How To Avoid a Long Genius Bar Appointment
Why waste everyone’s time?
When you make a Genius Bar appointment, Apple sends you an email with instructions on how to get ready for it.
Yet it often feels like no one bothers to read it.
Apple’s technicians are constantly forced to deal with issues the customer should have taken care of before they came into the store, and some may require you to come back another time.
The biggest culprit is not knowing your Apple ID and password.
I’ve written before about how knowing these if you own Apple products is vital. It will be one of the first questions asked in your appointment. Even a cracked screen needs you to know your password.
If you say you don’t know them, you may be turned over to someone on the floor to help you figure it out.
But someone on the floor may not be available right away. The result: you’ll wait. Then they’ll squeeze you back in while your tech works with others at the same time.
Some password resets can become incredibly complicated. Maybe you don’t know the answers to your security questions. The result: you’ll wait.
You may even end up in account recovery to reset your password, which can take several days, meaning you aren’t getting your device looked at today.
Technicians know they will get a bad review from you for these issues, even though it’s YOUR FAULT for not following the email instructions.
Another thing you should do before heading to the Apple Store is make a backup of your device!
This is another issue where you could be asked to come back if what’s currently on your device is important to you.
The problem is that it’s difficult to know how long a backup will take. It could be a few minutes, or it could be several hours. If you don’t know how to do that, all the information you need is on Apple’s website.
By the way, there’s a saying about backing up your data that goes like this, “If your data isn’t in at least three places, it doesn’t exist.”
If you have a software glitch of any kind, you will first be asked to update your operating system to see if that takes care of the problem.
They will ask you to go home and do it because the latest OS can take a long time to install, and the stores no longer have people to babysit you.
If you insist you’re uncomfortable doing it yourself, see the previous section. You will be moved out of the way and at the mercy of someone coming to help you.
It’s not that hard to do an update on your own. If you’re having an issue other than physical breakage, you should do this first and do it BEFORE coming in.
If this fixes the problem, you’re saved from going to the store. If it doesn’t solve the issue, your tech will be grateful to know that because they can quickly move on to other troubleshooting methods.
The Apple Support app makes it incredibly simple to make an appointment.
If you walk into a store without an appointment instead, the wait could be a couple of hours or more. They may not even have appointments for that day.
Don’t be fooled or upset if only a few people are inside. Geniuses and technicians have very different training than those selling iPhones, so you can’t just point to someone and say, “Well, she’s not doing anything.”
Don’t ask for an exception. They’ve heard the “But I need to get on a plane!” story a gazillion times.
They would never say this to you, but I will, “Poor planning on your part does not constitute a crisis on their part.” Why did you wait until the last minute? What if something goes wrong, and the problem will take longer than expected?
Many people come into a store asking for solutions that are remarkably easy to do themselves, yet they will offer a few justifications for not doing them.
“It makes me nervous to try,” you might say. “I might screw it up and accidentally erase everything.” Did you know it takes seven steps to erase your iPhone and requires you to enter your Apple ID password twice?
“I want a real person, just in case.” I only have snarky comments for this, so I’ll let it lie.
“I don’t know how to use these things. Someone else set it up for me.” This one drives technicians insane because they know if you say this, then the odds are good you also don’t know your Apple ID and password.
“I’m worried that if I push a button, it will launch missiles.” Okay, I made this one up, but so many people behave as if this is what will happen.
Then there are people with attitude who seem to have learned that the way to get anything is to yell at the people trying to help you.
Think about it. If you’re the one offering the service, are you more likely to go out of your way for someone screaming at you, or will this make you provide only the bare minimum?
You can ask to speak to a manager, who will be empathetic, but it’s not likely to change what can be done for you. All you’ve done is waste everyone’s time.
Remember, these are people who listen to customers complain all day. Be nice.
Avoid asking for stuff that goes beyond what is allowed by AppleCare.
Don’t waste time arguing that you should get a free phone! Or that you should get a newer model! (This occurs more than you think. It ain’t gonna happen.)
When meeting with your tech, telling a long story is unnecessary.
Make it quick, and just state your issue. If the tech needs to know more, they will ask.
I hope this article helped you learn how to make your Genius Bar appointment go quickly and easily. Sure, there are times when things go sideways, but you can still minimize the time it takes to resolve your problem by following these tips.