Beat the Genius Bar lines: Quick Drop your Mac

If you don't have ProCare, you need it anyway. If you buy it as a fast track ticket for the Genius Bar, then view the ridiculously underpriced personal tech support as a fantastic freebie. ^_^

There's no way that tip was sent to the Consumerist by a Genius.

Don't try this. Not only will you be "sent packing," but you'll be wasting the time and energy of at least one Mac Specialist, Genius, or Manager.

After working at Apple Retail for a few months, I can agree with #8. There was nothing more frustrating about my job than having to deal with customers who expected to be able to just "drop off their computer." The Genius needs to diagnose the computer BEFORE it's checked in.

The only way to "Beat the Lines" is to: a) call 1-800-APL-CARE and deal with shipping it to the depot, b) get Procare, or c) MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!

My way of explaining the system to customers who "don't need an appointment" or want to just "drop it off":

The Apple Store is a RETAIL establishment, not a service center. The Genius Bar is provided as a CONVENIENCE for Apple customers. If we didn't have the queue system, you'd be waiting in line for a few hours no matter what. I'm sorry that you expected immediate service, but [explain options here]

The guys who work the Genious Bar should get a lot more credit than they deserve. People who have never dealt with the public are unbelievably ignorant about how incredibly frustrating it can be. Because the truth is, people can be REALLY inconsiderate, not to mention rude, stupid, and childish.

And then there's the name "Genius Bar" which Im sure was concocted by some marketing people in a moment of brilliance. I can only guess as to how often they have to put up with crap like "are you really a genius?" and whatnot.

And no, I don't work for Apple. But I do know what the public is capable of.

As an Apple employee i can give you the low down on what exactly does happen at our store. i don't know how they do things at other stores but this is how it works for us.

1. make an appointment at home
2. if you can't get an internet connection. call the store we will be more than happy to make the appointment for you.
3. i'd make sure how to get my computer repaired before hauling it around town. i don't dump off my xbox at walmart and demand them to fix it.
4. $99 for a procare membership and 99% of the time we can cut you right to the front of the line.
5. no way in hell we let you just dump off the computer without being checked in. it just flat out doesn't happen. and the "super form" that you guys are talking about. well it just doesn't exist.

lastly don't walk into an apple store demanding to be seen first (unless ur a procare member) and don't ask about "quickdrop" because you'll sound like an idiot and be sent packing and more unhappy than before. so just do it right. and there is no waiting in line and you get great treatment

There is no such form. There is no such policy. Anyone who thinks this is a good thing is fairly inconsiderate. HOWEVER, there is an option for Apple's ProCare members to "Fast-Track" their machines. This is officially documented and used by people who PAY for Apple ProCare memberships. Those are the facts, you can walk into any Apple Retail store and read it in the ProCare pamphlets they have at the Genius Bar. End of story.

Last I heard, "quick drop" was only supposed to be used when no more appointments are available, not when the customer was impatient and didn't want to wait. If "quick drop" were used for every impatient customer, there would be a line of machines waiting to be diagnosed.

To clear the wind:

There is no such thing as a 'QuickDrop' form. I like how they even spelt it like it were an Apple product. There's a manual authorization form used if the repair system were to go down, or if you make a stink about waiting, used to get the jerks out of the store so the technicians can work unhindered (Note: This actually makes your total repair time longer, cause you just guaranteed that your computer is the LAST computer looked at that day). You either make an appointment from home or you come into the store, make an appointment, and wait your turn like an adult.

You are not special, no one cares how many iPods you've bought, and if you haul a computer 50 miles to expecting to just "drop" it and leave, you're going to be very angry and still holding your computer.

No, i'm not a Genius. But I have friends who are and I hate it when people crap on them like that.

"Many of us who have had to deal with it know how broken Apple's Genius Bar is."

Hasn't been my experience at all-I've been to two of them, one near work, one near home, and both have given excellent, quick, and very friendly service. Being able to make an appt. online from home is great, too.

I don't doubt that some people have problems-not all Geniuses are created equal. But I also don't doubt that some of these whiners are exactly that-expecting to cut in front of everyone else because "their problem" is more important.

Whoo. I'm embarrassed now. In the Fall of '03 I was having trouble with my G4 (bad video card). I brought it to my local Apple Store for repair and the clerk asked me if I had an appointment. I was puzzled by the question, and the guy said that there were no people working the bar that night, so no one could diagnose the problem for me. I said that "It's OK, I'll just leave it here". He gave me a receipt, and I left.

I've been an Apple user since 1984 (an Apple IIc) and a Mac user since 1992 (it took me two years after I got my first real job to save up enough money for a Mac IIvx), but I had no idea about making an appointment for a repair, as I've done all of my upgrading/troubleshooting/repairing myself. I thought that an appointment for the Genius Bar was if you had some sort of a general question about computing.

Making an appointment is a great idea, and makes a lot of sense; but you would never think of it unless you've been through the procedure before. The norm for repairs of any type is to bring the device to a repair shop, wait on line, describe the problem to the repair person, leave it behind, and pick it up a week later.

Julian (#7),
At my last visit I was told by a Mac Genius that you can call the store if you do not have internet access and a sales person will make an exception and book an appointment for you.