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- Apple Tech Support Tips: 4 Steps to Bend Apple to Your Will
We usually love our Apple products. They work well, are easy to understand and when we have a problem, Apple works quickly to resolve it. Most of the time. What happens when Apple simply won’t play ball? Read on and find out how to work Apple’s system.
Step 1: AASP and Geniuses
For many people, their first interaction is with the Apple store, however some will go to an Apple Authorized Service provider (AASP). AASP determinations can be overridden by an Apple store, so going to the Apple store would be your first escalation if you are not satisfied by the AASP. Typically a Genius determines you have a problem, but alas, you may be out of warranty. Maybe they are claiming the item was abused or tampered with and you disagree. Often you are just barely out of warranty or fall right outside a Repair Extension. Be sure to keep careful notes of the dates and times of your conversations and with whom you’ve spoken. All is not lost.
Step 2: The CS Code
Your next step can be to call the general number for Apple technical support (800-275-2273). Explain your situation and ask for an accommodation; usually you want a repair at no charge to you. Your ultimate goal is to get a “CS code.” A CS code acts like a coupon. Give the CS code to the AASP and the cost of the repair will be discounted by the amount the CS Code authorizes. Apple tech support is based in North America, so you’ll unlikely have the communication barriers you face with other brands. Again, keep careful notes.
Step 3: Customer Relations
What if tech support won’t play ball? Your next step is to call technical support, or pretty much any Apple number, and ask for “Customer Relations.” That’s the magic phrasing that gets you talking with people who can override the decisions of any AASP. They’ll usually be the one to issue a CS code.
When talking with Customer Relations, always be polite, fair and accommodating. These are human beings who will often rise or fall to the level of politeness and aggressiveness they receive. Having learned from others’ success with Customer Relations, it’s best to focus on the fact that you are a loyal Mac user. Briefly tell them about your love of all things Apple. Be enthusiastic and authentic.
Next, tell them about your problem and your frustration that Apple didn’t cover it but you think they should. It may be that your Mac or iPod is just barely out of warranty, or maybe it’s been in for similar problems before and Apple didn’t fix it right the first time. Often it’s related to a known defect that Apple hasn’t quite admitted yet. Mention places you’ve read about others having the same problem you have.
In a previous article, I talked about reading Apple’s Annual Report to determine what issues Apple could be facing lawsuits about. Focus on the fact that you want to be an Apple supporter, but its actions in this particular matter that have shaken your confidence. You might playfully mention some of the ads you’ve seen and how much you are a believer.
Ask the Apple representative for something reasonable and fair — usually the repair of the item under warranty. Frequently Apple will meet you half-way by agreeing to cover the parts, but not the labor. Consider that a win. If you don’t get the answer you want the first time, don’t be afraid to call back and speak with another rep. Don’t get into an argument. Thank them for their time and try again.
Step 4: Bring in The Steve
What if even Customer Relations isn’t appearing to be fair with you? Now it’s time to bring in Steve. No, not the Woz, but rather Mr. Steve Jobs. Write him at steve@apple.com or sjobs@apple.com. Your email will be read by a member of his staff (and even Steve himself on occasion). Make the same case you made to Customer Relations in the same fair, accommodating and professional way. They’ll often find you a solution. Maybe it’s not a CS code, but usually a fair deal that protects Apple’s financial interest, yet goes the extra mile to keep you as a Mac user.
Alternatively, and in addition to contacting Steve, if you are an Apple investor, contact investor relations (408-974-3123). You can mention all the things you mentioned to Customer Relations, but add the fact that this experience has tainted not just your technology buying experience but your confidence in Apple as an investor. If you’ve posted your woes on Twitter, stock boards, or on your blog, you can mention that. Be honest and direct. These people will get you in contact with people in the “Exec” team, who are usually the same people who handle the steve@apple.com email.
Still no dice? Well, I think you are out of luck. Sometimes it just happens. At least now you know the escalation methods and at least have a fighting chance with Apple.
Do you have a successful Apple war story?
Переслать - Reason to Quit: Apple Warranties Void for Smokers
I quit smoking four years ago, but before that, I was a dedicated smoker for a solid decade. Luckily, I never had any Mac trouble that would necessitate a warranty replacement during those 10 years, or I might’ve been out of luck. Apple has denied Applecare warranty service in at least two separate instances due to the effects of secondhand smoke, according to Consumerist.
In both cases, smoke was to blame for repairs not performed, but not because the malfunctions the computers suffered were due to damage related to cigarette smoke. Instead, the fact that the Macs had existed in houses where people smoked had resulted in the machines being labeled health risks, which was grounds for repair personnel to refuse to work on them.
It’s unclear whether or not smoking is specifically covered in the terms of Applecare, but it appears that the grounds upon which service refusals have been made is the classification of nicotine as a hazardous substance on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) list. At least, that’s what one of the people affected heard from Steve Jobs’ office, though she clearly disputes the logic used in that justification:
Dena [from Jobs' office] did advise me that nicotine is on OSHA’s list of hazardous substances and Apple would not require an employee to repair anything deemed hazardous to their health. However, OSHA also lists calcium carbonate (found in calcium tablets), isopropyl alcohol (used to clean wounds), chlorine (used in swimming pools), hydrogen peroxide (also used to clean wounds), sucrose (a sugar), talc (as in powder), etc…as hazardous substances.
Consumerist couldn’t get an Apple representative to make an official statement regarding the company’s policy on Macs used in a smoking environment, but considering the similarity of both responses to the inquiries of the two people affected, Apple repair personnel at least reserve the right to refuse service, even if they don’t always choose to exercise that right.
As a longtime smoker (who never smoked indoors anywhere I lived, mind you), and as someone who’s had to get the cigarette smell out of at least one car before selling it, I can see people objecting to working on a computer that’s been saturated with smoke for an extended period. The smell isn’t pretty, and it might feel like the machine might be hazardous to your health — feel being the key word.
I’m no scientist, but I’m assuming it isn’t like the Apple techs cracked the case and a puff of smoke shot out. Is there really a significant danger associated with the inert remnants of what smoke leaves behind? I remain highly skeptical. Anyone else ever run into this excuse for refusing an otherwise valid Applecare repair?
Переслать - Apple's Black Friday Tease
Good golly gosh but aren't Macs expensive? Apple unashamedly caters to the sub-$1,000 computer market and doesn’t compromise on price. So, when our credit card statements arrive, we reassure our guilt-ridden selves that it's the price we must pay for superior quality. We are, frankly, discerning, demanding, debonair suckers buyers.
But there is a day — just one, glorious day in the year — when the prices on Macs (and other goodies) fall and we are no longer forced to make the agonising choice between, say, food for the month or a shiny new toy with a glowing fruit on it. It's Black Friday, of course, it isn't only for Americans, and Apple just started teasing us about it.
The Apple online store features a new Apple One-Day Shopping Event page. It doesn't say an awful lot, though the headline tantalises us with "Happy Friday. Especially this Friday."
The special one-day Apple shopping event. November 27.
Come back to the Apple Online Store the day after Thanksgiving for a special one-day-only holiday shopping event. You'll find dozens of great iPod, iPhone, and Mac gift ideas — all with free shipping.
Mark your calendar now. And until then, start your research by browsing the Apple Online Store to find iPod, iPhone, and Mac gifts for everyone on your list.
No precise word yet on which iPods, iPhones and Macs will be included in the sale, or how generous the (very temporary) discounts will be. The Boy Genius Report suggests the discounts on iPods might be as high as 30 percent, and up to 25 percent on Macs. Accessories, they say, will enjoy discounts of up to 15 percent. Even better, while Black Friday is a mostly American tradition, the discounts are usually made for all customers buying on the Apple Store, irrespective of their country of residence.
I tell you this much; if the Magic Mouse gets discounted, I'll be mighty upset (see what I did there?). I only bought mine last week. It won’t do that, will it?
However, my MobileMe subscription does need renewing, and I’ll be deeply happy to get a discount on that hobbled-yet-necessary wreck of a service. (Sadly, a 15 percent discount still doesn’t mean a fair price for MobileMe, but heck, I’ll take what I can!)
What do you think should be discounted, and by how much? Are you waiting for Friday with baited breath, and credit card in hand? What are you most hoping to see — and don't say a Core i7 iMac at half price, you know that's never gonna happen! Share your retail therapy dreams in the comments below.
Переслать - Magic Mouse Drivers for Windows Magically Appear
Apple unveiled its Mighty Mouse replacement, the Magic Mouse, last month alongside new versions of the iMac, Mac mini and entry-level Macbook. The mouse was well-received, perhaps due in part to the disappointment most felt about its predecessor. Better tracking and touch gestures combined to deliver a much better experience overall.But only for Mac users, since unlike the Mighty Mouse before it, the Magic Mouse didn’t ship with any Windows support, so brand traitors were simply out of luck. Now, a Windows driver for the Magic Mouse has surfaced, so the PC faithful can see what all the buzz is about.
The software release isn’t an official one, so proceed at your own risk. What happened was that someone, via a nice little bit of technical conjuring, freed a 32-bit and 64-bit version of the Magic Mouse driver from Apple’s recent Boot Camp update using an unrar tool. So it’s software, just not officially released software.
The source of the drivers hopefully indicates that Apple is planning on officially releasing support for the the Magic Mouse’s multitouch features somewhere in the near future, so if you’re at all wary about trying these hacked versions out, you may not have long to wait. After all, Windows still accounts for 96 percent of the computing market share, so Apple is foregoing a lot of potential revenue in not offering PC support.
You can grab the drivers from Uneasy Silence, but the link for the 64-bit version is broken as of this writing. The 32-bit version downloads fine, though, as a Windows executable. I haven’t yet had a chance to try this out with my Magic Mouse, but if you have, let us know how it worked out in the comments.
Переслать - Rumor Has It: Camera Still Bound for iPod Touch
At the Apple iPod event this past September, the iPod nano got a video upgrade, but despite rumors to the contrary, the iPod touch didn’t get a similar treatment. The Internet was ablaze with expectation thanks to the appearance of a number of iPod touch cases with camera holes built in, all positioned the same, which seemed like a fair indicator that video was coming to the touchscreen iPod.Even after the newest touch model was released, teardowns revealed what looked like a space reserved for the camera internally. Apple seemed to be holding back for some reason, and recently reports have been made that that is indeed the case, and that a camera-wielding iPod touch will appear in Spring of 2010.
The news comes via The Examiner, which ascribes the information to sources within Apple. They claim that as most people suspect, a camera was indeed planned for release this fall, but the product failed to meet Apple’s exacting standards:
We have heard from an inside source who claims the camera version of the iPod Touch 3G will be released this Spring. The source confirms to us that the iPod Touch 3G with camera had actually been planned for release this past September, but had problems passing quality control. Unlike Samsung, Apple actually has a Quality Control department.
The article goes on to say that the camera going into the iPod touch will be the same as the one in the current iPod nano, not that found in the iPhone. Presumably, that means that the new touch won’t be able to shoot still photos, which is something the nano camera isn’t able to do.
This newest claim about the iPod touch is backed up by earlier reports of production problems just ahead of the September event, which were said to have frustrated Apple’s launch plans. The nature of the problem wasn’t specified, but French Apple news site HardMac reported it affected “the first dozen of thousands units produced.”
Spring 2010 makes sense as a launch time frame, too, because Apple did upgrade the iPod touch alongside the other iPod models in September, even without the addition of a camera. Even if it resolved production issues quickly, because it went ahead and launched the product without the component, the Mac maker will have to wait a decent amount of time before introducing another new model in order to clear on-hand stock and defer unnecessary production reconfiguration costs.
Переслать - Apple Speaks: Schiller Defends App Store Approval Process
In what BusinessWeek is describing as "his first extensive interview on the subject," Phil Schiller, everyone's favorite Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apple, has defended Apple's application approval process.
I've read through it a few times, and I'd hardly call it "extensive." I think it's more accurately described as "PR spin" more than anything else. Schiller’s opening salvo is actually an advertisement.
We’ve built a store for the most part that people can trust. You and your family and friends can download applications from the store, and for the most part they do what you’d expect, and they get onto your phone, and you get billed appropriately, and it all just works.
It's obviously going to transmit good vibes to the majority of BusinessWeek readers (who likely weren't even aware of an application approval process in the first place, never mind a problem with it) but it's unlikely to smooth the feathers of frustrated, angry developers. See, Mr. Schiller not only defended the approval process, but said that developers actually like it.
Most [apps] are approved and some are sent back to the developer. In about 90% of those cases, Apple requests technical fixes—usually for bugs in the software or because something doesn’t work as expected. Developers are generally glad to have this safety net because usually Apple’s review process finds problems they actually want to fix.
Here's what TechCrunch's Jason Kincaid had to say about that:
This is a laughable statement. Developers may like the concept of having an external QA safety net that helps catch bugs, but not one that's incredibly inconsistent and penalizes them with extended delays and notoriously bad communication.
Schiller does manage to admit that Apple has made mistakes. Sadly, he doesn't say it loudly enough. In a Social Networking era when transparency is not only beneficial to a company but almost essential to maintaining a happy customer base, Apple still can't manage genuine "openness" where it most counts. I'm sure Misters Jobs and Schiller grudgingly decided this interview was a necessary (if bitter-tasting) step in damage-control. But it's dripping with convoluted and downright unfriendly corporate-speak.
Here are Schiller's comments on the matter of Apple's recent inconsistent approach to trademark protection (brief recap; Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil Speakers app displayed a tiny icon of the remote computer to which the app was connected — Apple initially approved the app, and it proved very successful. Then someone noticed the icons were of Macs, and Apple pulled it for trademark violation).
[Schiller] says Apple is trying to make trademark guidelines more sophisticated. “We need to delineate something that might confuse the customer and be an inappropriate use of a trademark from something that’s just referring to a product for the sake of compatibility,” he says. “We’re trying to learn and expand the rules to make it fair for everyone.”
In a twist I didn't see coming, BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl adds that Rogue Amoeba "…will soon submit a version of the app with the Apple images intact." That's good to know, since it was almost universally agreed (except perhaps by the most fundamental fanbois) that Apple's actions were not only inconsistent and hypocritical — they were just plain stupid.
Kincaid summarises:
Schiller's interview highlights how badly Apple is underestimating the negative impact the App Store is having on its reputation in the developer community… Apple may not care about losing a handful of developers to Android, but their shortsighted strategy of answering developer complaints with PR spin rather than transparency and action may hurt them in the long run.
I'll give Apple this; it’s learning. Slowly, painfully slowly, continental-drift-slowly, but remember that the iPhone is not yet three years old, the application store even younger. In a sense, Apple is making this up as it goes, and it’s bound to take some wrong turns along the winding path toward approval process nirvana. Developers don't expect Apple to be perfect; they will tolerate and forgive occasional missteps, but only if the channel of discourse between them significantly improves beyond where it stands today; which, so far as I can see, is a slightly updated status page on the Apple Dev Center website and, when developers get rowdy enough, the occasional intervention by Phil Schiller.
Do we need Apple to act, as Joe Hewitt put it, as Gatekeepers? Apple doesn't vet the quality and functionality of applications built for the Macintosh; though, I wonder — were the Mac to be invented today, would Apple insist on an Application Store for the desktop Mac OS X? If so, would it offer the same reasoning for its draconian regulation of its software ecosystem?
Everyone has an opinion on how best to solve the problem; I suspect it's all about balance. An approval process is fine so long as Apple's rules are fair, practical and consistently applied across all apps, all the time. And if or when it screws up, Apple should admit it instantly and correct its error. So, riddle me this… if it's so easy for the community to offer reasonable solutions, why is it proving so hard for Apple?
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