Apple is doing well indeed. I know they could do better with customer satisfaction however. Why not put forth the small effort and push this rating over 90? Sometimes Apple is a real PITA when it comes to parts, repairs or replacements, and phone support duration is insufficient.
Most companies give a warranty of 3 years on hardware and 1 year of phone support. Apple is well short of this standard. While it is true that I've rarely had to use a warranty or phone support, there have been times when it's been necessary to seek support after 1 year, and when that happens, it's like running a marathon through he l l.
The other problem they have is being completely un-helpful when it comes to part replacements. If I need a replacement power supply or a drive mounting screw for a HP box, all I have to do is give HP a call (or go online) and order the replacement part. Done. Not so with Apple. Just try to get a part out of them, I dare you!
Example: I have an old Mac Pro tower at the office and the rotating plastic clip that holds one of the hard drives in place broke. I went to Apple seeking a replacement part. They would not cough one up. The only "solution" would be to order an entire replacement enclosure for over $1000 because the little plastic piece "isn't available separately". BS! I told them to screw that. I ended up gluing the part back together. If Apple doesn't think that action cost them sales, they are incorrect. The Mac Pro was actually used as a workgroup server, but no more! I now buy all server hardware from HP and run Linux on it. Apple's lost thousands of dollars in sales over that stupid move. Apple is a great company and they make some great products, but there are some areas where they still need to get their act together, and this is one of them, despite what the 'rating' may be.
It's hard to take you seriously when
1) Apple does offer Applecare ... which extends the warranty on it's computers to three years (including unlimited phone support). So, this whole argument you're trying to float out there that Apple doesn't want to service computer after one year is just completely false.
2) Yes, actually it's completely possible to buy genuine Apple parts for just about any computer built in the last ten years (and even quite a few older than that). On this one I can't tell if you're just completely ignorant, or grossly attempting to misrepresent the situation as something it's not.
Of course, if you go into an Apple Store they're not going to sell you parts ... that's not the way Apple works. You think they actually do any sort of repairs beyond simple things like changing RAM or power cords in the stores? They don't have a room in the back filled with replacement parts. The way it works is ... the Apple Genius verifies there is a hardware problem, and then they ship it off to the main Apple repair headquarters in Texas to ACTUALLY have the mechanical repairs performed. They don't do anything in house at the stores. You think a Genius is going to come back and say, "Okay, I took your power supply apart and isolated the problem as a bad capacitor, so I took the old one out and soldered in a new one." No! You can't buy Apple replacement parts at Apple Stores, because they don't have them ... they've NEVER sold them. The same goes for any Apple Authorized Reseller ... they can buy Apple products, but they can't buy Apple repair parts.
Genuine Apple parts have always been available from Apple Authorized Repair Centers ... you can get anything you want. You could completely rebuild a computer if you wanted (from the inside out). The only real problem isn't getting the right parts, but how much they cost. A newer model MacBook Pro logic board (for example) is well over $500. All you really have to do is go in to a repair center, and say "I want X part for X machine," they tell you the price, and you can buy it no problem. I don't really understand why you've come up with this premise that Apple either doesn't make the parts, or somehow has made it impossible for anyone outside Apple to have access to them. That's simply false and patently absurd.
The only thing that would be true is that Apple does things differently than say HP or Dell ... where any customer can call up their customer support and buy parts for their machine directly from the company. This is one of those things you can say "would be nice if Apple did [it]," but really ... Apple has never done it, so it would make about as much sense as the people who say Apple should license OS X to run on non-Apple devices. That's not the way Apple works, so you can b@#$ and moan all you want, but it's not going to happen. Besides ... you CAN get the parts quite easily even though you can't buy them directly from Apple ... it's really not a problem unless you're either completely stupid, or are too lazy to actually do it.
Apple has always discouraged end-user repairs on their equipment ... it's not hard to understand by looking at how their products are assembled. One of the reasons you CAN get parts directly from HP and Dell is that they design and INTEND for their products to be opened and repaired by the end-user if they choose to do so. Apple, instead, decided to make more precisely engineered products that operate at a higher quality. One of the tradeoffs on that decision was making their products in a way that it would make end user repair very difficult for the average person. In fact, if you don't know what you're doing you can completely destroy an Apple product quite easily ... even a Mac Pro (and it's the most like a traditional PC Clone). If you ever take apart a Dell Latitude and a MacBook Pro this becomes apparent to anyone just by looking at the insides ... compare the construction and design between the two products and it's easy to see the MacBook is much higher quality and expertly designed.
If you don't like Apple's business model don't buy Apple products ... that's the way open market's work. No one is forcing you to buy a Macintosh ...
I think it's rather well known fact by everyone Apple exerts an extreme amount of control over how their products are used, and how people interact not only with the product, but with Apple itself. That's part of what makes Apple so much different than any other computer manufacturer ... you can say it's good or bad, but in the end it seems to have worked pretty well for them given their market growth and stock price. If having to buy parts from an Apple Authorized Repair Center instead of Apple itself causes you such an existential dilemma then you should probably stick with PC's ... or hang out with other melodramatic teenage girls.
Dell has one year of in-home service. They send extremely competent people right to your house. Does Apple do that?
What if you live near a Best Buy and far from an Apple Store?
In addition, HP is giving standard 3 year next business day on-site support for their premium units (Elitebooks, some Probooks etc)... basically tech comes to your place and fix the problem. We had to call upon them a few times, works fine (here in NZ at least).
I'm sure Lenovo, Dell... have comparable services.
But for people who buy their computers as cheap as possible... and then complain when they have to courier it to repair centre and wait 2 weeks... really? No premium service for $300 laptop?
In addition, HP is giving standard 3 year next business day on-site support for their premium units (Elitebooks, some Probooks etc)... basically tech comes to your place and fix the problem. We had to call upon them a few times, works fine (here in NZ at least).
I'm sure Lenovo, Dell... have comparable services.
But for people who buy their computers as cheap as possible... and then complain when they have to courier it to repair centre and wait 2 weeks... really? No premium service for $300 laptop?
What's a "premium unit"? More expensive than a comparable Apple product? Less? Same? Could you elucidate with an example?
And THIS is why it's worth a little extra money for a Mac. When something goes wrong, I can not only bring it into a brick and mortar store for help, I can also call on the phone and get an American accent.
No PC manufacturer can match that.
Heck, I brought in an iPhone 4 complaining about the proximity sensor, and even though it was all chipped up and clearly used, they gave me a new one, no questions asked. It was beautiful.
I really think you should rethink that or rephrase it. "No PC manufacturer can match that." Because you are only thinking of the large companies that all fail and make horrible low end hardware. However there are dozens of companies that make high quality computers that have a higher customer satisfaction then apple. These Companies like Silverstone, Falcom Northwest and many others have great customer service primarly because they have such a small user base and they treat them more like the owners of the high end tech that they are.
Apple is a PC manufacturer, They just don't install windows for you and use an in house OS. Otherwise your buying the same Samsung ram, Toshiba harddrive, Unmarked Asus Motherboard, and the same Processor by intel. Yeah there is not special under the hood of that Mac.
Dell has one year of in-home service. They send extremely competent people right to your house. Does Apple do that?
Yes.
The Superdrive on my iMac got spoiled a few months back and Apple Support sent a pro over to replace it with a new drive. I didn't have to carry it to the store.
Of course, if you are talking about laptops, you didn't say so and I have no idea if Apple will send someone to the house. Luckily, neither my MBP not my wife's MBA have had problems so far!
That's exactly what I was thinking ... this guy is an ignorant troll. Unmarked Asus Motherboard my a@# ... that's such a stupid statement it's astounding. He's probably never even seen an Apple Logicboard ...
Comments
Apple is doing well indeed. I know they could do better with customer satisfaction however. Why not put forth the small effort and push this rating over 90? Sometimes Apple is a real PITA when it comes to parts, repairs or replacements, and phone support duration is insufficient.
Most companies give a warranty of 3 years on hardware and 1 year of phone support. Apple is well short of this standard. While it is true that I've rarely had to use a warranty or phone support, there have been times when it's been necessary to seek support after 1 year, and when that happens, it's like running a marathon through he l l.
The other problem they have is being completely un-helpful when it comes to part replacements. If I need a replacement power supply or a drive mounting screw for a HP box, all I have to do is give HP a call (or go online) and order the replacement part. Done. Not so with Apple. Just try to get a part out of them, I dare you!
Example: I have an old Mac Pro tower at the office and the rotating plastic clip that holds one of the hard drives in place broke. I went to Apple seeking a replacement part. They would not cough one up. The only "solution" would be to order an entire replacement enclosure for over $1000 because the little plastic piece "isn't available separately". BS! I told them to screw that. I ended up gluing the part back together. If Apple doesn't think that action cost them sales, they are incorrect. The Mac Pro was actually used as a workgroup server, but no more! I now buy all server hardware from HP and run Linux on it. Apple's lost thousands of dollars in sales over that stupid move. Apple is a great company and they make some great products, but there are some areas where they still need to get their act together, and this is one of them, despite what the 'rating' may be.
It's hard to take you seriously when
1) Apple does offer Applecare ... which extends the warranty on it's computers to three years (including unlimited phone support). So, this whole argument you're trying to float out there that Apple doesn't want to service computer after one year is just completely false.
2) Yes, actually it's completely possible to buy genuine Apple parts for just about any computer built in the last ten years (and even quite a few older than that). On this one I can't tell if you're just completely ignorant, or grossly attempting to misrepresent the situation as something it's not.
Of course, if you go into an Apple Store they're not going to sell you parts ... that's not the way Apple works. You think they actually do any sort of repairs beyond simple things like changing RAM or power cords in the stores? They don't have a room in the back filled with replacement parts. The way it works is ... the Apple Genius verifies there is a hardware problem, and then they ship it off to the main Apple repair headquarters in Texas to ACTUALLY have the mechanical repairs performed. They don't do anything in house at the stores. You think a Genius is going to come back and say, "Okay, I took your power supply apart and isolated the problem as a bad capacitor, so I took the old one out and soldered in a new one." No! You can't buy Apple replacement parts at Apple Stores, because they don't have them ... they've NEVER sold them. The same goes for any Apple Authorized Reseller ... they can buy Apple products, but they can't buy Apple repair parts.
Genuine Apple parts have always been available from Apple Authorized Repair Centers ... you can get anything you want. You could completely rebuild a computer if you wanted (from the inside out). The only real problem isn't getting the right parts, but how much they cost. A newer model MacBook Pro logic board (for example) is well over $500. All you really have to do is go in to a repair center, and say "I want X part for X machine," they tell you the price, and you can buy it no problem. I don't really understand why you've come up with this premise that Apple either doesn't make the parts, or somehow has made it impossible for anyone outside Apple to have access to them. That's simply false and patently absurd.
The only thing that would be true is that Apple does things differently than say HP or Dell ... where any customer can call up their customer support and buy parts for their machine directly from the company. This is one of those things you can say "would be nice if Apple did [it]," but really ... Apple has never done it, so it would make about as much sense as the people who say Apple should license OS X to run on non-Apple devices. That's not the way Apple works, so you can b@#$ and moan all you want, but it's not going to happen. Besides ... you CAN get the parts quite easily even though you can't buy them directly from Apple ... it's really not a problem unless you're either completely stupid, or are too lazy to actually do it.
Apple has always discouraged end-user repairs on their equipment ... it's not hard to understand by looking at how their products are assembled. One of the reasons you CAN get parts directly from HP and Dell is that they design and INTEND for their products to be opened and repaired by the end-user if they choose to do so. Apple, instead, decided to make more precisely engineered products that operate at a higher quality. One of the tradeoffs on that decision was making their products in a way that it would make end user repair very difficult for the average person. In fact, if you don't know what you're doing you can completely destroy an Apple product quite easily ... even a Mac Pro (and it's the most like a traditional PC Clone). If you ever take apart a Dell Latitude and a MacBook Pro this becomes apparent to anyone just by looking at the insides ... compare the construction and design between the two products and it's easy to see the MacBook is much higher quality and expertly designed.
If you don't like Apple's business model don't buy Apple products ... that's the way open market's work. No one is forcing you to buy a Macintosh ...
I think it's rather well known fact by everyone Apple exerts an extreme amount of control over how their products are used, and how people interact not only with the product, but with Apple itself. That's part of what makes Apple so much different than any other computer manufacturer ... you can say it's good or bad, but in the end it seems to have worked pretty well for them given their market growth and stock price. If having to buy parts from an Apple Authorized Repair Center instead of Apple itself causes you such an existential dilemma then you should probably stick with PC's ... or hang out with other melodramatic teenage girls.
Dell has one year of in-home service. They send extremely competent people right to your house. Does Apple do that?
What if you live near a Best Buy and far from an Apple Store?
In addition, HP is giving standard 3 year next business day on-site support for their premium units (Elitebooks, some Probooks etc)... basically tech comes to your place and fix the problem. We had to call upon them a few times, works fine (here in NZ at least).
I'm sure Lenovo, Dell... have comparable services.
But for people who buy their computers as cheap as possible... and then complain when they have to courier it to repair centre and wait 2 weeks... really? No premium service for $300 laptop?
In addition, HP is giving standard 3 year next business day on-site support for their premium units (Elitebooks, some Probooks etc)... basically tech comes to your place and fix the problem. We had to call upon them a few times, works fine (here in NZ at least).
I'm sure Lenovo, Dell... have comparable services.
But for people who buy their computers as cheap as possible... and then complain when they have to courier it to repair centre and wait 2 weeks... really? No premium service for $300 laptop?
What's a "premium unit"? More expensive than a comparable Apple product? Less? Same? Could you elucidate with an example?
And THIS is why it's worth a little extra money for a Mac. When something goes wrong, I can not only bring it into a brick and mortar store for help, I can also call on the phone and get an American accent.
No PC manufacturer can match that.
Heck, I brought in an iPhone 4 complaining about the proximity sensor, and even though it was all chipped up and clearly used, they gave me a new one, no questions asked. It was beautiful.
I really think you should rethink that or rephrase it. "No PC manufacturer can match that." Because you are only thinking of the large companies that all fail and make horrible low end hardware. However there are dozens of companies that make high quality computers that have a higher customer satisfaction then apple. These Companies like Silverstone, Falcom Northwest and many others have great customer service primarly because they have such a small user base and they treat them more like the owners of the high end tech that they are.
Apple is a PC manufacturer, They just don't install windows for you and use an in house OS. Otherwise your buying the same Samsung ram, Toshiba harddrive, Unmarked Asus Motherboard, and the same Processor by intel. Yeah there is not special under the hood of that Mac.
,... Unmarked Asus Motherboard, ...
You have no idea what you're talking about.
However there are dozens of companies that make high quality computers that have a higher customer satisfaction then apple.
Source.
Dell has one year of in-home service. They send extremely competent people right to your house. Does Apple do that?
Yes.
The Superdrive on my iMac got spoiled a few months back and Apple Support sent a pro over to replace it with a new drive. I didn't have to carry it to the store.
Of course, if you are talking about laptops, you didn't say so and I have no idea if Apple will send someone to the house. Luckily, neither my MBP not my wife's MBA have had problems so far!
You have no idea what you're talking about.
That's exactly what I was thinking ... this guy is an ignorant troll. Unmarked Asus Motherboard my a@# ... that's such a stupid statement it's astounding. He's probably never even seen an Apple Logicboard ...