By SteveJack
On Monday, I returned after lunch to find my 17-inch MacBook Pro sitting oddly on my desk. Thinking I’d gotten a cable or maybe the Apple Remote stuck underneath, I tilted the base of the MacBook Pro up and looked underneath. Nothing to be seen. After checking again, I noticed the battery had popped its case.
Yes, I’d been struck by the MacBook Pro expanding battery issue!
One of the MacBook Pro’s battery latches had unlatched due to the pressure, but there was nothing wrong with the MacBook Pro’s chassis. The battery, of course, was kaput.
What to do?
I called 1-800-SOS-APPLE and I took notes from here on out:
After answering a couple perfunctory questions via the automated system, an Apple representative answered. I did not mention MacDailyNews; the Apple rep had no idea that this would be reported on MacDailyNews regardless of how the process went. I explained that the battery had expanded out of its case, gave the woman my MacBook Pro’s serial number, confirmed my name and address, and she – no questions asked – said she would send out a new battery immediately and I was to return the bad battery in a pre-addressed, postage-paid box. Total time spent from dialing the number to hanging up the phone: 6 minutes and 22 seconds.
I have another battery, so I popped that one into the MacBook Pro in case I wanted to roam in the meantime. And, no, we did not purchase AppleCare for this particular MacBook Pro which we bought on May 6, 2006.
21 hours and 17 minutes after I hung up the phone, the new battery arrived. I popped it into the MacBook Pro and it began charging. I placed the old battery in the box provided, peeled off my address label to reveal the address Apple wanted the battery sent, and called the DHL pickup number Apple had provided and placed the box outside for pickup.
That’s it. Done. The whole thing took less than 10 minutes of my time. Try accomplishing something as effortless and smooth with Dell or any other PC maker.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
Waiting for you-know-who to get all over this like… like… bears on a picinic basket.
(What did I just say?)
Apple rulz!!!
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Apple were excellent when I had to return my PowerBook battery. I filled out the online form after entering my serial number and 2 weeks later I received my new battery.
Total time: less than 5 minutes.
Nice, SteveJack. I hope as Apple grows, and it’s looking to be expanding rapidly in the next few years at least, that it can keep this excellent customer care service record up.
So this issue only effects the 17″ MBP’s? Not the 15’s?
My iMac’s hard drive died. I drove the machine to a local authorised repairer because it was more local than the nearest store in the UK. A couple of days later they rang saying that they had been unable to recover the data but had replaced it and it was working. I wasn’t overtly bothered about the data because I had backups of everything of major importance. All seemed well.
A few weeks later an issue arose with the optical drive. In all other respects the machine was fine. This time I didn’t want to take it to the same place, purely because it was inconvenient to do so that week, so I arranged to take it to my office from where a different company were able to offer a free pickup service within the M25 (my home is literally a stones throw outside but that’s a different matter). They picked it up no problems and then I waited….
A few days later they were waiting for a replacement drive. They fitted that but then when I chased them they were investigating the hard drive problem (?) I said it had been working fine, according to them it was now dead. A new hard drive was ordered and then a few days later the original was apparently working again. Then it wasn’t. They surmised it might be the logic board. New logic board. Then they needed to order a new cable to attach the hard drive to the logic board. Then another cable to attach the optical drive.
Over the course of 3 weeks I was constantly fobbed off and ignored, I was rung twice without having to chase them myself. Apple did agree at one point to give it a few days then they would offer a new machine, but it took a while to get to that stage since I had to constantly explain what had happened. There is now an issue with the Firewire ports.
This is my third mac, the others have been great and continue to be so.Previously Apple have been as greatwith the minor issues I’ve experienced as they were in the example in this article, but not everything is perfect.
We’ve use Apple Care at work with about 30 comptuers, and private clients and workers home computers. Hardly use it, but when we have, it is fast and amazing it cooperation and problem solving. Replacements and/or troubleshooting is quick and painless and usually painless on the pocketbook as well.
Warranty work is just as easy and like the above case, it is out of warranty, but a known problem, it just gets fixed with no hassle.
TLC of customers is a very big plus for Apple. And we repay them with loyalty, more purchases, and convincing all our friends to Switchers! Ha.
the way this sort of thing is handled is actually just as important as if the component goes wayward in the first place.
things like batteries and hardrives are something that apple do not make, and their attitude towards the replacement of these things is really important to customer loyality.
i think alot of people can understand how a battery or hardrive can go caput, and its the process of replacement thats important in these occassions.
To Apples credit when ive needed apple to replace a faulty part theyve done it on the spot. I really can’t ask for more than that.
This is an example of what Guy Kawasaki termed “The Macintosh Way” in the book by that title. The book was written almost 20 years ago but still applies today. It’s a great read for any Mac fan. Highly recommended!
Do you want to represent me in a renewed attempt to get two of my PowerBook G4s’ lower memory card slot problem fixed?
Prove your worth? And Apple’s?
I had a bad Macbook battery, i was getting like 45 minutes on a full charge, and i just called them up and less 24 hours later i had a replacement.
I had a G5 1 day out of warranty (with a long history of problems)…they replaced it with a Mac Pro 2.66
Need I say more?
My 15 inch had the battery recall replacement last year and four or so weeks ago I would have an auto switch off at about 50% of battery remaining. It also showed really odd charging an incomplete charging stats.
As here Apple were magnificent and the new battery was with me the next day. You can’t expect any company to get it right all the time, but over seven years I can’t fault them.
Suppose I ought to up the shareholding on that basis…
I am not a big fan of Dell these days, but I have to say my two year old Dell desktop had a noisy power supply. Called, explained, they shipped, had it the next day, and I sent back the old. Just as painless as the experience described above. Love my Mac, love my Apple stock, but just had to give my experience because Apple being great doesn’t make everyone else completely incapable of something like a repair.
@Jim of Davao
I have no idea what you mean but that made me laugh.
my two experiences with apple’s phone support were positive – first was for the ibook g3 repair extension – got it fixed around this time last year. had my ibook back within five days of making the call. second, i bought a refurb mac mini from them and they forgot to ship the power supply (it had the cable, though!) – i call them and it’s at my door the next day. other than my mini’s serial #, they asked no questions.
i wouldn’t be surprised if other manufacturers have pretty good customer service at times, but apple’s seems to be more consistent. i am baffled by their handling of the abovementioned memory slot issue, though.
I’ve collected several extra batteries at no cost everytime Apple has a recall. None of my batteries have exhibited problems, so I skipped the step of sending the old ones back. And I’m still using the old ones – the new batteries are still sealed in their shipping boxes, waiting for the time they are called to service. Two of them are for my old G4 15″ laptop. Yes, the first replacement battery was itself later recalled.
I’ve always had great experiences with Apple’s tech support. When my Airport Extreme base station wasn’t working a few years back, they helped me get it running, even though it ended up being a problem with the LinkSys wired router I had attached to it, not the base station. And of course, when my sister’s iBook monitor died, and my eMac’s monitor died, they replaced those. I was even surprised just yesterday to have my girlfriend tell me she’d already received replacement earbuds for her iPod, when she’d only called them the day before. I’m sure, as well, if I had a problem with the OS/recovery discs that came with any Mac I have had or will have they’d send me new ones right away with no questions asked. After all, if their discs don’t work, it’s their problem, not mine… if only HP thought that way. My experience with HP trying to get them to send my girlfriend replacement recovery discs when their recovery disc creation software goofed up has been horrible. “I’m sorry, if you were still under warranty I’d have no problem sending them to you free, but since you’re out of warranty we can’t do it.” With me saying “It’s HP’s fault the program didn’t create the discs in the first place. It failed in the middle of creation and now it won’t remake them saying that it already did it once and that it’s not allowed to do it again.” Stupid HP. See if I recommend my customers buy your stupid PCs anymore.
My battery expanded over the weekend back in April. I went by the Apple store on my way to the airport on Monday and showed it to the ‘Genius’ and he immediately swapped it out. In two minutes, I had a new battery and was on my way to the airport. A co-worker that was with me couldn’t believe they did that without taking down any information or checking on a warranty.
Apple rules!
Maybe a beautifull woman walked past the macbook skimpily dressed?
Great story, Steve!
I just had similar service, but on a two-year-old iMac G5 whose power supply died. Apple fixed it for free! (I did not have AppleCare.)
I wrote about it on MacOpinion.
Apple’s not perfect, but pretty good most of the time.
— Marc
NEW BATTERY?
That’s not acceptable. Either a new machine or your money back at a minimum.
Think about it for a second. You have sensitive and vital information on your MBP. The damage done by the battery may not be readily apparent and symptoms may not appear immediately.
A new battery isn’t even close to being enough!
>SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
… and all he could get out of Apple was a replacement battery?
Either he’s easily paid off or there is more to the compensation that pointed out. Maybe the MBP was a freebie to start with.
1. If the battery problem originates with the design of the notebook, Apple needs to fix the problem not just send a replacement battery.
2. If there are certain lot numbers or serial numbers of batteries with repeated problems, Apple needs to inform current and prospective owners.
I’m glad that Apple solved Steve Jack’s battery nuisance swiftly, but it’s not enough simply to fix problems. I’d rather Apple also place its energies into preventing problems from developing first and foremost. I’ll never buy a product other than a Mac, but I would like to know how the Mac models differ with respect to mechanical reliability, serviceability, repair rates, etc. Macworld has provided the results of a survey of Mac users, but I wonder how other PC manufacturers compare to Apple? Hey, it’s my money. I want to spend in wisely.
http://www.macworld.com/2007/05/features/reliabilitysurvey/index.php
Nick Holla-a G5? That’s interesting.