Apple’s Tech Assist was legendary and held the highest spot in our Tech Assist Showdown for a number of years working. Nonetheless, kinks within the Apple armor had been detected final 12 months when the corporate dropped to second place. Now, I have to whip out my sleuthing cap and brush up on my covert-op expertise to seek out out if Apple resolved the problems that induced it to drop a spot or if issues are going even additional downhill.
Is Apple Buyer Service Good? 2021 Ranking
Apple was recognized for its tech assist, and it’s nonetheless a singular problem to stump them or get considered one of their reps flustered. I do know this as a result of I attempted my darndest, as I went into full Jason Bourne mode to disarm and deceive everybody I got here into contact with. Would I break them with my disoriented beginner middle-aged man who has by no means owned a pc appeal and nonsense? They nearly all dealt with my ignorance with the exact, animatronic reactions and responses that we’ve all come to count on from Apple’s customer support.
Throughout my calls to Apple’s phone-support, I primarily skilled easy, easy interactions with three staff members. Apple’s techs will even supply to work with you if issues get too sophisticated by sharing your display screen and providing confirmed useful steerage.
My Twitter, Reside Chat, and App experiences had been uneventful, and every time I used to be directed to the Assist Web page at Apple, I rapidly discovered easy-to-use directions on resolve most day-to-day points that may come up. Total, my expertise with Apple’s Tech Assist and Customer support was good however the one misstep I skilled lowers Apple’s scores.
Apple tech assist
| Total | Net Rating | Cell App Rating | Social Media Rating | Cellphone Rating | Avg. Name Time | Cellphone Quantity | Net Assist |
| 80/100 | 15/20 | 12/15 | 13/15 | 20/30 | 15:48 | 800-275-2273 | Hyperlink (opens in new tab) |
Reside chat, Twitter and Apple Assist app
As everyone knows, Apple doesn’t do Fb, which I’m superb with. They do, nonetheless, have three different methods so that you can contact them. I began with Twitter to see how rapidly they’d reply and if that response was correct and useful. At 10:41 p.m. EST, I tweeted @AppleSupport that I used to be having battery life points with my model new MacBook Air and that I used to be clueless as to what may very well be inflicting the issue.
The next day, a little bit after 9 a.m., I acquired a response on Twitter that led me through a hyperlink to the Apple Assist (opens in new tab) web page, which answered all of my questions and helped me discover ways to optimize the battery life on my MacBook Air. The tweeted response was amicable, private, and informative. It additionally angered me for those self same causes, as I felt foiled in my first try to jam Apple up not directly. Positive, I anticipated a faster response and hoped somebody was dealing with Apple’s Twitter account late at evening, however sadly, Apple’s Kung Fu was higher than mine.
I used to be now decided to catch the following individual, stump them, and irritate them with my computer-feigned illiteracy. I contacted a dwell chat agent and made certain he knew instantly that I used to be clueless as to why these new-fangled Bluetooth headphones wouldn’t hook up with this MacBook Air my nephew purchased to punish me.
In simply 16 minutes, an agent guided me through chat by way of updating my drivers, which I wanted to do, and made certain I felt OK about asking what I believed had been foolish questions. He answered all my questions kindly and factually, giving easy-to-follow directions, and even assured me all could be superb after I talked about I felt like my son and nephew had been attempting to kill me with all this new tech. The tech assist agent responded, “No worries! I can attempt my greatest to troubleshoot from the Mac aspect of this concern, but when the difficulty is with the headphones, I could must get you to contact the producer of the headphones for additional assist.” From there, he guided me to resolve my Bluetooth concern. It was so fast and painless. The ultimate factor I needed to attempt earlier than phoning Apple was the Apple Assist app on my cellphone, which I by no means use as a result of I desire calling folks up. It’s why my youngsters solely reply to me through textual content. Anyway, I downloaded the app; as quickly as you open it up, it welcomes you and gives three fast options. The primary being Self-Remedy, the place you will get useful info through the app to rectify a difficulty. The second allowed me to get assist through a dwell chat or a cellphone name. Lastly, the app gives you the power to schedule a restore at a Genius Bar or a licensed Apple service supplier.
When you hit proceed, you are taken to a display screen inside the app. You are able to do all of the beforehand talked about issues and examine your gadget’s efficiency, subscriptions, purchases, passwords, safety, replace, and backup. It’s a really user-friendly expertise. The display screen reveals you all of your Apple units and the way a lot time you’ve got left on AppleCare or the producer guarantee. Within the final 12 months, Apple added a Youtube channel full of informative movies, how-tos, and even some tips to enhance your Apple gadget’s efficiency and person expertise.
Cellphone assist
Upon my first name, the stunning Prelah helped me with fast, affected person, top-of-the-line tech assist. At 8:18 p.m. EST, I requested for assist with points I used to be having with the Time Machine app. She guided me by way of finding it on my community. She was very affected person with my fumbling round in search of the apps on my MacBook Air and even helped me understand I hadn’t plugged it in my backup drive. The agent patiently waited for me to go plug it in and return to my desk to complete setting issues up. She was informative and did not even thoughts after I requested for her title once more and flubbed it.. We had been off the cellphone in 10 minutes and 56 seconds, my concern was resolved.
At 9:30 p.m., I spoke with one other agent. At first, it was similar to my expertise with Prelah till one thing went awry. This worker was pleasant and reassuring after I known as to debate my MacBook crashing throughout restart a number of instances earlier than working usually. He requested me to restart once more to see if there could be a recurrence, and there wasn’t. Every little thing was going swimmingly till I discussed that I used the Microsoft Edge Browser at work, and I used to be looking for it on the App Retailer so I might obtain and use it at house on my Mac.
The agent then acknowledged the next “Oh, yeah, as a result of the Edge is just engaged on Home windows PC. To which I merely replied, “Oh,” they stated, “ Sure, in order that’s why you are not capable of see the web page within the App Retailer as a result of it is on a unique platform.” This is a matter as a result of if you happen to seek for the Edge browser, you’ll discover which you could obtain a working model for Mac OS. The remainder of the decision was uneventful because the agent dealt with my most important concern however was badly tripped up by the Microsoft Edge query. Total, my name took 9 minutes and 56 seconds, and the agent was courteous and really skilled aside from that misstep.
I known as Apple’s Tech Assist at 6:47 p.m. was stored on maintain for six minutes and 54 seconds earlier than the rep got here on the road to deal with my battery life concern. She was the friendliest, most outgoing Apple agent I’ve ever spoken to. The rep was informative, educated, and a grasp of pleasant banter. I known as in to hunt assist with a quickly draining battery and she or he thanked me for ready patiently. I defined that I suffered a fast drop in battery life and wanted assist studying what to do to maintain my battery from draining so rapidly. She excitedly congratulated me that my nephew bought me a brand new M1 MacBook Air after which shared a captivating brief story about her boyfriend. Then we chatted about just a few different technical points we now have skilled and ultimately circled again to the subject at hand. The rep was hilarious, pleasant and guided me by way of my settings and changes I might make to enhance battery life. She additionally identified useful suggestions, like how leaving many apps open can have an effect on battery life. She jogged my memory that it will be a good suggestion to buy AppleCare, not in a tough sale approach, however simply mentioning it.
She had me run one brief diagnostic by shutting down. She additionally advised me I ought to obtain Apple Configurator as a result of M1-based Macs will be restored through the Apple configurator software. After we ran the diagnostic, and every little thing was working completely, the client rep additionally despatched me an electronic mail with an informative hyperlink to make use of for future reference if I skilled every other battery life points. The rep was nice, and when she didn’t know one thing for certain, she provided to seek out out for me, however talked about that she didn’t need to give me the mistaken info or inform me something deceptive.
In contrast to my earlier name, the place the agent simply swung for the misinformation fences, she was clear and sincere whereas providing to dig deeper if it was a difficulty I needed to pursue additional. I declined as a result of I had already been on the cellphone for over 25 minutes and April resolved my most important downside. In complete, the decision lasted 27 minutes and 43 seconds with almost seven of these minutes spent on maintain. Additionally, about 30 minutes could seem too lengthy however my rep’s friendliness and informative customer support expertise made it a terrific expertise.
Guarantee
With Apple, you get free phone technical assist inside the first 90 days of product possession. Should you require service after the primary 90 days, you’re going to must buy an AppleCare plan, which begins at $99 for a 12-month service plan and can cowl free technical service through Cellphone, display screen harm, or exterior enclosure harm. For $299, you will get AppleCare+ which covers you for 3 years and provides as much as two incidents or unintentional harm safety. Should you go for AppleCare+ protection, you may lookup how a lot time is left in your plan with our Apple Guarantee Verify or use the next hyperlink (opens in new tab).
Backside line
After utilizing Apple’s Assist web page, the Apple app, Reside Chat, Twitter, and calling into Apple’s Tech Assist, I’m left with blended emotions and ideas. On the one hand, the primary 4 parts went swimmingly with minimal stress. Positive, it took the social media staff till the next day to answer my tweet however a minimum of they responded. Reside Chat was fast, and the Apple App, although impersonal, was efficient, and Apple’s assist web page is deeply informative.
Nonetheless, I really feel the human aspect was sorely missing in my first two calls, and by the third, I used to be dreading calling. Then again, my second name was an issue as a result of the agent supplied me incorrect info not like April who rapidly admitted to not understanding one thing however was prepared to dig deeper to get me the precise reply. My third name was nice, the rep’s customer support expertise, willingness to go the additional steps and lookup one thing she wasn’t certain about helped redeem Apple. April saved Apple from a decrease rating, and though the decision lasted almost half-hour, it was welcoming and informative.
The common name time was quarter-hour and 48 seconds this 12 months, which is someplace close to the center of the pack in comparison with different distributors.Total, Apple’s Tech Assist is strong, and with a bit of labor, the model might in the future return to the highest and be topped grasp of tech assist.
