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Apple Customer service disaster
Just to clarify before you start reading, I love Apple and their computers, and this is one of the first times I have experienced such poor service. I did call customer support, twice, and they apparently had no other solution for me. The following is what I sent to Apple, based on my latest experience with their online store.
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I am an Apple user since the Mac Classic. I currently own an iMac, Mac Book Pro, Mac Book and the latest Mac Pro. I love Mac. Normally I like the way Apple online store works, and as a rule place all my orders through the Apple online store.
My Story:
I bought a digital Canon XSi last year and recently started learning how to actually use it. One great feature is RAW format. Now, as I take more photos, and better photos, I want to learn how to edit the photos and keep better track of them. iPhoto wasn't cutting it for me, which left me with two options: Adobe Lightroom and Apples Aperture. Being a Mac fan, and finding Adobe's software rather cumbersome and over priced (though I do own two copies of CS4 Premium as I require it for my work), I decided to try out Apple's Aperture Trial.
I find your Aperture software really nice, and handling my photos is pretty simple. Most importantly, I could now adjust with a certain level of professionalism, my photos in RAW format. I took a weeks worth of my nights to go through my entire collection of roughly 4000 photos, cleaning up, re-organizing and categorizing. When the trial expired, I knew I wanted to own the software.
My issue begins:
I went to the Apple.ca online store to purchase Aperture. Apple has the option for me to order a boxed version of Aperture with delivery time of a few days, or the ability to order just the serial number, to get me up and running right away. Since my Mom had just sent me around 80 photos, and I wanted to view and organize them right away, getting the serial number without delay was a good thing. I placed my order, and in usual Apple style, an email from Apple arrived within minutes.
The email did not contain a key for Aperture, so the logical assumption was that it would arrive in a separate email. Just to be sure, I logged into my Apple.ca store account suggested in the email, and saw under Downloadable Software Purchase History that my order was successful, but still no serial number. After 4 hours, I checked again, still no key. The next morning, surely the key would be there, but alas, still nothing. I called Apple support. The friendly person there said I needed to wait 24 hours for my serial number to appear. So I waited 24 hours plus an additional 12 hours just to be sure. I checked my account again. Still no key, and no email from Apple. I called Apple customer support again.
Ian, the friendly Apple customer service rep came online, to whom I explained the issue at hand. He looked at whatever computer screen Apple Customer Service reps looked at and said he would speak to someone in another department. Two minutes passed. Ian came back on the phone, and said that I had ordered my software using a different login, and would I please make a new account to access my code. This sounded rather strange, so I explained that I could see the order in my current account, just no key. His response was, "I am not sure what else we can do." The situation wasn't going well at this point, and I was getting frustrated, so I suggested he cancel my order and I would order the box set. Ian then typed something and said, "Thank you for calling Apple Customer Support how did you find my service today" (something similar).
Unsure of what Ian had actually done for me, I asked him, "What did you do actually to help me?". He clarified that he had indeed cancelled my order and within 5 days I would receive a notice to that effect, and my credit card would be reimbursed.
My dilemma:
I need to wait for my credit from Apple, and then place a new order for Aperture in a box. SIn roughly two weeks time I will be able to use Aperture and look at my mom's photos. With today's technology, I find it strange that Apple was not able to simply give me a key over the phone, or fix the problem and send me the key I paid for.
Be assured that my confidence on the Apple store has been shaken. My question at this point is, do I wait two weeks, or do I try Adobe's Lightroom? I am finding it difficult to think all the work I put into using and learning Aperture is just a waste, but at the same time, waiting another two weeks is going to just frustrate me endlessly.
If someone at Apple is listening and actual reads these emails, I would appreciate some sort of a sign, or acknowledgement. If you can actually do something to help expedite the delivery of a software key for Aperture, that would be great too.
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Has anyone else had any issues with ordering downloadable software keys from Apple's store. Or is this bad customer experience from Apple a one off?
[Updated: 2009/09/25 1:45pm]
Wow, some faith restored in Apple. After emailing them this morning at 10:58AM, I got a call from them at 1:46PM promising to look into the situation and call me back today. How do ya like them Apples!
Mac is a big brand, but to go there so many questions, really makes chilling ah, but I also believe that since it is a big brand, it would certainly find a solution for!