Written by: Adam Christianson
Categories: Feedback, Random Thoughts
We all know about Apple’s meticulous attention to detail when it comes to design. They design the hardware, the software, heck even the packaging to be perfect. After her iPhone started having trouble, listener Lorrie found out that Apple pays attention to detail and design even after the sales has been made. Here is her story…
I wanted to tell you about my experience with Apple. I had my iPhone for 5 days when I realized that it had stopped working correctly. If I used the earbuds, or the speaker, everything was fine. If I held it to my ear I couldn’t hear the call and the other party on the call couldn’t hear me. I called Apple and went through all the troubleshooting procedures, and the technician determined that it was a hardware issue and needed to be repaired. He arranged a “loaner” for me and told me to send in my own phone when the loaner arrived, that all the instructions would be in the box.
Well the box arrived Monday morning (I had called Saturday evening) and I have to admire Apple’s thoroughness. The box iteself has all three shipping labels on it, in layers. I peel off the top label and it has Apple’s shipping label, and when Apple fixes my iPhone the final label will send my phone back to me. Inside the shipping box is a pamphlet that explains the process, 3 inches of foam padding with a small white box in the middle (for the iPhone), a pad of shipping tape and a paper clip. I’m not kidding, they included a paper clip in a little baggie. This is because you need a paper clip to remove your sim card from your phone before you send it to them. Apple wanted to make sure I had this high-tech and rare tool.
Leave it to Apple to think of everything.
Too funny. I noticed that they do tend to include everything you need. When I had my MacBook repaired, I was delighted to see they actually included packing tape in the box they sent so I didn’t have to track some down! They also had the peel-off shipping labels.
This loaner phone they sent you, did you have to activate it first. If not have you tested to see whether it was unlocked. Apple may have just leaked an unlocked iPhone out of the iWorld into the real world.
If you have a seperate AT&T sim card lying about or better still a T-Mobile or other network’s sim can you try inserting it into the iPhone.
If it is unlocked i would go speak to the fellas down at the iPhone Dev Wiki ( http://iphone.fiveforty.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page ) they might have a field day speaking to you.
I had a similar experience when replacing a battery for my MacBook. New one arrived the next day…packed up the old one…all the labels and instructions layed out. Too perfect. CM
Sorry Gang, the loaner phone was locked and had to be activated. The activation took about 5 seconds because it had my activated sim card in it.
Why are you surprised? Apple is a first class operation. In 1994 I bought a Performa 6300 CD computer (a consumer Mac) which came with an Apple Monitor. The computer was several years out of warrantee when the monitor went bad. Apple had a warrantee extension program for these monitors. They shipped me a shipping box with instructions, syrofoam, and labels. The box arrived the next day after my call, and the repaired monitor arrived a week or so later. If Apple products have defects, they make them right for their customers.
This kind of service only happen in western country. I never happen in Asia, even Apple in Asia.
This doesn’t surprise me at all. In fact I’m quite glad to hear it.
When I had a problem with my Macbook Pro last year I brought it to a genius at the Apple store. After assessing the damage they determined that it had to be sent to Apple for repairs and would be back in about a week for pickup. Now the Apple store I went to was about an hour away… needless to say it was a bit of a hike.
The genius, sensing my dreading having to drive an hour to pick it up again said that it could be shipped right to me. And it was. This was on a Saturday. By Wednesday (it may have been Tuesday even, I don’t remember) it was back at my front door. Now THAT’S service. We’ve all come to appreciate that.
This is not that uncommon of a practice. IBM (and now Lenovo) has been doing this for at least 6 or 7 years now with ThinkPad repairs.
I love Apple and I have a PowerBook, Apple TV, and now an iPhone. However, I had a terrible experience with their battery recall. The battery replacement that I received did not fit properly in my PowerBook. I called Apple Support and they didn’t really have a clue how to handle it. They wanted me to give them a credit card number for a replacement. What? It was a recall and they should have just let me send it back and then they could send me a new one. I told them I didn’t want to give them my credit card number and I just sent it back with a note in the box. I never did get a new battery. Not good.