As for the iPod Touch availability pre-November, stores were getting sporadic shipments of 10-20 at a time and they’d be gone within an hour of opening. The staff is not made aware of future deliveries, their timing or contents and quantity Ironically, at the same time, you could buy it online at the same price and have it delivered within 5-10 days.

It’s very hard to be civil to every person who calls, inquiring about iPod Touch/iTouch/podTouch/phone-less iPhones/etc (yes, I was asked for all of those) inventory, then when told that there aren’t any in stock and you don’t know when the next shipment will come, they either: a) rudely hang up, b) berate you for wasting their time, or c) try to figure out the secret apple code phrase that will get them access to the super secret reserve inventory that all stores keep in case Steve walks in unannounced and screams “free iPods for everyone!”

It’s also equally hard to be genial when, in the middle of a 9-hour day, someone tries to grab you during a 15-minute break to ask a question that they could have just as easily asked someone who isn’t on break — I’m sure you really enjoy it when your boss/co-workers/clients/etc call you during your dinner to ask you a question they could have found the answer to on their own.

It’s also pretty amazing how everyone complains if you don’t answer their call within 2 rings, but the same people roll their eyes when you answer a call while they’re standing in line. (The phone at the store is constantly ringing.)

Anyway, the Concierge position is designed to alleviate a lot of these issues — I can’t say whether or not it’s working, as I left Apple shortly before the position came online.

If the card is signed and the cardholder refuses to produce ID, the transaction must proceed.

When I worked there, it was policy at the Apple Store to ask for identification, but it was also policy to just say OK and continue the transaction if the person declined.

I then stood in line and watched them demand identification from every customer, no matter what they were purchasing (it wasn’t just iphones). One credit card customer had clearly been doing his homework and pointed out they were not allowed to require additional identification for credit card purchases. He cited the merchant agreement which prohibited it, and was very pleasant and patient with the employees. He got bumped from one person to another, stalled very obviously by a “supervisor” who got caught in a lie because he couldn’t remember what story he’d been telling a few minutes earlier.

I got to watch all of this because the line was moving so slowly. Finally I just quietly put my would-be purchases back and left. The whole visit left a sour taste in my mouth and I have no desire to return to an Apple Store.

I don’t know what Apple was thinking with this move to do away with registers, or make them invisible. Offering the option to check out with a hand-held is great, but it shouldn’t be the default and registers should be identifiable as such. Why would you make it hard for your customers to give you money? Is this part of the “too smug to be polite, helpful, or informed about the merchandise” Apple stores seem to have adopted?

Oh well… I guess Apple can get away with such bad Sales staff. I still think Apple creates great products, but the bad experiences that I had with Customer Service makes me think about going back to the PC World again. I’m already prepared to hear “I told you so” from my friends.
I know it’s hard to believe, but you can check the APPLE Customer Service for yourself. Call the Apple Store Eaton Centre, in Toronto Canada, and ask anything about the iPod Touch. You can reach them at (647) 258-0801. I hope you get the Apple Dominatrix.
What happened to the polite Canadians? Where is Apple recruiting those people from? What about sending them for Customer Service training?
Has anybody else had a bad customer service experience like me? I’m posting this message in a few newsgroups and it would be nice to hear your experiences. Have you converted back from Mac to PC? If so, is there any counseling or support group out there? Would the PC world accept me back? Pleeease!

I certianly hope that is not the case as well. I usually go in to get what I need and then I am out the door. I dont want to have to wait on an associate who is usually being asked millions of questions about and ipod in order to checkout. Not good for those who are on the go, or impatient. I would be quite annoyed.

The only unpleasant experience I’ve had at an Apple store was a surprising and *really* irritating degree of pushback from a checkout person when I wouldn’t give her my personal information for a cash purchase. She argued with me, acted like it simply wasn’t an option not to give her my name and whatever else she asked for, and in the end when I kept refusing, she poured on the attitude like I’d taken a dump on the counter. Really astonishingly rude. I rarely get worked up in these situations, but my god was I steamed.

Step back a minute and read what you wrote. Do you honestly think I somehow put more importance on shopping than people dying? Of course I don’t. But this is a blog about Apple. We don’t cover wars…we cover Apple.

If you think we shouldn’t talk about things like customer experience when it comes to Apple then I’m afraid you’ll need to stop reading our blog. We’re not changing that.

Mmm, lets see, if you had a question about Dell’s at their little kiosk, I’ve been there…not much help I’d say, but they do try. Relax dude, take a chill pill. You and people like you ***** and moan and groan about having to wait minutes for service. Families wait months and sometimes a year to see their loved one come back from the war - sometimes in a casket. I’m not a warmonger nor am I an Apple fanatic. We have both systems at home.

All I’m saying is people…it’s not all about you. Learn a little patience.

Sure we have all had different experiences at the Apple stores we go to, albeit for some it can be a love/hate relationship as to purchases. As noted by others, I agree having the EZ Pay PDA devices adds an essential asset for the store and customers. Many times I have run into a store for an adapter, headphones, case, keyboard, etc. and have been able to check out within a few minutes, clearly depending on how many customers are in a store.

Additionally, having my receipts emailed to me, what a pleasure that is. Now I do not loose the reciept in a gust of wind or throw it out by accident with the rest of the receipts in my wallet, or forget to take it out of the bag before i throw out the bag! Furthermore, even if you do not have the physical receipt because it was emailed to you, think about how you are doing a very small part as an Environmentally (Sub)Conscious) consumer. Think about how much paper would be saved if we all had e-bill statements and receipts sent to our emails? Not to get away from the point of all of this, although Apple’s receipts may seem to be only the longer side at times for when all you purchase is a headphone adapter, while on the other hand all I can say to that is “Circuit City and Best Buy.” Next time you go to one of them think about how much faster you would get through the store if they had similar machines, and think about how much paper/trees we would be saving if for your purchase you did not always get the latest copy of the torah or new york times for you single item purchase!

Back to another point of finding an employee, I do not see how this is difficult as they all have the same shirt on. Sure they may be busy with other customers, but at every store I have been to, I have never had a problem finding someone for help or to pay for my purchase. I might have to wait a few minutes for some help or to pay, but having their level of customer satisfaction is worth waiting for.

All in all, I am always pleased with the customer service at every Apple store I have been to and although at times we may all have a little issue on something, next time you are in another store think about how it compares to shopping in an Apple Store. Now if we can only get car dealerships to be more like Apple Stores….but I will save that for another time.

After switching from PCs recently (after 30 years) I was very used to being able run into a Best Buy or the like grab something and go. Now it seems I *have* to go to the apple store and deal with their idea of customer service. Bah.

But nevertheless, there have always been employees with the credit/debit swipe machines either in their pockets or on their hands when the store gets extremely busy or overwhelming.

I see many advantages to the new approach, but the fact that there is no obvious checkout line (they have a cash register in the front, but it’s only used when somebody wants to pay with cash or check) has been a source of much annoyance.

Some Apple stores have plenty of staff, while others barely have enough. The store in Tucson appears to be one that barely has enough, as there is never anyone available when I want to buy something.

http://fitzage.com/index.php/site/comments/im_not_the_only_one/

One store near me has the original configuration: 3 iMac checkout at the front, Genius Bar in the back and lots of roamers with EZ Pay units; the other has the new configuration: 2 iMac checkouts in the rear, Genius bar on the side with lots of roamers.

I personally don’t see how you had trouble figuring out who worked there, unless it was “Everyone wear the same shade of green shirt day” in your city/county/state.

I’m a 67 year old Mac fan boy and I thoroughly enjoy shopping at the local Apple Store and being checked out by a sales associate with a portable device. The service is always prompt and very, very helpful.