Peel me a Grape :: We make things work

Summary

Apple online store experience sucks! but I had a great experience with the telephone support line.

Some Good

I ordered a Mac Pro for work recently. I was delighted with the prompt delivery and have no problems with the product.

Some Bad

I had problems getting the apple web store to accept payment (I was paying with Campbell’s card) – it took me three attempts with slight variations on billing address for the order to be submitted successfully.

Some Weird

I noticed I’d received two order confirmation emails – but glossed over it – since in fact I often receive multiple copies of the same email from apple (with no consistency…)

Some Weird

I double checked the emails and noticed they had different order numbers – and slightly different billing addresses… So wasn’t surprised the next day when the delivery agent arrived with two, he suggested that perhaps they’d mistakenly dispatched 2 and made it simple for me to refuse delivery of one of them . In the mean time I received a third order confirmation…

Some even weirder stuff

1. I received email addressing me as Darragh Scott…

1. My apple account page calls me Campbell Scott….

1. While ‘logged in’ to apple.com store it regularly asks me to login – as if they’ve problems with their session management.

Some Bad

Took a while to find the number to call in Ireland : 18508820480.

Some Good

I got through to Susan. She asked all the right questions, and gave me all the right answers. She never questioned that I may have been in error. And she finished the call by explaining what would happen (I’d receive a returns number, a courier would collect it, and we’d be refunded the extra payments), and telling me she’d follow up with a clear email summarising the case and including her direct contact details.

I’m not impressed by all the weirdness with Apple’s online store – even the best can’t get the simple things right. Overall, my good feelings about Apple have been restored thanks to the very pleasant and successful interaction with Susan.