Apple Jordan Creek — Local services in West Des Moines

If I could give 0. I would. I’m writing this review for my customer Jason Cosper. A loyal Us Cellular customer. 10 to 11 days ago he went into the Apple Store to file a claim on his Apple care that he pays for through Us Cellular for his 14 pro max. Apple gives him a loaner XR phone. He activates it with me. Today he wondered why he had not heard back from Apple. No texts. No calls. No emails. He checks his junk emails and Apple said they weren’t going to repair his phone due to “water damage.” Which Jason told the person it store it had. The 14 pro max was completely shattered. Doesn’t back. Had water damage. The battery was expanding. Apple didn’t file a proper claim but instead did a warranty claim…. So I print off all my customers proper documentation and walked my pregnant butt down the hallway to explain he needed a full phone replacement which is covered under his AppleCare insurance. The “manager” proceeds to look up their info and is now saying my customer had improper materials inside his phone. Basically claiming my customer took his phone to get it fixed someplace not Apple certified. More lies. My customer has only had this phone a little over a year. He lives just miles away from the Apple Store. His wife just had a full phone replacement of her 14 pro max done by the Apple Store. Let’s make that make sense. Why would my customer take his phone to get it fixed at random place when he pays insurance for his phone and lives just miles down the road from the mall. Come on now…… think Apple……… so they refuse to fix my customers phone and tells them to file through Asurion to see if they would fix it. But they take the customer loaner phone they gave him and wiped it. But Asurion says they will if they send a whole new phone if they take it to Apple for inspection to make sure it’s a full phone replacement needed and can turn the find my iPhone off. Well Apple took the loader phone and wiped it so my customer has no way to get the text verification to turn off the find my iPhone for Asurion. Apple do better………. I honestly don’t believe your store knows what they are doing since half the insurance claim phones you send down to our stores (not just Us Cellular, but I’ve talked to Verizon and T-Mobile) to reactivate keep coming up BYOD basically canceling their insurance off their devices and our time gets wasted calling into our customer service departments having to fight with them for 30 minutes explaining Apple isn’t giving customers proper insurance claim devices and these arnt byod devices and their device protection needs to stay on. It’s absolutely disgusting how many times a month I have to walk down with my customers and fight for them and get stuff done because you are lazy and not willing to help or...

I had an odd experience. In fairness to the staff, there was some sort of iPad drawing class going on.

Still, it took me well over 10 minutes to get so much as a glance from staff, despite there being multiple pairs of staff members doing what, at least from the outside looking in, appeared to be nothing (but I could be wrong). After 10+ minutes, we were added to the queue, and then after another 5, we were helped by a salesperson. No big deal.

However, the most frustrating part of this visit were the pushy, awkward up-sells. I had to say no or emphasize my decision twice each for: my phone model, my AppleCare plan, Apple Music, iCloud, and accessories. Whenever I tried to say "I don't need that, I have something comparable that I already use," I was met with a blank stare and a renewed insistence on the same talking point. It felt like the salesperson didn't understand what their own product offering looked like compared to other products, which is fine, but I guess I wish they would have backed off when I told them what I wanted, since I had come to the store with a specific set of features that I knew I wanted and wasn't interested in entertaining all the other stuff.

The salesperson did also bring out the wrong phone - they brought out the next model up from what I had requested. Had I not noticed, I would have been on the hook for $100 more. While I don't like characterizing mistakes like these as intentional - it could just as easily have been an accidental miscommunication from the staff who had put us in the queue - I felt a bit weird about having to specify the exact model twice, especially after having already gone through the same song and dance with iCloud, Apple Music, and AppleCare. It felt just awkward enough for me to wonder if it was intentional.

The last thing that made me uncomfortable was the part of the checkout process where I filled out a little form on the salesperson's iPhone, and I asked for clarification around whether or not it was required to use my legal name, as I didn't know if I was filling it out for a service agreement or just for informational purposes. I only use my legal name for contracts and official documents. Instead of just telling me yes or no, I received an awkward look and a winding explanation of what they themselves would do, which was to use their legal name (they had no idea why anyone would not use theirs). Then, when I handed back the iPhone with my information filled out, I was given a weird look, an awkward pause, and they read my name back to me like I had made a mistake, which made me uncomfortable.

All in all, it was a far cry from the experience that Apple stores are known for. Your...

Went into the Apple Store on a Saturday. It was kind of busy, but not super busy. After 5-10 minutes, an employee walked up to me, in a rush, asked me if I had an appointment. No. OK, what can I help you with?

I explained that I’d like to look at an iPhone but I need it for a specific use so I’d like to have someone show me the parental controls. I was told there was no one in the store that can help me with that. I was encouraged to sign up for “a class” on the topic (they’re only on weekdays) as he points his tablet toward me and shows me a list of classes.

I explained I live a fair distance away so just want to take a real quick look. Shouldn’t be more than 5 minutes. I was again told they don’t offer that service, but was again told to sign up for “a class” on the topic (they’re only on weekdays). I made sure the worker understood that I don’t CURRENTLY own an iPhone -- I’m not just some guy looking for a “how to” -- this is part of my buying decision. I was then told that all the phones in the store are locked, no one can unlock them, so we can’t show you that.

I said, “you’re telling me there is not a single employee in this store right now (I could see about 15 employees) that has the ability to even hold an iPhone and show me the parental controls real quick?” He said, “no, I’m sorry.” I gave him my opinion of that policy (I didn’t yell, or make a scene, but I did say it’s a very stupid policy), and then he just said “sorry” and walked away to help the next person. At some point I was also told I could “read up on it on the website.” Well, you know, sometimes people like to see things in person and talk to a real person. Isn’t that the point of a store?

So, I don’t know if this employee was lying, or if they have a really dumb store policy. I would question why can’t an employe take out their own personal iPhone and show me real quick?

If he was truthful, and they really don’t allow the sales employees to show prospective customers phone features, then that is a horrible, foolish decision.

My best guess is that they are trained (formally or informally) to home in on people that you think are ready to buy now. If they don’t look like they are coming in and it will lead to a sale, blow that person off as fast as you can or pawn them off to a “class.” To me, that’s elitism in a nutshell. I did hear one person nearby walk in and say right away "I'd like to buy and iPhone." So I suppose maybe they feel they can afford to blow off people who have not yet made a decision.

I do wonder if I came back in a nice suit and said I was looking to buy 10 phones for my company but asked the exact same question . . . what kind of response...