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On Accidental DamageMarch 6, 2006 - 6:00am
A well trained Genius relishes the difficult customer, and none are more difficult than the customer who feels he should not have to pay to fix the PowerBook he dropped. Be it a dinged case or cracked LCD, he will come up with some bizarre story about how it was not his fault and he should not have to pay for it. Just so we are clear here, when we talk about LCDs, we are talking about a liquid suspended between a several sheets of polarized glass the thickness of a human hair. Of the possible variations in thickness that still leave us with a functional LCD... none will stand up to you dropping the thing on a corner or closing the lid with a pen on the keyboard any better than the others.
The aluminum is several millimeters thick and roughly the same alloy they use to built commercial airliner frames, and I have seen units come back from actual combat in Iraq and Afghanistan with less damage than yours. Now, when I say that we relished talking to you about your broken PowerBook, I do not mean that we enjoy giving bad news. Quite the contrary, if you are an amiable fellow and there is any wiggle room available to us, we will do what we can to give you a hand. If you are an ass, not so much. But arguing about these things is not so much about you as it is about the next customer. While you argue until you are blue about how it is unfair that you pay to fix something you broke, perhaps in a fit of denial that your direct actions and/or negligence lead to this breakage, other customers are laughing at you. While you are still here, they are keeping it quiet. After we are done, however… The Cracked iPodA couple brought me an iPod with a smashed LCD. The screen showed the classic spider web pattern and had a decent scuff on the plastic directly over the exceedingly obvious point of impact. I informed them that this was not covered by the warranty and was then regaled with this tale about how it happened in a locked car with no one inside and had not fallen. You see, it is quite common for blunt objects to smash into iPod screens at moderately high speeds while sitting on the console of a locked, parked car with no one around. This aside, I explained that this specific unit was very obviously struck by something; I was not speculating, this was not my best guess. Pointy thing with mass and velocity. Glass screen. Impact. Shatter. That tinkle sound? I did not do too well in Physics class, but I do believe that tinkle sounded a lot like a warranty voiding. After a while, I was treated to one of the more insane things I have ever heard.
Ehhhhh….. come again? The Cracked PowerBookNot long after I became a Mac Genius, a man and his wife brought in a 3 month old titanium PowerBook G4 with a horribly smashed screen. Not only was the screen smashed, but the rear housing (the top of the lid, with the glowing Apple logo) was dimpled where something had obviously been smashed against the lid, cracking the LCD. The dimple marks lined up exactly with the origination lines of the individual cracks. She did most of the talking, even though (by her own admission) it was his computer and she had never even used it. She was there to fight his battle for him. He did not say much during the entire encounter, but rather looked like he was trying his best to stay out of the conversation. They had already called Technical Support and, having supposedly been assured it would be covered, they were told to bring it to me for service. That is a little odd, as AppleCare agents are fully able to set up service themselves. Something did not smell right. Seeing quickly that this was a situation that needed to be managed, I did not waste any time letting them know that the phone agent could not have been able to discern the exact nature of their failure and, sadly, even if he had expected it would be covered, that would not be the case. Enraged, the wife chewed on me like a dog’s toy for the next half hour. The single most common tactic – mentioned above – is to make the claim that it should have withstood this kind of damage. Clearly it is defective in that it did not, right? And, to be honest, there are situations where I can buy that argument. Dimpled titanium cases, patterned roughly like the edges of a suitcase, and shattered LCDs in a matching pattern is not one of those cases. Not by a long shot. They claimed repeatedly that it had never been off his desk at home, not even once, and that they woke up one morning and it was just… like that. “Maybe it overheated,” they offered. Right. It overheated, causing the rear housing to scratch itself up, dimple, dent, and break the LCD. Yeah, I can see that… In person, my sarcasm comes in shades so varied and discreet as to be imperceptible. In writing, it seems it is all or nothing. I explained the technical aspects of how an LCD works. Liquid crystals, polarizers, transistors, microscopically thin layers of glass. “When is the last time a glass just spontaneously broke in your cupboard?”
The saying about catching bees with honey and vinegar? Ever heard that one? Well, apparently she had not. Raging at being turned down, they left promising to call Customer Relations. Only after they left did I have enough peace to actually open their case history.
Busted. And, amazingly, he came back alone the next day and paid to have it fixed. The Next CustomerThe next customer is always incredulous. In the case of the Cracked iPod, I had not noticed some of the wacky things the guy was saying until he was gone and the next two customers started chatting to each other about it. They wanted to know how on earth I manage to retain my sanity if customers like that are common. It sets the mood for the next few customers – by this point, I am late dealing with the next several customers, but they have all had a good laugh and feel sorry for me. And, suffice to say, while I cannot join in – or even comment thereon – they always have a good time bashing the poor guy. Nothing makes you feel better about handling a difficult customer than when the next several customers all commiserate with you. The poor lady after the PowerBook couple had to wait an extra hour to see me while I dealt with them. An hour after I finished her appointment, she brought me coffee. If you are reading this, please know that you made my career. About JC |
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I do agree that people will make up excuses which just don’t add up. And that 99.9999999% the problem was user error and not a design flaw. However, I did have a problem with my 12” PBook. The case “spontanously” warped and started to come apart. I have no explanation, and the Genius I spoke with didn’t either. It was very obviously NOT because I somehow abused it. The case was simply bent. It had not been dropped or in any way mishandled. There were no other marks. It was just broken.
A few days later, I had my PBook returned from Texas (that is where the repair facility is right?) and all has gone well. I still keep an eye on that corner of the case (front right) just to make sure . . .
http://www.macademic.net
where all things mac are academic
http://www.macademic.net
where all things mac are academic
the 12” PowerBook goes to Tennessee, actually…
The 12” PowerBook has a couple of well-known (to me, at least) problems with warping of the bottom case – usually it’s near the optical drive slot or an almost invisible warp of the entire case, causing it to wobble. Even so, these problems are relatively rare.
When it comes to dented or warped cases, you can almost always tell how it happens. Look at the corners (be sure you check the far corners from the damage, too. you’d be surprised…) and you’ll almost always see scuffs, scratches, or smaller dents that give us the clues we need.
If those scratches and scuffs aren’t there, I would sometimes send it in under warranty, but warn the customer that the repair techs at the repair center will be able to tell for sure when they take it apart – and they may call you wondering where their money is.
As a fellow former Genius (and still current support provider in a similar capacity) I have many similar stories. People must either think we are stupid, or be completely unaware of how the world functions…
I’ve had a customer refuse to look when I was trying to show them that some coffee had obviously been spilled inside their iBook – sticky brown-ish residue all over, you could even see the sugar! They claimed “I don’t even drink coffee!” – case history showed (and I quote): “I have spilled coffee on my iBook.. What can I do now? It’s not booting…” – Absolute Classic
I worked at SoHo and Boca Raton as a genii and while at SoHo, heard the best answer given to a customer regarding accidental damage. A young lady had come in with her laptop damaged by spilled wine. After being told how much the repair would be, she asked what she should do. The genii’s response was, “Next time try crack instead.” I thought it was a classic response. BTW being an ACN can be very enjoyable.
Having also worked behind the Genius Bar and seeing lots of this, I think people are just conditioned that enough ranting and raving and “can-I-speak-to-your-manager” talk will get them what they want. As if pleasing a customer is worth it no matter the cost.
Its frustrating, because usually I give breaks to people that are nice, not mean, but it seems to me, observing other customer support contexts, people who are irate and/or irrational get the treatment that rewards that type of behavior.
I agree with the general respect they have for you causes you to be a little more forgiving of things but policy is just that.
I always loved doing a file transfer to a Mac from their Win98 box.
For a few years, I worked at an Apple Specialist, so I understand exactly what you mean.
The location, in a college town and near the beach, provided some interesting tech experiences.
It was a common occurrence to get a machine in for service with liquid in it, on a Monday after a big party weekend. Most times it was beer or wine, but the occasional mixed drink, or Jello shot ended up in some unfortunate PowerBook keyboard.
Since this town is also near the beach, I actually got a few customers who got their PowerBooks/iBooks a little sandy. Most were bringing it in for service in desperation, admitting they did something stupid, and hoping that they could salvage it. Sometimes the owners were fortunate, and it would just need a thorough cleaning, though most times the machine needed a lot of work.
The most difficult sand-related customer I ever had was a gentleman who claimed his SuperDrive was scratching every CD he put in it. Sure enough, it did what he claimed, but it also deposited a nice grit of sand across the disc. It was very clear what the situation was, though I was never sure how he got so much sand inside the drive. He was upset, and after a few minutes, we got him to call Apple directly and speak to them.
After 30 or 40 minutes on the phone, it finally ended with, “Well when the hell is Steve Jobs going to come out with a computer that’s sand proof?!”
I’ve encountered both pragmatic and rude computer repair personnel, in both Apple and reseller stores. The latter usually have the same smug, self-satisfied attitude one notices in JC’s entry above. Maybe they actually believe they are ‘geniuses’ based on a very limited repertoire of skills. But, I always ask for a copy of any report written and am amused by the poor grammar and spelling of many of the so-called ‘genuises.’ Reads more like ‘learning disabled.’
In my experience, other customers are often helpful to people who they believe have been treated badly by computer store personnel. I’ve seen them tell novices how to contact Apple, where another Apple Store is located, and that there is a form that customers can use to complain about Apple Store personnel by name online. In addition, ‘laughing at’ goes both ways. Customers laugh at ‘geniuses’ who are arses and don’t know it.
What has been missing from this thread is realism. I hope I’ve added some.
It’s all real, it just depends on which side of the bar you’re on.
For any support person there’s a broad range of people he’ll interact with, and a good number of them are just odd human beings.
For any given customer, there’s a range of support people he’ll encounter, and there’s a non-insignificant number that completely lack a large number of basic communication skills … or simply skills in general.
No one’s saying it doesn’t work both ways, but on the Internet the latter is always discussed because “those people” are allowed to share their stories without limit. Being an employee of a company limits what you can say about existing customers (of course). Not being a member of the company frees you from that burdon, at least until the curiously-drafted lawsuit comes alleging a violation of something 52 pages deep in your employment contract.
Then you hope that you didn’t alienate all your lawyer friends.
To clarify – most of the people I deal with are genuine people with genuine problems – and I enjoy helping them out to the best of my ability. That’s my job, and I love doing it. The gratitude some people express when I fix their fault is what makes the job worth doing.
When I get a customer who is rude, stupid or both, there is very little I can do about it. I have to help them, and I have to be nice to them. Because I can’t do anything about it in the real world, I complain about it on the internet!
As for poor grammar and spelling – I’m guilty of this, especially when I’m manning the phones. It’s difficult to type verbosely, in full sentences without any errors while taking a call every minute.
You won’t find me claiming that any Mac Genius is perfect. Ever. I have stories of fellow employees – Geniuses, managers, and otherwise, in all branches of Apple – that will put to shame any horror story you’ve experienced. Those are stories for another day.
I’m just sharing my experiences as one of the longer-termed employees, both at Apple in general and at the Store. In my time at Apple, I can assure you that I’ve had my fair share of co-workers who were arses to customers. Personally, I’ll admit that I can be an arse to a customer, but I let the customer be the arse first.
For instance, a 40-year-old customer actually said the following to me. As the first words out of his mouth when I called his name.
They teach you all sorts of skills to handle customers who take this tack. The bummer is, none work, because this guy may be an arse… but he’s a sincere arse.
Experiences like these are very real for the Genius behind the bar, but you only read about comments like yours on MacSurfer, MacFixIt, and MacIntouch, the Geniuses don’t have a voice to the Mac community.
I hope you’ll read my future comments and temper the obvious chip on your shoulder in the future with the realization that, before you ever showed up, the Genius on the other side of the Bar has already had a pretty shitty day. If you, as customer, approach the Bar with the same attitude that you wrote your comment, it’s probably about to get even shittier. I write what I write to give you an insight into the entire day of the genius, the entire range of experiences, so that you can see your 20 minutes in better context and, hopefully, make your visit more friendly and productive.
i’ve had both great and bad experiences at the genius bar. most of the time the genius is friendly and will try to resolve the issue as much as possible.
i wish the same could be said for telephone support. almost every time i’ve talked with them (with a few notable exceptions), i’ve hung up the phone so mad i could scream.
i also had an ipod that i damaged while i was cleaning it. i was polishing it with a cloth and not putting a lot of pressure on it when the screen cracked. because there was no visible sign of abuse the genius replaced it on the spot and was extremely nice about it.
The Subject line says it all.
I have a question for all you former or current geniuses, and would really appreciate some advice. My white ibook plastic case has two minute cracks on the left top rim portion, one by each screw. It looks like the screws were put in too tightly. I never noticed these before, but the gray part that frames the screen is a little buckled and cracked in a couple places next to the top screw/crack. That seems new. I’m pretty sure I would have noticed that before.
I had sent the ibook in to have the faulty video card replaced per manufacturer’s recall about 6 months ago. They replaced the keyboard at that time also because all the letters had worn off. I just took it in a couple weeks ago for a new keyboard because the replacement one wasn’t working. The genius who looked at it agreed to replace it, took it in the back to fix it up, and also installed a new battery I purchased at that time. When he came out, he asked me if someone had taken apart my laptop because all the screws were loose on the inside and it looked like someone hadn’t done a careful job. But he said he fixed it up. No one has ever taken it apart except for when I sent it in that one time.
So this thing with the screen frame looks like it’s going to get worse. I don’t remember ever having banged it, and there are no marks anywhere else. Plus it seems to be related to the screws. Has anyone heard of this before? Do you think it will affect the screen. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!
It’s probably not related, actually. From a service standpoint, that part of the case is never really taken apart – even if they needed to replace anything inside there, the service part for the display and plastics is one combined module, and the technicians wouldn’t have removed (and thus never tightened or over tightened) those screws.
That’s just old age and wear and tear coming to the surface. Most iBooks I’ve handled in my life, if of significant age and wear and tear, begin to show similar signs where you’re seeing it, and at the corners of the top case (the palm rest, trackpad, etc), even if they’ve never been taken apart at all. They also tend to discolor a little on the palm rest itself over time as the plastic slowly absorbs oils from your hands.
It’s also not anything to worry about. It’s a fairly minor cosmetic issue.
As an aside, and not to nitpick… but the iBook video Repair Extension isn’t a “recall”. In the various consumer products industries (computers, TVs, batteries, cars, etc), “recall” means safety issue and, as such, it’s a fairly dirty word to throw around inappropriately. “Recall” also applies affirmative action is being taken to fix something before it actually happens, whereas in this case Apple is fixing a problem if (and only if) you see the exact issue.
JC, thanks for your reply. I won’t worry about it then. I appreciate you taking the time to respond
For people who have not lived in the world of Apple, they have been used to buying accidental damage along with their warranty for less price than Apple Care costs. That is why most people can’t believe it when their damage is not covered by Apple. Having administered laptop programs in schools for years, I was appalled when I found I had to pay much more for warranty coverage and had so much less covered! Why doesn’t Apple offer accidental damage coverage with their warranty as the rest of the pc world does? I can understand the frustration of a customer that had a display replaced, completely covered under a pc warranty, and now has to pay dearly for the exact same replacement on the Apple laptop. Safeware insurance is not the answer, they are very slow to pay for damage. Apple Care should come with an option to purchase Accidental Damage.
Offering this coverage has been investigated many, many times by Apple. I assure you, if they felt they could make money off of it, they would offer it.