A Positive Experience at the Apple Store

I had a really good experience with the Apple Store Genius Bar today, and I thought I’d share it.

Over the past few weeks, I have become more attuned to my (early 2008 model) Macbook Pro’s battery performance. In the past, I could get a full 2.5 hours per charge; the last few weeks the battery was getting under an hour from a full charge. The machine is still under warranty.

So, realizing that my warranty would be expiring soon, I made the decision to book an appointment with the Genius Bar. I’d tried doing this a few weeks ago, but all available time slots were taken.

This morning, when I made my reservation, only one time slot was open (1:20PM). I took it. I brought the laptop and power cable to the Apple Store at the International Plaza Mall, in Tampa.

I brought the laptop up to the Genius working at the bar, and described the problem I was having. He powered the machine down, inserted a USB thumb drive labeled “battery test” and powered the machine back up. On the screen was a diagram of the battery, divided into 3 main sections. All sections were showing red, with a message below confirming the battery failure. The Genius asked me if I’d noticed poor battery performance, made a few notes in the system, then returned back from the stock room with a replacement battery in hand. I signed some paperwork and was out of the store in all of 10 minutes.

It was a very pleasant experience. I didn’t have to wait for more than a few minutes. Everyone I encountered was pleasant and friendly. In sum, I left feeling satisfied. Every little exchange and nuance of a customer’s experience forms an impression about the brand. I’m pleased to say that, this time, Apple came thru with flying colors.

-Krishna

Krishna October 14, 2009 Apple Store experience, Macbook Pro