Apple customer service
I came home today to a disappointment after a wonderful Reformation service and Oktoberfest at Immanuel. Our Divine Service this morning followed Lutheran Service Book’s Divine Service, Setting Five to the letter, the congregation singing all of the chorale ordinaries. I was completely overwhelmed by the incredible grace of the pure doctrine of the Gospel while kneeling before the altar during the singing of “Isaiah, Mighty Seer” and “Lamb of God, Pure and Holy” after the Consecration.
After the Divine Service was our congregation’s annual Oktoberfest, rescheduled for today after an earlier rainout. We had a gorgeous autumn day, and the volunteers who organized and worked the event did a phenomenal job.
So all I wanted to do was eat some of Kassie’s awesome potato soup (I think it surpassed my grandmother’s, and that’s about the highest compliment I can think of), crack open the stout my mother sent illegally through the postal service for my birthday, and watch the Vikings @ Steelers, which I had recorded. But no. The Apple Time Capsule, which is both my backup drive (using Time Machine) and the hub of our wireless network, was not working. Kaput. Fine. Not powering up at all.
And here’s the good part. Even though it’s out of warranty, it’s covered by the AppleCare Protection Plan I purchased for my laptop. So I called Apple support, and as in the other time I’ve had to call them, I spoke with someone who speaks English clearly, with an American accent. I’d be astonished if the person I spoke to was not in the continental United States. And he was friendly! I didn’t wait on hold – at all. I told him what was happening, and he took me through a few troubleshooting steps. When they didn’t correct the problem – the Time Capsule is dead – he transferred me to a rep who would send me a new unit. Covered. Meaning, I pay nothing more.
That is not the kind of experience I am used to. At all. With anyone. I’d already become an Apple fanboy. But this just plain makes me happy. They took a bad situation – I was ticked that my wireless was down, and the unit I bought had failed after ~18 months – and made it a good situation. I’m getting a new unit, in the mail, this week. No hassle. Thanks, Apple. You just made a relatively new customer very, very loyal.
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Apple Care used to stink, royally. They've really improved. I just had my laptop serviced and had a wonderful experience. Their call facility is in Dallas, the last time I called while the rep was waiting for the computer to process and order we talked about the Cowboys and Romo. They're good folk, and generally pretty helpful. Three years ago I would not have said this though.
I had a nightmare experience back then.
First, that's been happening a *lot* with Time Capsules – it seems to be an all-to-common thing, this dying right at the 18 month mark. I gotta think that they'll figure it out…
Second, I've been pleased myself with AppleCare recently, as they've been great in handling some problems with my iPhone. 9 months old and the iPhone just died. AppleCare rep talked me through the normal stuff (working in IT, I have a low tolerance for crappy support attitude & processes…), listened to me, and then set up my appt at the nearest Apple Store. There, they swapped it out for a new ("refurb" – looked like new & could've been new…) iPhone. Less than a week later, the new phone developed a dead pixel. One call to AppleCare & a visit to the Apple Store later, they swapped out the screen/display for a new one. Color me *very* impressed with Apple's customer support processes…
Nathaniel and I were discussing that very thing yesterday. I've had four laptops in five years (and only one dying a natural death) and got so sick of the carnage I ordered AppleCare with my most recent. Totally worth the extra money, especially after the wonderful GeniusBar guy pepped me up with jokes during a 7-hour attempt at rescuing my old computer's harddrive…