Another Tale of Amazing Customer Service

“That’s the thing, isn’t it? About friendships. You don’t know what he needs. You only know he needs it.” ~ John Tiffany

Good and Bad

Originally I was going to (FINALLY!) post my review of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. Instead, I am postponing it (though I did post a quote fro the show!) because I just had the most stressful weekend, yet also absolutely amazing weekend!

How can these two things happen at once? because sounding like a broken record, life is full of dualities and that was definitely what this weekend was. The good and the bad, but mostly, I am just grateful for the amazing people in my life!

Ghosting Xenia

My weekend started out well, Friday I met up with friends, had some drinks including an adult version of a PSL; the PSV. (pumpkin spice vodka..Super delish!) Saturday afternoon All was right in my world. Saturday dawned incredibly fall like, I went for a run, got work done and then just like the Titanic hitting the iceberg, disaster struck.

My three weeks and four days old laptop (yes I counted) bit the dust. No guys she didn’t;t bite the dust, she friggin ghosted me!

Here we were having a fab relationship. Getting over those first couple week jitters, as we slow and steadily got to know each other and then she up and decided to ghost me! That beeyatch!

In none relationship terms her screen suddenly became line laden and blurry. I am not the most technological person, but I immediately started to Google, and attempt to fix the problem myself. Unfortunately I soon realized it was probably a cable (or as the technician said a crack in the screen internally) and I would have to get it fixed.

Thanks Universe

As luck would have it (not) the new iPhone had launched the previous day.

What did that mean?

Everyone and their brother had made appointments for help on the inner workings of their phone. Which meant I couldn’t get an appointment until Wednesday, (this was Saturday night) and most of the stores it was a week out.

I am pretty easy going. In fact my friends were pretty impressed with how I handled this, but waiting five days when I use it for school and work is NOT acceptable. And even after I brought it in, it still would have been several more days, because they would probably have to repair it. I am not a diva, but lively hood (and going away next week) I could not afford to lose that many days.

Sunday morning, I got my booty down to the Apple Store super early. The flagship on Fifth Avenue (I love you guys!) was the store I had tried to make an appointment at and a the only one that had the soonest availability. I have always had amazing results with this store and I was (fingers crossed) hoping they could squeeze me in, which they will occasionally do.

Miracles of miracles, they put me on the waitlist and told me to come back in five hours.

Side Note: 

In all the trying to not freak out and stay calm which because she wasn’t even frickin’ walking or maybe it was we hadn’t gotten to the exchanging keys stage yet, (Whichever metaphor you prefer) I still had warranty. So unlike in January, where the freak out was real, I knew I wouldn’t have to pay anything thank you Money Gods!

But I was still freaking out a little bit, and I forgot the GA (General Assembly) is in town. I had noticed they were putting up barriers, but I just assumed it would be a parade, because there are always parades in New York on a Sunday. Nope when I got off the subway that afternoon, I walked straight into a police blockade. Like could not even walk down the flipping street, unless I lived there, no shortcuts allowed. Thus I had to walk down, around, bribe some people, (kidding) and back up just to get to the Apple Store.

I swear GA is worse then Time Square on New Year’s Eve!

Genius Support 

Once I made it back to the store, they ushered me right in, sitting me down at a table. They kept apologizing to me for the wait, (wait two hours on Sunday or three whole days? Definitely take the two hours and it wasn’t two hours, it was like ONE hour) finally a technician came over.

And guess who it would be, but the guy who helped me back in January! WHAT are the odds? He didn’t recognize me at first, (which was understandable they see thousands of people!) but when I mentioned Portland (he is from the one in Oregon, I grew up near the one in Maine) he did.

But that isn’t where the surprises stopped! No after running diagnostics and doing all that techy -no clue what he was actually doing really- stuff, he came back with a brand new laptop.

New Laptop

BRAND NEW!

I was blown away. He told me that because mine wasn’t even a month old, they were giving me a new one. I was not expecting that at all. I thought they would fix it, not just give me a brand new one.

BRAND NEW!

I had a couple people say to me that they should have, but a new computer was never on my radar. I was so shocked. But also incredibly relieved and grateful. I had worried that maybe I had gotten a lemon, and that something else would happen, (damn anxiety!) and with a brand new one, I won’t have to worry about it. (I think)

I have always had such amazing experiences with them. I have said it before, customer service matters and Apple has shown me time and time again how much they value their customers.

I am so eternally grateful to them. I didn’t realize how stressed I was about the whole situation until I was walking home and I felt so giddy and light. (It helped the Giants won too…just saying) While they help people all the time, the consideration they took with me meant the world, and brightened my weekend considerably. Thank you so much Apple!

Has your computer crashed before? Are you an Apple or PC fan? What is the best customer service you have had?