back in love

It's been a long, frustrating, and unsatisfying journey with Apple.

I follow the thoughtful recommendations I've been given. 

First I tweet to the five people that follow me. Not a big chance of this going viral.

Then I re-email Tim Cook's office with the subject line reading: Do not forward to Britani Woods. The very next day I get a voice mail. 

"Hi Lyn. This is Britani Woods from Apple's executive offices. I am calling to acknowledge your email to Tim Cook yesterday..."

I try again, with the subject line this time being, Can I please speak to someone other than Britani Woods?????

This time Britani responds with an email saying that unless I have new information, future correspondence will not be responded to.  And then she insultingly adds, "Sorry for the inconvenience and frustration." Hmmm. I wonder if Tim Cook is really Britani Woods.

Finally, since nothing else has worked,  I go to the Grand Central Apple store to plead my case. I ask for the Manager. An unhelpful Oskar greets me. I explain my problem.

"You can schedule an appointment with our Genius Bar, and bring the computer in. We'll run some diagnostics on it."  

"What if you don't find anything wrong? It's a sporadic problem. Then what?"

"I can't answer that question until you bring it in."

What a waste of time.

I come home, dry my tears, and get up to a new day.

I bring my sad story this time to the Apple Store on Madison.  "Hi, can I speak to THE manager please?"

"We have several, but I'll get you one of them." 

"No, I want to speak to the main one — the one who runs the store." 

"I'm sorry, he's out sick today. Oh wait, David, can you help this woman? David's one of four  managers here."

I am already sure that this David -guy, pleasant as he seems, is not going to be able to help me.

I explain in about three minutes my frustration and my desire to return my computer and get credit towards a new one.

"Let's look up your order number," David suggests.

We do.

"Okay. No problem. Just bring the computer in and we'll give you a credit."

No, bring it in so we can test it. 

No, let me review your case file. 

No, let's migrate your data piece by piece over several months and see if maybe that solves your problem.

No, I'll have to speak to my manager who's not in today.

No, you bought the computer online so you'll have to deal with the online people.

No nothing.

Just a simple, "Bring it in and we'll take it back."

I am going to wait a few weeks for the new Macbook Pros to come in. But I take David's information, write him a confirming email, and even ask if I can hug him before leaving the store.

He lets me.

And once more, I am in love.

I just hope that David is real and I didn't just imagine him.