Just as I was praising how cool Macs were in a previous post, my girlfriend's Nano died today and she had a run in with Apple's service center here in Beijing. As I mentioned previously, Apple seems to be having issues with service and support in other "emerging markets." Is this common in all emerging markets that companies known for quality and support in their home country give developing and emerging markets a different standard of support and quality?
Her user experience was not optimal at all. This is her own words of today's experience:
I'm amazed how fragile the ipods are. I own 2 of them so far. A previous 4th generation, 40GB Ipod died due to disk failure. In order to overcome my gadget grief, I went out and replaced it with a new 4GB nano immediately. However, in less than a year, my nano also died due to non-functioning disk drive within its warranty period. So, I did what the many did when their apple products died for no reason. I packed up my fa piao/receipts and all the necessary prove of purchase documentation and headed down to nearest apple care center. And the reply I got was: Sorry madam; even thou your ipod is genuine, we can’t replace it for you? Me: What? Why? It’s still under warranty Apple service center guy: Oh...Your nano was brought in one of the non proper distribution channels. We are not authorized to entertain such requests? Me: holding my breath. Any other solutions please? Apple service center guy: You can go back to the place where you bought your nano. You should be able to work out and even get a free replacement from them. Me: I’ve tried. It doesn’t work. That’s why I’m here Apple service center guy: Please call our customer service hotline at 800-810 2323 Immediately, I’ve became one of the million of Apple hating customers walking out of the service center feeling being ripped off big time. And on top of that, my call to the apple call center became a total shouting match. Summary of the call: Call center dude: There nothing I can do. Give me say at least 10days so we can sort it out. Me: Is that the best reply you can give me? Call center dude: There’s nothing I can do. Even if its Apple distribution problem. Me: Just because its apple’s distribution policies in China screwing up, why do I have to go through this? And your answer is not good for me, doesn’t solve my problem or a concrete way to solve it. Call center: Nothing I can do here. I can only return you a call in ten days after consulting with the other channels Total meltdown begins! This may be my last apple purchase and I'm thinking it will be my last. This level of customer service for a tech brand is simply unacceptable; and I will never going back to buy any of their products despite what their sleeky ads have claimed otherwise. Come to think of it; it’s no wonder that Apple doesn't have that many corporate customers ? why would you want to put up with this? I know I wouldn’t.
I'm amazed how fragile the ipods are. I own 2 of them so far. A previous 4th generation, 40GB Ipod died due to disk failure. In order to overcome my gadget grief, I went out and replaced it with a new 4GB nano immediately.
However, in less than a year, my nano also died due to non-functioning disk drive within its warranty period. So, I did what the many did when their apple products died for no reason.
I packed up my fa piao/receipts and all the necessary prove of purchase documentation and headed down to nearest apple care center.
And the reply I got was: Sorry madam; even thou your ipod is genuine, we can’t replace it for you? Me: What? Why? It’s still under warranty
Apple service center guy: Oh...Your nano was brought in one of the non proper distribution channels. We are not authorized to entertain such requests? Me: holding my breath. Any other solutions please?
Apple service center guy: You can go back to the place where you bought your nano. You should be able to work out and even get a free replacement from them.
Me: I’ve tried. It doesn’t work. That’s why I’m here Apple service center guy: Please call our customer service hotline at 800-810 2323
Immediately, I’ve became one of the million of Apple hating customers walking out of the service center feeling being ripped off big time. And on top of that, my call to the apple call center became a total shouting match.
Summary of the call: Call center dude: There nothing I can do. Give me say at least 10days so we can sort it out. Me: Is that the best reply you can give me?
Call center dude: There’s nothing I can do. Even if its Apple distribution problem. Me: Just because its apple’s distribution policies in China screwing up, why do I have to go through this? And your answer is not good for me, doesn’t solve my problem or a concrete way to solve it.
Call center: Nothing I can do here. I can only return you a call in ten days after consulting with the other channels
Total meltdown begins!
This may be my last apple purchase and I'm thinking it will be my last. This level of customer service for a tech brand is simply unacceptable; and I will never going back to buy any of their products despite what their sleeky ads have claimed otherwise.
Come to think of it; it’s no wonder that Apple doesn't have that many corporate customers ? why would you want to put up with this?
I know I wouldn’t.
For some background, that's how I got my second 4th generation Ipod for free. No Apple service center in China was willing to fix my GF's 40 gig 4th generation Ipod with or without a fee. There was no other solution other than to throw it away since we were in China. However, I was lucky enough tosee this post on the web and tried it myself. All I needed to do was to buy a replacement Toshiba Hard Drive and re-initialize. Getting a Toshiba Hard Drive replacement took 10 minutes at Zhonguancun's computer complex and I formated the disk with the Ipod updater from Apple painlessly. The hardest part was opening the Ipod which is a bit tricky but possible. I replaced the drive and the once dead Ipod worked again without a hitch. I'm not sure why Apple refuses to do something as simple as this for their customers in China but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has gone through the service center hell of Apple China.
If I am going to pay more for a branded MP3 player that is 100 to 200% more expensive than comparable MP3 players, I hope that part of that costs goes into supportng the product during its lifetime and not just for a few months.
Maybe Apple service centers have their own sweatshop operations of their own?
-frank yu
UPDATE: The Backlash has begun....
disclaimer: none of my Apple products have ever broken down...but then again I just fix them myself.