News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

July 23, 2006

tips

Genius in a bottle: Apple Store support tips

Posted Jul. 23, ’06, 8:42 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Tips

conciergerej.jpgHaving had to make a couple appointments for the Genius Bar at the Apple Store over the past few days (for the randomly shutting down MacBook which has actually been behaving yesterday and today), I thought I’d share with you a little tip on how to spend less time waiting.

Making an appointment via Apple’s online Concierge service is de rigeur if you actually want to get to talk to a genius. If you’ve ever seen the depressing screen at right (as I have, all too often), though, you may wonder if the system does any good. My suggestion? Since the stores only let you make same-day appointments (unless you’re a ProCare member), make your appointment as early as possible. Me, I’ve been making them at 12:01AM, giving me a pretty wide choice of times.

Show up promptly, and make sure you check in at the bar. The CambridgeSide store (which I frequent) is busy enough that they’ll often hand out restaurant-style vibrating pagers even to those who have appointments.

And, though this may seem like common sense, once you sit down across the bar from the Genius, stay calm and polite. The ones I’ve interacted with have been very helpful and pleasant for the most part; I’m sure it has everything to do with my personable demeanor.


1 Comments

Kris said:

I worked for a help and support desk for about a year and a half at the college I was attending. Though I am transferring and won't be working there, I just wanted to stress on the politeness factor. I remember if we had a student or faculty that was more arrogant or a lot less patient, it was that much harder for us to assist them. As someone helping, if you really love what you're doing, you walk in with the desire to help, but the morale will quickly fade if the user walks in acting as if they know just what it is or even complains much about the product or service. How you act, in many cases, will determine how your appointment goes.

July 23, 2006 11:17 AM

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