed up. If I were you, I'd escalate and ask to speak to a manager. Just cite the same case number.

I have noticed that recently, the orders hotline seem to be manned by locals. That's probably why the customer service has dropped quite drastically.

/Dan

local = customer service low?

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