Exhibit 5a | Creative Disobedience

A few months ago, I wrote a couple of posts about Apple service. The first outlined some of the problems that I’ve had personally with Apple’s service and some wider issues. The second was some ideas I had on possible solutions to the problem. Well, Apple service strikes again.

A couple weeks ago, the extension arm which supports the monitor on my iMac broke. It lost the ability to stay elevated- I assume the spring or air pressure valve broke or something. I’d purchased AppleCare on the iMac when I bought it a couple years ago, so I called up the service line. As always, the Apple employees were polite, helpful and prompt. After I explained the problem, the customer service rep offered to send a tech out to my apartment to fix it on-site. He told me I would get a call from the tech within 48 hours to set up the appointment. I hung up, and within about fifteen minutes, the tech called. He told me that he needed to order the parts, but should be in touch in a day or so to make the appointment. It should be noted that this is not an Apple tech, it’s a third party contractor.

But, so far so good.

A few days go by. I get a call at work on a Friday afternoon. The tech is at my apartment. Um, I’m at work, and you never called me back to make an appointment. Yeah, I know, there was a screw up at the dispatcher. No problem, can we send the guy back on Monday? Sure, says I, ever the optimist. I took the day off Monday and waited.

A very friendly, if weak minded tech finally shows up. Uh, sir, there’s been a mistake at dispatch (this makes two, I note). The tech that arrived wasn’t qualified to fix my machine. Either I take another day off work for a different tech to come or he could take my machine with him and bring it back the next day. Not wanting to take another day off – I’m not made out of vacation days, you know – I send the machine off to be fixed. He says I’ll get it back the next day. Anger level, moderate

Next day I get a call. There’s been a delay. It won’t be until Thursday. Fine. Oh, and you need to be home from 8:00am to 3pm for us to deliver it. What! No, no no, you need to bring it to me after 5:30 when I’m home from work. No sir, we only deliver until 3pm. Fine, I say, gritting my teeth. Bring it to my office, and I’ll schlep it home. Anger level, simmering.

This morning, I get a call. Tech asking where my office is. I tell him. Ok, he’ll be there in a few minutes. Two hours later, another call. Where’s your office? I tell him again. Ok, is there parking? In Times Square? Um, I don’t really know, I don’t drive in the city. The tech tells me he’ll call when he’s out front and I’ll have to come down and get it. Either that or he can take it back to his office and ship it to me. My hands are tied. I grudgingly agree to this madness.

I go out to the middle of Times Square where this guy actually pulls this box out of his trunk:

A beat up cardboard box that doesn’t even fit my computer. Gee hope nobody sees me hauling computer equiment out of the trunk of a car in Times Square. And then the tech trys to get me to sign for it by putting the reciept on top of the LCD! Which, I might add, is covered with a piece of sticky, dirty plastic. This is a $1500 piece of equipment! And here I am grabbing it out of the trunk of this guy’s car in Times Square! Anger level: rolling boil.

I’m pretty pissed. Apple has billions of cash on hand from their iPod dominance. They need to get their acts together and spend a little bit more money on their service. If I get this computer home and it doesn’t work I’m going to lose it.