I WILL NOT BE PURCHASING ANOTHER APPLE INC PRODUCT EVER AGAIN. I am infuriated with the assistance I received with Apple Store, and Apple Inc. as a whole. On all accounts, this was a complete failure in customer service. This is not only considering the incompetence of the staff at this particular store, but this is regarding the entirety of the system in place for Apple products. Firstly, when I was making the appointment at the Apple store, the usual procedure to be notified for my appointment is to text the user. I had explained my phone was not charging and was dead so the woman put in my appointment reservation with a note "Unable to be contacted. Will be back at 12pm." I returned to Apple at 12pm where the staff told me my appointment was at 11:30am, and it was cancelled because I was not here. Thankfully, I pointed out how in the notes it said I was coming back at 12pm, and they found someone to assist me. I explained how my phone seemed fine, and that from what I could tell the charging portal was not working. I explicitly said- when I put in my headphones in they did not register, but the phone was still playing music; and I also said the charging was not working. He asked, "Is this a liquid related incident?" To which I replied; "no, I think it is just the charging portal." After explaining this, the man working at Apple plugged my phone into a laptop, only to tell me the device was never going to turn on again. I asked, "can you tell me what is wrong with it? It was working fine last night until it wasn't able to charge, and it died." To which he condescendingly replied, "Well, the back of your phone is sticky--are you sure this was not liquid-related incident?" I replied, "I have a case on my phone, this could have happened at any time, but I know there was no liquid involved when my phone was suddenly unable to charge last night." He said, "It could be a number of reasons, but you need to buy a new phone."
After being told there was nothing else Apple Inc. could do for me besides sell me a new phone, I left the store.
It was at this point I visited a third-party company to seek assistance in fixing my phone. I explained how the charging portal (headphones and charging) was not working but my phone seemed fine. This man ACTUALLY listened to me, and he replied "there may just be dust in here." It took a matter of two seconds for this man to scrape out the dust in the portal. He plugged my phone in. It worked, and it was charging.
I think it is quite problematic how I was prepared to buy a new phone per the recommendation of staff. I understand perhaps Apple's selfish motivation for profit in this case, or possibly the Apple staff's recommendation was a result for an ideological acceptance in this throwaway culture which we reside; however, it is aggravating how this fix was as simple as cleaning out the dust from the charging portal.
Importantly, this was an issue I alluded to in my explication at my Apple appointment today--and for this not to be solution proposed to me at the Apple store (after having given this information) is an oversight in employee performance. To conclude, after careful considerations I will not be purchasing any new Apple products. Apple Inc. needs to take full responsibility for the despicable handling of this situation and the unnecessary frustrations it has caused its previously loyal customer. While a phone may be considered a luxury, in this highly digital society it is mandated to have connectivity. This inconvenience has wasted a day of mine, and I encourage other faithful Apple users to think twice about your next Apple purchase.
Sincerely,
Kelly read more