Consumerist reader Anjela wonders if “a certain employee of the Apple store has a rare disorder that makes women invisible to him. That might explain why the employee spent the entire AirBook shopping excursion talking to her husband instead of Anjela—the actual customer,” The Consumerist reports.
Dear Apple:
Today (2/28/2008, at approximately 4:00pm) I walked into the Bellevue Square Apple Store (in Bellevue, WA) intent on buying a MacBook Air. I am delighted by the MacBook Air. I am the geek for whom the MacBook Air was invented. I am a lifelong PC user, and until now the leap to a new, unfamiliar operating system was a roadblock, but for a machine with a full-size keyboard and monitor that comes in at three pounds, I was not just willing to make the switch, I was genuinely excited. (The fact that I don’t want my next laptop to run Vista doesn’t hurt, either.) I’ve been waiting to get one since the day they were announced.
I had a horrific customer service experience in your Bellevue Square store that has me rethinking this idea. I will certainly never set foot in that store again, and I hope I never have to deal with any of your Apple Store employees in person, if this is how they’re trained to treat customers.
The Apple Store ‘genius’ — and I’m offended that he was called that, given the stupendous idiocy he exhibited today — was named Bill. Bill was called over when my husband and I came into the store; I had told the concierge that I was interested in buying a MacBook Air.
Well, first of all, Bill DID NOT LOOK AT ME. He did not greet me. He greeted my husband, introduced himself, and shook his hand… and completely ignored me. He didn’t ask my name, what we were there to buy, or who the new computer was for. He did not make eye contact. He simply behaved as though I were not there, and steered my husband through the crowded store — ignoring me and leaving me behind…
The rest of the leter in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If this is true, today’s probably not a good day to be Bill, the Bellevue Square Apple Store Mac Genius (we’re checking to see if there is a Bill serving as Mac Genius at that store) and Apple owes this customer an apology. Overall, we’ve received some of the best service of any retail establishment in Apple Stores (of course, we always go in wearing our MacDailyNews shirts… just kidding, that’s the last thing we’d ever do as we can’t spy and pry at all in those things. And, before you all go accusin’ – here’s the MacDailyNews Women’s Tee.)
[UPDATE: 10:29pm ETS: According to our sources, no “Bill” has ever worked in Apple Store Bellevue Square as a Mac Genius. It is possible that a “Bill” has been or is currently on staff in another capacity.]
Bill’s Dad is probably hen-pecked. Bill’s just getting his own back. Just before he gets the boot.
I’ve had a similar experience like this at my local Apple Store, but I’ve also had a great experience last time I was in. I believe it depends on who the salesman is. Having been in Retail, sometimes you hire a socially-inept idiot in sleek clothing – but it’s only a matter of time before the sales numbers come in and he’s dead last.
Interestingly, the chip on her shoulder weighs more than a MacBook Air.
One thing wrong with this story. A Genius does not sell product, only repairs it. I think she meant to say Mac specialist, not Genius.
However one employee doesn’t make 99.99% of the others to be the same way, because they are NOT!
I’ve been treated like that when shopping with female friends in a clothing store, except it was the other way around—the guy gets ignored. Hmmm.
Could be a fake story since they didn’t know the difference between a Mac specialist and a Mac Genius.
I have a lot to do with Indians and from experience I can tell that husband is usually the talking person and wife stands behind and tries to be invisible. Only so often you meet those westernized, emancipated Indian woman.
Shoot him, that’s what I say.
Good on you Bill. Someone like this who is so far up her own arse deserves to be ignored. Not only did you ignore her but her thicko husband couldn’t speak to her either and correct the situation.
I would like to know her experience at a PC world or similar shop. Crap lying everywhere, not enough staff and uneducated in products when one does appear. Anjela get a life
I **HIGHLY DOUBT** that this story happened as she claims it did. There’s just absolutely no way this would’ve happened.
This article is bogus.
Dear snivels, Did you let “Bill” know that YOU were the one interested in buying the MacBook Air?!? Maybe your issue is with your husband if he so eagerly followed Bill around the store and did not make it clear to him that YOU were the customer!
Take a Midol!
I am related to a trained Mac Genius and have been in several Apple stores. The Mac Genius is kept behind the Genius bar and is seldom out on the floor. Their time is to valuable and scarce to send them out on the sales floor to do general sales work.
Were they the only the 2 employees in the store? If not, this story is just bull!
“Microsoft employee discount??”
Hm.
ken1w has a point: why would a Genius be selling peripherals?
Hm.
Why does the phrase “Miss Moxie” spring to mind?
Ampar!
Please make me laugh now.
Ampar?
A M P A R !!!
I’m with you SPARK
She or her hubby probably just got laid off from Redmond and needed to get back in good graces with the Redmond management… lots of luck with that to the wieners…weiners…whiners…ya that’s it…
Maybe Anjela was/is a super hot woman and the young virginal Apple “Genius” – Bill – was so befuddled that it was all that he could do to stay focused on her husband and not make a bigger mistake by gawking at her and making a different kind of ass out of himself. That happened to me once or twice as I was “growing up”. Hell, it still happens once in awhile.
Or, maybe Bill doesn’t prefer women and all of the above is true in reverse, except that he did choose to gawk at his object of desire rather than play it safe and focus all of his attention on the hot guys female partner.
Or maybe…
When I worked in sales at an electronics store I learned very quickly that when a husband and wife walked in I had two customers to sell. Totally ignoring the wife was the stupidest thing I could do. I divided my attention equally and tried to keep both parties engaged. Purchases are frequently a joint decision.
Maybe she shouldn’t have gotten drunk and slept with Bill the night before.
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Oh c’mon, you know she was just gonna ask a bunch of dumb questions, anyway.
I’ve had a very similar experience with a Mac Genius”… no eye contact.. talks over you.. acts like you are not even there.
Actually there are 3 sides to every story…. Yours, Mine and the Truth.
MW = Truth – just couldn’t make this one up..
I think the husband was just flirting openly with the Mac employee because he was so sick of being married to this shrill, ball-busting, Gray’s Anatomy watching, 10% at lunch tipping Omarosa of a woman that even a man crush on a random dude at Apple was a breath of fresh air next to that stifling pit of a marriage.
“I’m sorry but I can’t look you in the eye because you’re so hot it sizzles my hardware…”
Later on in the letter….
When I caught up to them, he was commencing the hard-sell of “AppleCare”. After being told several times that I was not interested, he asked my husband if he was a Microsoft employee, and pointed out that he could get a 12% discount on it. My husband finally stopped Bill in his tracks and told Bill that the computer was for me. He asked Bill if the education discount, which I qualified for, or the Microsoft employee discount, which my husband qualified for, was a better deal. Bill told my husband that the education discount was better — but continued talking to my husband as if I were not there. Even after being told the computer was for me and that we’d be using my education discount on it, Bill did not greet me, make eye contact with me, or acknowledge my presence in any way.
I think he likes the husband.