OT - I now believe Sheldon on BBT when...

[RABid]

I've seen several episodes of Big Bang Theory where Sheldon and the gang make fun of Apple Geniuses. Well, I just spend 90 minutes on the phone with Apple support with no resolution. We got "disconnected" with the problem still unresolved. I then tried something that he said would not work, and guess what, it worked. In short, I had to change my email address. The apple system got confused between the old and the new. I got an error warning in settings on my iPhone that would not go away, and when I tried to do what it said to do, it got an unknown error. My account information was still showing the old address, and the email information was showing the new address. It kept trying to get me to log into the account to resolve an issue using the old address, then could not log in and the error would not go away. About an hour into the call he told me the only way to use the new address would be to log out, log in with the new address, and it would be a new account. I would loose my purchased apps, connection to Apple One, etc... After the disconnection I decided to give it a try on an old iPad. I logged out, logged back in, and it worked. My new address was primary and I was connected to all my old purchases and information.

 

Maybe I should get a job with Apple support, but no, with a degree in computer science and 20+ years of experience I may not be what they are looking for. Anyway, that is done. I only have 1000 other places that I need to change my email information. For anyone who is going to ask why I changed my email, I'm ashamed to say. Lets just say that it involves Godaddy and several people on this forum have warned that it would happen some day.

[ElmerJFudd]

As with all professions - there are tiers of knowledge and experience. Most phone 'techs' I"ve spoken with over the years have a playbook they"ve been given by the manufacturer. If user experiences X then turn to page Y. Alternatively, I have occasionally been truly impressed with a tech at the desk in this or that vendor"s or dealer"s shop - daily hands on experience has brought them to fast and efficient conclusions that remedy issues on the spot. So, you know what Gump says - life is like a box of chocolates... Just as an aside - in defence of the guru title, the test is pretty hard and all encompassing. Plenty of experienced tech support people struggle to pass it. But same scenario - there"s a Guru and then there"s a Guru. You"re not always lucky enough to be seated with the one you"d want.

[Geoff Grace]

That sounds frustrating, Robert! I'm glad you were able to resolve the situation on your own.

 

My own experience with Apple phone calls is that the first tier of support typically knows no more than the average power user. If something stumps me, it usually stumps them. Once they transfer me to the next level up, I usually get the help I need. I also find that the next level is equivalent to the Genius Bar support available in LA's Apple Stores. In fact, during the pandemic I've talked to people who normally staff the Genius Bars once I've been moved up a rung on the support ladder.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[RABid]

I had only dealt with Apple support once before and that was at least 15 years ago. I was upgrading an Apple device and it died in the process and became totally unresponsive. I had purchased Apple Care and was not too worried, but when I called the Apple tech told me that according to the serial number the device was too old to still be under warranty and accused me of lying about the purchase date. He said Apple products do not sit on the shelf that long, would not resolve the issue and closed the case. I had to call my rep at PC Mall and at the time I was buying 50-100 computers a year from him. 15 minutes later Apple called me and told me they were sending a replacement unit. Made me wonder what people do that are not corporate purchasers with some pull. Well, now that I am retired I am starting to find out.

[timwat]

I've had my fair share of interaction with Genius Bar. As a result, it has been helpful for me in setting expectations to view the Genius Bar as an Apple revenue center. They have a widely-known history of frequently denying a problem can be repaired or rectified, instead encouraging the user to simply upgrade to new.

 

Sort of an admixture of what we used to think of as "technical support" and not-so-subtle "just whip out your credit card and buy a sparkly new one" sales department.

[David Emm]

I bought my third Mac (an iMac) when they made the shift to an Intel chip set. I was amazed to have it crap out at rotten intervals. I wrote more ambient material during that time because Saving like mad was my only defense, not being able to edit dependably in the usual manner. Long/short, they sent a tech to my house twice, who unshipped the guts in a bid to revive it. The 2nd time, my contact said "If you have any more issues, call me and we'll talk replacement." Well, the speakers were DOA, so she said "Let me send you the newer model, as we don't make that one any more." Hm! I said "That's going to unfortunately hose all of my music apps." She said "You're a repeat customer and you've had a lousy road with this. I'm authorized to go the extra mile here and there. Would you like a copy of Logic?" My previous cantankerous sequencer went bye-bye and I'm two more iMacs & Logic versions down the road today.

 

Apple Care works like a champ in my experience. My PC pals are always in a tech-lather. My Mac pals and I talk about what we're doing musically. Apple does some hinky things to its customers at times, like arbitrarily changing or deleting connectors, but they've cradled my tender white buttocks like they were dove eggs. Of course, if I used an iPhone, I'd probably want to boil Tim Cook in aspic.