Apple Store Chadstone Australia An Experience to be Forgotten

Consider visiting the store then go somewhere else to get good customer service and maybe even a better price.

Open for only 12 months and the staff and management are now worth avoiding

When is a Mac Genius really just a Mac ‘Moron’?

• As a long term professional tech evangelist, long term PC user and long term Microsoft Software beta tester/ hobbyist, the decision to buy a Mac was not an easy one or one I took lightly.
• I even called the Mac store and a Dick Smith ( A national retailer not ’something else’) next door selling the Mac Mini, and asked why I should go to either hoping for a deal but as apple price fixes that was not to be. The answer I got from apple was, ‘for the experience’
• I had purchased the 3G iPhone and then more recently a 3GS iPhone, and that experience was pretty good (the info prior to the selling day was HELL).
• I did my research and decided I wanted a Mac Mini as my 1^st Mac only because (I thought) I was going to use it only as a media extender to my PC using front row (a love story in a previous blog).
• My opinion changed when I tried to purchase the Mac Mini on a Friday morning a few weeks ago from the Apple Store.
• I guess the sale was not big enough for the genius in waiting,  but when I asked what upgrades they could do in store (vs. online), I  was informed only ram could be upgraded. I asked if they could do it while I waited and they said yes.
• FYI –  My home built PC is a quad core with 4gb ram,  SLI, dual monitor, 6TB HD, that I need for no real reason so am not afraid to commit beyond my needs.
• I brought a work colleague with me as he was a real Mac head and he had educated me on the merits of the Mac, so I had to have one today.
• Neither of us was impressed with what we saw that day, and when I made the mistake of asking an opinion of upgrading beyond the 1GB ram on the basis unit, given all my basic requirements, the great genius thought for 2 seconds than offered with great insight. , “I am a student and I would get more than 1gb. I asked what that meant, and she repeated herself (I guess something not making sense and being repeated is supposed to help). When I asked again, eventually the genius spoke the words us non-geniuses expect to hear, “don’t know”
• WOW, we non-geniuses would probably have done something stupid, like ‘ask someone else’. Anyhow a few minutes later and after promising the upgrade would only take 15 minutes I was told just prior to payment that it would take 2 hours. A problem for me as I was 30 min from the office (with the boss) and it was too long to wait. So with cash in pocket I left and went next door to Dick Smith.
• That was when the good things happened, the staff were friendly, I purchased what I needed and a few hundred dollars of accessories (keyboard, remote, mouse) as well, on returning the next day for some more bits, I notice the mini’s were $100 cheaper so got my $100 back, thank you very much.
• Unfortunately being a geek, I decided I needed the 4gb upgrade and when I went back to apple to enquire they told me the memory was going to be twice as much.
• I advised the store manager Matt K  at Chadstone of my problems withhis staff, (bad advice /no advice) goiung to cost me 100% more and all he cared about was that I bought my Mac next door and basically told to piss off.
• Thank goodness for MAC Care, 131632 in australia, who apologised for Matt K’s bad form, and referred me to a 3^rd party Mac shop, Newwave /Apptech in Burwood East Meloburne and I will wound up getting the memory for less than I would from Apple. Thank you Mac Care.
• Thank you AppTech, who were very proffessional and fast to deal with.
• I brought my Mac possie that buy as many toys as I do a year, so we will be back.
• So from a guy that buys around $10k a year personally in gear and 10 times that or more professionally I will still buy apple, but never again from an Apple Store, and will suggest to anyone, they buy elsewhere as well a mixed bag really my suggestion is go to the Mac store Chadstone ask all the ‘geniuses’ their opinion get the price then go to one of the real Mac stores (3^rd party), if at Chadstone make it Dick Smith Powerhouse.
• Truly Apple Stores (especially Chadstone) is an experience to be missed.

Apple Chadstone Pros and Cons

Pro’s

• Looks pretty
• You can get some good service there if you are lucky on a given day\, maybe.
• Umm, looks pretty

Con’s

• No deals, prices are fixed and at RRP cheaper next door at 3^rd party stores (like Dick Smith)
• No used or ex-demo deals on a regular if ever basis.
• Payment system (credit card or cash card) is usually not working right.
• Hard to get in and out if in a hurry (even if the store is empty)
• Some staff especially some management are Mac Morons.
• You can often get no advice and bad advice
• They really just seem to want you out of the store.

~ by mrinternet on September 2, 2009.