Unfiltered Story #280912

Apple Stores aren’t your typical retail store. We have revered customer service, but sometimes customers have unreasonable expectations (why should I have to pay to get my screen fixed… you made the glass too thin!) and aren’t happy with our service. So they either call AppleCare or write to the BBB where Executive Relations will then give them basically anything they want.

Recently, a customer came in wanting to get the screen replaced on his iPhone 5S. The catch to screen replacements is that a new screen will be shaped like a new phone – meaning, if the phone enclosure itself got dented, a new screen won’t fit in properly, and we have to replace the entire phone for a much higher cost. We’re not rated on service revenue, so we have no motivation to lie to you…but this customer didn’t believe that.

I inform him that two sizable dents on the side of the phone will make it impossible for a new screen to go on, so we’ll have to replace the whole device. He goes into a frustrated tirade about how we should at least try a screen (but if it fails, you’ve wasted $129) and that he shouldn’t have to pay if it fails (if we waste a part and labor on you after informing you this won’t work, yes, you should).

He asks for my manager, who is six months pregnant. She calmly corroborates my statement that the repair won’t be possible with the dents and that his only option would be a full device swap. He retaliates, “You’ve got to be the worst bitch I’ve ever met.” (Both of us were being rather nice and empathetic about it.) She scowls and says “I’m going to have to ask you to leave the store” to which he responds, “Why don’t you go lose some weight, fatty.”

So I decide to write up non-repair notes on his account about that appointment… I saved onto his profile notes that stated our interaction and how he responded, how he called my pregnant manager a bitch and told her to lose weight. I implored Executive Relations to not throw us under the bus and to refuse this customer anything besides the originally quoted service.

Sure enough, two days later, I checked his profile again out of curiosity. He had contacted a tier-three AppleCare supervisor, and the notes merely stated “Read notes from technician at Apple Retail Store. Informed customer his business would be more welcomed at Samsung.”

Manager and I fist-bumped.