Apple + AT&T = Worst Service on the Planet

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/14/2008 02:52:28 PM · #1

I am now convinced that when you combine Appleâ��s super-secret policies and AT&T employees trained in anti-Customer Service you get the worst experience on the planet. THANK YOU STEVE!!!

Okay, so Friday I was one of those geeks standing at the opening of the nearest AT&T store to get my iPhone. We waited in lineâ�¦they came around and asked us to fill out a preliminary form, and to inquire as to which model we were interested in.

Around 9:40 after about 15 people had gone thru the store we were informed that they were out of stock. Apparently this store only had 30 iPhones in stock. And I swear the lady with the four little kids left with 5 of them.

It was quite annoying as the AT&T employees repeatedly refused to specify how many phones they had in stock. Even though they knew that they had twice as many people outside the door when they first opened. So we waited for a possible 10 oâ��clock UPS delivery which never came. The sales guy then offered people to sign up for a drop shipment to arrive in 2-10 days. Of course for many of us, including the guy from New Jersey standing in line, this was not the best store to drop ship too.

When someone asked when they might next expect a shipment. The salesperson stated 4pm. But then went on to say that they wonâ��t be selling those until tomorrow. When asked why, he said because itâ��d be unfair to us - seeing as we stood (needlessly I might add) in line all morning. So I then asked, what if we stayed until 4pm. â��No, we still wonâ��t sell them until tomorrow.â�� So his answer was total balogne.

So a couple hours later I then went to another store nearby, this one happens to be on my way to & from work. And therefore much more convenient to drop ship to. Only to be told theyâ��re not taking any more fulfillment orders.

So fast forward to Monday. I stop into a store nearby my work. They still have no iPhones. Ask about fulfillment but turns out I need my wife to be involved as well. Problem, I work in a different city than we live in. A couple hours later I then had my wife (with 1 yr old daughter in tow) go back to the store near us to do a fulfillment order. They tell her theyâ��re no longer accepting fulfillment orders because the warehouse is backordered.

So then I talk to Apple customer service, waiting 15 minutes for a manager. The customer service rep was quite nice, but when she didnâ��t transfer the call properly.

Can we say five ***** for failure?

***

Apple should have just allowed ordering from their website like they used too. Or at the very least allowed you to order an iPhone and have it delivered to the nearest AT&T or Apple store.

Message edited by author 2008-07-14 14:53:27.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

07/14/2008 02:57:40 PM · #2

That's the joy of being an early adopter.

If you could hold your water for another couple of weeks, you could get your iPhone without hassle.

BTW Apple and ATT got nothin' on Sprint for worst service.

digitalpins

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

07/14/2008 03:06:15 PM · #3

I am with Cingular/ATT&T and never had any problems and yes I am going get the new iPhone but I am waiting. I know its crazy and everyone is at the stores trying to get one still. So I can wait a week or two and get one then, the stores are always like that when and apple product launches.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/14/2008 03:16:56 PM · #4

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

If you could hold your water for another couple of weeks, you could get your iPhone without hassle.

Problem is I've been waiting since April. I would have gotten an earlier model, but was waiting for my contract with Verizon to expire. Then you couldn't even get the 1st gen model.

It's just the system they have set up for sales is poor. You should be able to walk into any AT&T store at ANY time and a) buy an iPhone or b) order and be placed on a waiting list.

It's just lame...because their present system is like Russian roulette. "Do you want to waste a half a day?"

Message edited by author 2008-07-14 15:17:28.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

07/14/2008 04:18:45 PM · #5

Originally posted by theSaj:

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

If you could hold your water for another couple of weeks, you could get your iPhone without hassle.

Problem is I've been waiting since April. I would have gotten an earlier model, but was waiting for my contract with Verizon to expire. Then you couldn't even get the 1st gen model.

It's just the system they have set up for sales is poor. You should be able to walk into any AT&T store at ANY time and a) buy an iPhone or b) order and be placed on a waiting list.

It's just lame...because their present system is like Russian roulette. "Do you want to waste a half a day?"

Once your contract expires with Verizon, you don't have to sign a new one immediately.

I don't see anything that indicates your urgency is anything but impatience. FWIW, I am going to get one of the new iPhones as well, but I'll wait til the hype inducing frenzy dies out a bit.

digitalpins

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

07/14/2008 04:20:59 PM · #6

same here I am waiting too, I am eligible for a new phone as well but I suggest to just wait for the craziness to die down....

I knew it would be this crazy from seeing the 1st launching of the last iPhone

For any new apple product never never go on the launching day all the fanboys/nerds are out their waiting. I am a huge apple person to but I know to wait...

Message edited by author 2008-07-14 16:22:32.

07/14/2008 04:21:47 PM · #7

No, it's not urgency...it is purely impatience. Actually, it's more annoyance!

I wouldn't mind if I could simply order an iPhone, have it back-ordered and shipped when available. What I dislike is constantly wasting my !@#$% time by having to go the AT&T store to see if it's a) in-stock or b) they are currently taking fulfillment orders.

Hence, Customer Service SUCKS. That and I really dislike when sales people try to be manipulative, lie, hide information, etc.

***

Follow-Up, I did talk with an actual Apple representative at customer support. And they were quite nice and helpful.

Photologist

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

07/20/2008 03:52:41 AM · #8

Here is my iPhone purchasing experience this past Thurday...

This past Thursday (six days after iDay), I went to buy an iPhone 3G. I got to the mall and waited in line (outside) at 7:15 a.m. for a 9:00 opening. I was 23rd in line. As the opening hour approached, the line grew to about 100 people.

I came to this location (Manhattan Village Mall, in Manhattan Beach, California) because the night before, the availability web site said they had all models in stock. Closer to my home (Orange County), most Apple stores were sold out of the 16GB models, both black and white)

When I finally got to the "front" of the line, by the mall entrance, the Apple guy stamped our hands--just 10 of us at a time would get stamped. After a little while, he let us "stamped folks" into the mall and told us to go around the corner to the Apple store. Well, the Apple store had a roped-off line in front (outside in the hall), where no more than 10 people would stand.

So, I made it from the long, main, outdoor line to the smaller indoor line. We waited for quite a while until he let three of us in the store into a "holding area". This area was a cordoned-off section of the store with display iPods and macbooks for us to play with while we waited more. We waited, again, for quite a while. Every so often, an employee would come up to this special area and take one person over to buy the iPhone.

My whole ordeal with waiting in line and buying the phone was four hours. When the employee finally came to get me, the whole "pick-the-phone-and-pay-for-it-and-activate-it" process took less than 15 minutes and I was out of there with a brand new 16GB white iPhone 3G.

While walking back out of the mall, past the outdoor line, there were still 80-90 people in line. This was just after 11:00 a.m.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

07/20/2008 09:20:17 PM · #9

** Warning: This post has been hidden as it may content mature content. Click here to show the post.

digitalpins

Canon EOS-60D

07/20/2008 10:19:59 PM · #10

lol dude I am just gonna wait it out, I want it also but I can wait I just dont want to deal with a line or all the people fighting to get one. My phone is working just fine, so I am waiting.

lol I was just in maryland this weekend for vacation and asked at the at&t store and they were sold out....

dponlyme

Nikon D3000

Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR

07/21/2008 12:43:12 AM · #11

I can sympathize with your frustration but I also can't imagine wanting something so trivial so bad that I would waste my day trying to get it. What is it with the whole apple iphone... what is it such a big deal?

one2one

Olympus E-5

Olympus 7-14mm f/4.0 Zuiko Digital Zoom

07/21/2008 08:23:05 AM · #12

Originally posted by dponlyme:

Tada! At last we can agree on something dponlyme. Consumerism at its worst. The answer to your question is: hype. Apple are the best at it.

Apple iPhone 5

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

07/21/2008 08:36:15 AM · #13

Nintendo do it, Apple do it, Sony do it...

Do you really think these companies have genuine production and supply issues? - That they are unable to anticipate the demand for their new products? The fact is that they know there will be such a demand that they can capitalise on it and whip it up into hype.

And it's an easy thing to get sucked into. I could well imagine myself driving 2 hours in the hope of satisfying my hype-driven gadget lust.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

07/21/2008 08:50:37 AM · #14

I hate having a cell phone. Everybody just wants something from me. Why should I be the one paying for a cell phone and service when it just sucks the life out of me?

I need to move to the woods.

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black

07/21/2008 09:47:52 AM · #15

"but I also can't imagine wanting something so trivial so bad that I would waste my day trying to get it"

It's because it's holding us up from moving to AT&T and my wife getting a new phone. She hated her last Verizon phone which died and is currently using an ancient hand-me-down and hates it.

If you've never had to hear your spouse constantly gripe about something (even nicely). You won't understand. If you have...then you can understand why I want to switch. And also, why I wouldn't want to switch and not get an iPhone which I want. And then have to spend an extra $699 for a new unsubsidized iPhone.

scarbrd

Leica M10

07/21/2008 10:02:35 AM · #16

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

I hate having a cell phone. Everybody just wants something from me. Why should I be the one paying for a cell phone and service when it just sucks the life out of me?

I need to move to the woods.

Give me your cell number, we'll talk about it. ;-)

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

07/21/2008 10:03:54 AM · #17

Originally posted by scarbrd:

Originally posted by Strikeslip:
I hate having a cell phone. Everybody just wants something from me. Why should I be the one paying for a cell phone and service when it just sucks the life out of me?

I need to move to the woods.

Give me your cell number, we'll talk about it. ;-)

har har har! :-P

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/21/2008 10:10:56 AM · #18

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

I hate having a cell phone. Everybody just wants something from me. Why should I be the one paying for a cell phone and service when it just sucks the life out of me?

I need to move to the woods.

Maybe you can shack up with your little squirrel buddy.

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

07/21/2008 10:43:44 AM · #19

poor squirrels