The Happy Ending

[firstfrost]

So, last post had the Tragic Death of the iPad. (Though it actually worked surprisingly well for all the broken glass). Many people encouraged me to take it to the Apple Store and throw myself on their mercy to replace it, so that's what I did Thursday.

mjperson came with me as moral support and because he had a question for them too. As it turns out, he ended up kind of being my minder, to cover both my noodleheadedness and what he considered to be insufficient mercy-throwing.

"You didn't say it was only two weeks old."
"Three weeks by now. And that was just the guy I was making the appointment with! I'll tell the actual guy!"
"I don't think you're very good at this."

Then, with the actual guy, I did not leap in quickly enough to say that it was two weeks old, so Mike leaped in to point it out. Later:

"You're *really* not very good at this. I mean, we practiced and everything! You just can't bring yourself to say 'it's only two weeks old, can you replace it?'"
"I was going to! I just... hadn't gotten there yet. I *did* say it was a birthday present! And he could tell how old it was from looking up the serial number. But... yeah. I just can't bring myself to say 'can I please have a new one for free?'"

But they gave me a new one for free anyway! Hooray for them! I got the feeling that there was an unofficial policy of "one user damage replacement for new device, per user *ever*" and I have used mine.

Then there was this bit towards the end:

Guy: "Is this your address? (51 Ibbetson Street...)"
Me: "Yes."
Mike: "That isn't your address."
Me: "Yes it is."
Mike: "No it isn't."
Me: "... er. Yes, that's my old address. I, um, I did live there for fifteen years, it still looks right."

So now Mike gets to claim that he rescued me from both not getting my iPad replaced, and from not being able to find my way home afterwards because I don't know where I live. But, I have a new iPad, so he can claim that he rescued me from being eaten by bears and defeated an alien invasion at the mall, and we're both happy.

Comments

[mathhobbit.livejournal.com]

There's an Alienware invasion at 51 Ibbetson street, so he'd even be half right!

I am totally jealous of my room-mate's new computer.

[kelkyag]

Awwww! Cookies for everyone!

[nuclearpolymer.livejournal.com]

Yay!
I wonder if you're not very practiced at throwing yourself on someone's mercy because so many people are always throwing themselves on your mercy at your work. Like, you are usually the wish granter person...

[earthling177.livejournal.com]

My impression of the entire thing is that, sure, they are keeping you happy and all, but I don't think it is just as a favor to you.

I think it's a way for them to get back the ones that failed so they can study them, for many reasons. Did the glass manufacturer promise them something stronger and longer lasting and then cut costs and put Apple in a bad position? Can Apple design the next iPad differently to make it less vulnerable to falls like that and make it less expensive at the same time so they can increase profits while at the same time leaving the competitors, who don't share the same knowledge, miles behind? Something else entirely different but which will become obvious in 5 years? We don't know now.

But in any case, they can have the devices back and learn stuff while making you happy.

We all win.

Welcome to the future! ;-)

[izmirian.livejournal.com]

It would be sort of interesting to know behind the scenes what the people at the Apple store think when someone brings in a smashed iPad. It would be funny if they thought, "Ooh, a chance to make someone really happy!"

On a vaguely related note I always felt like it was somehow impolite at trade shows to talk to the people at a booth where you had no intention of actually using their product. Now having run a booth at a trade show for several years I realize that it's almost always welcome to have people talking at your booth because it makes it look "popular" and therefore attracts even more people.

[treiza.livejournal.com]

Hurray! I'm actually a little amazed, having had a friend purchase an iPhone, walk out the door, drop and crack the screen, return inside with a very sad face, and be told (essentially), "sorry, sucks to be you." Maybe it depends on the store, or the mood of the person helping you...