Poor Customer Service Support and discrimination by the Apple -in-store at Westfield and equally worse telephone customer care support
I would like to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the customer service I received from the staff at the Apple Store in Westfield. As a loyal customer of Apple for over a decade, I have exclusively used Apple products. However, my recent experiences with the customer service staff at the Apple Store in Westfield have been incredibly disappointing.
Over the past month, I have been in contact with Apple's customer service both over the phone and through visits to the Apple Store at Westfield. I visited the store four times between June 26th and July 9th, 2023, with the intention of purchasing a new MacBook Pro M2 Pro 14" Silver. Unfortunately, on each visit, I encountered humiliating treatment.
I was deeply shocked and distressed to experience humiliation and discrimination from the customer service staff of a renowned brand like Apple at the Apple Store Westfield. Upon entering the store, I was met with unkind and arrogant looks from the staff at the entry point, who immediately asked if I was there to collect a repaired MacBook. Politely, I responded “No, I am here to collect my newly purchased MacBook.” The staff member appeared surprised and smirked mockingly before redirecting me to another staff member who posed the identical question. The second staff member eventually directed me to the pickup counter, where I was initially ignored by a disrespectful and rude staff member who eventually attended to me but disappeared while I was searching for my QR code in my emails. When I finally found the QR code and looked around for the staff member who had disappeared, another employee rudely questioned me, asking if I was there to collect a repaired MacBook. I replied once again, stating that I was there to collect my newly purchased MacBook and showed him my QR code. I was completely taken aback by the judgmental looks and treatment I received from every staff member.
The staff member at the pickup counter, named Liban, displayed extreme disrespect, arrogance, and rudeness. As an international student, I did not possess a UK driving license, and my passport had been submitted for visa renewal. However, I had my student ID with me. Liban's tone was racially discriminatory, as he abruptly asked me to show him the email and stated, "Did you not read the email before coming? We cannot give you the MacBook with a student ID." I questioned the irony of being able to avail a discount using the same ID but not being allowed to collect my own MacBook, for which I had already made payment. In response, he abruptly took my iPhone, suggesting I cancel the purchase. When I inquired about the cancellation procedure, he rudely refused to assist or provide guidance. After much persuasion, he reluctantly asked to see my iPhone, which he touched and pressed the cancel button. When I asked about the refund, his response was equally arrogant, as he evaded answering any further questions. I requested his name, but he adamantly refused to provide it. I then asked to speak to the manager and was rudely pointed to a woman named "Danny," who turned out to be a lead support staff member rather than a store manager. She, too, proved unhelpful.
It is important to note that there is no indication on my face that I am in the store to collect a repaired MacBook. I am more than capable of purchasing new Apple products. I felt deeply discriminated against, humiliated, and offended by the way every staff member treated me, starting with the repetitive question, the judgmental looks, taunting laughs as I entered the store.
Thereafter, I thought to purchase second time through Apple online store. It's quite disappointing that the Apple Customer Service Staff seems to lack basic addition and subtraction skills. They overcharged me with three different transactions and didn't even attempt to address the issue when questioned. Thankfully, I was vigilant about transaction notifications and noticed the errors myself. However, when I reported the problem, they took it lightly and offered a feeble excuse.
After much consideration, I have decided to cancel my order for the second time. The telephonic customer support experience was equally disappointing. The staff seemed uninformed about the cancellation process and kept placing me on prolonged holds to address my queries. Consequently, I felt compelled to cancel my order again.
Furthermore, I must express my dissatisfaction with their dishonest practices, as they overcharged me and misused my credit card details, only admitting to the refund after being caught. This behavior demonstrates a lack of respect for customers and their money, along with a noticeable lack of training, leading to shameful and unsatisfactory customer service.
July 21, 2023
Unprompted review
