Apple Pentagon City — Attraction in Arlington

On May 18, 2014, I went to the Apple store at the Pentagon City Mall in Arlington VA. A week earlier, I dropped my work phone and cracked the face glass. When I entered the Apple store, a female associate greeted me and asked what type of assistance I needed. I informed her about my cracked face glass on my iPhone 4S. I wanted to know if it could be fixed. The associate asked if I had apple care on my plan and I wasn't sure because it is a work phone. She took me to the closest computer and checked what type of apple care plan and warranty I had. She used the serial number on the phone and to look up the information. After a moment, she informed me that I have Apple care and that my phone is eligible to get fixed for $49.95.

I told her that that was great and informed her that I would have to schedule to get it fixed. The next morning, I emailed my work HR department to get approval for the fix. Relaying the information I learned the previous day from, I got an approval to go ahead with the fix and immediately scheduled an appointment at the same Apple store. The appointment was scheduled on May 25th at 10:00 am. When the day came, I went back to the Apple store and was assisted by a male associate named Floyd. He asked me what the issue was with my phone and I told him what happened. I also informed him that I was at the store the previous week and was prepared to pay $49.95 to get my phone fixed.

He then asked me to unlock my phone so he could get the serial number. Like the associate the previous week, Floyd pulled up my information in the system. However, unlike the previous week, Floyd informed me that because I do not have “Apple Care Plus” it would cost me $199.99 have my phone replaced. I told him that I believed he was mistaken because of the information I was given a week earlier. I also told him it seemed wasteful to have my phone “replaced” for a cracked face glass.

Floyd dismissed the information that the other associate told me and insisted that the other associate was “not supposed to provide any information or any pricing until I speak to an actual technician.” I was quite upset because I relied on that information and spent significant time getting approval for the fix. I told him about the work approval to get my phone fixed and the fact the he gave me different information, beyond the scope of my work approval. Floyd was un-phased by the fact that one of his co-workers gave me the supposed incorrect information. He kept insisting that my only option was to pay $199.99 to replace and upgrade my phone.

I was shocked by the misinformation, especially from an Apple store, which usually has a reputation for quality customer service. The experience left me without a solution for my broken phone. My work only authorized the $49.95 expenditure, and clearly, $199.99 was outside the scope of that authority. I feel that I was lied to, lead on, and tricked by the Apple store staff. I still don’t know who to believe, the first associate or Floyd. I also feel suspicious because Floyd kept pushing me to “upgrade” my phone at the $199.99 price. His tactic felt like a pressure tactic I had experienced before at those cellphone kiosks in the mall. It was uncomfortable, and because I was told two different things, I don’t not know what to believe.

All I wanted was to replace my screen for $49.95. The cart outside the apple store offered to do the replacement for $65, but I don’t want to void my warranty. What is a person suppose to do in a situation like this? I am certain if I had my phone fixed on May 18th, I would have gotten the service for the $49.95 quoted price. Now, I have had a broken phone for two weeks, and an Apple Care plan that apparently can’t be used for replacing a piece of glass. I give the Apple store at Pentagon City two thumbs down for this service...

First I’ll start by saying that I have used this store before with great satisfaction but been a long time and staff has changed over.

Now, I went in for a 7:30 pm appointment to check my iPhone since it was not performing well ie… sound, lighting, vibration, and camera issues while in messages. The technician did a hardware check and stated all was good and that it was a software issue. Mind you, they close at 8pm. He was rushing and not a particularly helpful mood. He told me I needed to rest the phone and NOT backup from iCloud as it would cause the software to be placed back on my phone, causing the same issue. He stated the store is closing soon and I could do it on my own. I explained that I’m not too savvy with the iPhone and was scared to lose data. I asked how long it would take he said and 15 minutes… looking at my watch we had about 20. So he conceded and started to help. He quickly gave my his iPad to sign. After signing told me is was a data waiver.. in case data was lost. I asked how I would get my data back… he said I would have to reload my apps manually but that the data would be there. He grabbed the phone.. did some quick actions, gave me the phone… I was trying to capture what was happening but he was moving fast without explanation. The phone was reset and asked me to sign in with my iCloud account.while I was holding the phone he would push navigate…. Even while I was trying to ask questions. He was pretty much rushing to get me out.

I spent an entire night reloading and signing into apps. 2days latter went to look for a photo… all my photos were gone. Years of memories, past relatives, pictures of documents… things I real want in my life needed in my life, now gone forever.

I called AppleCare went through several levels of help… nothing could be done. After explanation what happened, they sympathized, but did explain the Apple technician did not handle the situation in the proper standard.. that a backup should have been conducted and that a software update should have resolved the issue… then reset with an iCloud reset. The software issue would have been corrected.

I went to the store trusting them and now that store has lost my trust.

When I called the store, the manager seemed sympathetic but did press the fact that I signed a data waiver. I had to explain that he should talk to his employees about following standards and customer service. He agreed but continued to say I should have read before signing.

The customer service was great in the past. They didn’t leave customers until an issue was completely resolved and would explain every step… every situation. Now that store seems to push people through like a conveyer belt. Customer service has gone down. I’m guessing there motto is “ as long as we win, we don’t care what you lose”

If you get an appointment with this person or are being helped by this person…. Ask for someone else….. just...

If I could give this apple store and their manager zero stars I would.

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding the utterly disappointing and unprofessional experience my family and I encountered at your Pentagon Mall location on May 12, 2024 around 2PM. As a loyal customer of Apple for many years, I am appalled by the lack of respect and professionalism exhibited by your staff, particularly the manager, John, and several employees.

Upon entering the store, it was immediately evident that customer service was not a priority. Despite our presence, no staff member approached us to offer assistance. After seeking help, we were directed to a specific area to purchase a new iPhone. However, despite waiting patiently for over 20 minutes, no employee attended to us. Instead, we witnessed employees neglecting us in favor of assisting other customers, and even observed one employee finishing with a customer and then blatantly ignoring our presence.

The situation escalated when my husband approached the employee we initially sought assistance from, inquiring about the wait time. Shockingly, instead of providing helpful information, this employee began shaking his head and exchanged mocking gestures with a security guard, evidently ridiculing my husband. This disrespectful behavior continued when I attempted to address the issue with the manager, John. Not only did he dismiss my concerns outright, but he also displayed a complete lack of empathy and professionalism throughout our interaction.

Furthermore, I was deeply disturbed when Manager John physically touched me while dismissing my complaint. This unwarranted contact, coupled with his dismissive attitude, only served to exacerbate the distressing nature of the situation. Additionally, his flippant remark of "Happy Mother's Day" as we were leaving, delivered with evident amusement, further highlighted his disregard for our feelings and the seriousness of the matter.

Most concerning was Manager John's refusal to disclose the name of the employee involved in the disrespectful behavior, clearly demonstrating a reluctance to address the issue or hold his staff accountable for their actions. It is evident that there was a deliberate attempt to obstruct any formal complaint process, further compounding our frustration and disappointment.

I implore Apple to thoroughly investigate this matter, including reviewing security footage from the mentioned date and time. Such unprofessional conduct from your staff, especially on a day as significant as Mother's Day, is unacceptable and tarnishes the reputation of your brand. As a devoted customer, I expect a prompt and sincere response, along with assurances that appropriate actions will be taken to address the misconduct and prevent similar incidents from occurring...