This is Cult of Mac’s exclusive column written by an actual Apple retail store genius who answers all your questions about what it’s like to work at an Apple Store. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.
As the year is winding to a close, we revisit the five most top questions you guys asked the genius this year, including tips on escalating to a manager, secrets of the Apple Store, coming clean when your MacBook is waterlogged and more..
If you’ve got a question you want an inside scoop on, send us your questions and the answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to newsATcultofmac.com with “genius” in the subject line.
Q. What’s the most polite way to escalate an issue to a manager?
First, make sure you follow your technician’s protocols. When working on an issue, we have a set of troubleshooting guidelines that we have to follow to try to isolate your issue. We must get that done first before we can get a manager involved, so give us time to get all of the housekeeping issues squared away first. After those are out of the way, you’ll be given a couple of options to fix your issue and at that point you could ask for a manager.
If you’re not satisfied with the options presented by the Apple Specialist or Genius helping you, the best way to ask for a manager is to be straight up. Say, “I don’t think this is right and I’d like to talk to a manager.” Being nice really does go a long way in the Apple Store.
If you throw a temper tantrum, we’re still going to help you, but we’ll basically just do everything down to the letter of the law to resolve your issue and get you out of our hair. However, if you’re polite and friendly, managers will be more willing to go above and beyond the basics to repair that connection you have with the Apple brand.
Keep in mind that requesting a manager isn’t a silver bullet for killing any Apple issue you have. Even when a manager does finally come around, a lot of times they’ll just reaffirm that the Genius is following Apple policy, reiterate your options and go help another customer.
Q. What are some hidden “features” of the Apple Store that most customers don’t know about/notice?
Apple Stores are designed to be more and more efficient every day. Next time you visit a store, take a look around to see some of the hidden features that help the wood-and-steel adorned stores sell as many iDevices as possible. It’s easy to spot our portable Point of Sale (POS) systems which consist of an encased iPod with dedicated apps that allow us to scan products and swipe cards.
What you might not see is the cash drawers at the end of the display tables. With one click these drawers pop open wirelessly for cash transactions. Our special iPods, called EasyPays, can also print receipts to the hidden printers underneath the product tables.
The tote bags that are given to carry out purchases can also be found here. The tables also house security alarms that are triggered if a device is removed from the table. Inside, there’s also a network and power hubs for the display products. You can usually find a couple of card terminals around the store that are used in case of EasyPay issues.
If you’re at the Genius Bar, in the training or setup area and need a quick charge, check under the tables – or bar depending on the store – to find hidden power outlets and ethernet ports for wired network connections, cables not included.
Q. Have you ever worked drunk?
The job can be pretty stressful sometimes. Occasionally, I’ll have a drink before work or on a lunch break. It’s not a bad way to relax and most of the managers at the store don’t care unless you’re always coming in sloppy drunk.
There are always a few situations throughout the day where it’d be great to take a short drink break after helping out a particularly horrible customer, but I don’t make it a habit. Fixing people’s iPhones really isn’t any easier after a few drinks so there are few benefits to being hammered on the job. As for what happens after work, it isn’t uncommon for employees and managers to meet up and toss back a few.
Q. My 30-day-old MacBook Pro had a little accident involving water on the ride home. The screen isn’t working, but it will output video to an external monitor. What’s my best bet when approaching the Genius Bar – pretending I don’t know what happened, or fessing up?
Honesty is the best policy right? The Apple Geniuses are going to find out one way or another that your MacBook is water damaged. It’s better for them to find out from you right away, so fess up to it, but ask them what the best options are.
Ask them what was damaged and what repairs can be done. Sometimes – especially in your case where you purchased it very recently – they may be able to talk to a manager to help you out, so it’s good start off on the right foot.
The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple. Because the company wants to represent itself well and get great customer satisfaction scores, a manager might give you a break and only make you pay a partial amount of the repair, or even hook you up with a free repair.
Q. Am I really getting a NEW iPhone when I pay $49 for Apple to replace a broken iPhone covered by AppleCare+?
My line is that, yes, it is a new iPhone, but Apple terms and conditions state that “Apple may use parts or products that are new or equivalent to new in reliability and performance,” meaning the iPhone you’re getting is really “reconditioned,” not straight from the factory like it is when you buy a brand new iPhone.
We’re told to say that they aren’t “refurbished” because they’ve been totally gutted down to the frame. Apple’s stance is that they really are brand new devices, in the sense that they get a new enclosure, display, and innards, but there are a lot of parts that have been recycled from old iPhones, like the metal frame and some other parts.
We know they’re just rebuilding them. I’ve seen some that had a screw missing, others with a bad display, but it’s only been a small percentage. I’ve seen reconditioned iPhones that lasted twice as long as a new iPhone, so they’re not necessarily worse.
