Two years ago I made the switch by buying a MacBook Pro for my primary development machine. Every day it seems I find another small reason to be glad to have switched.
A trip to the Apple store
Last week my laptop battery suddenly would not hold a charge for longer than 20 minutes. So, last night I went to my local Apple store for a 7:00pm Genius Bar appointment (made easily online). When I arrived I was immediately greeted by an Apple Store concierge who walked me to the Genius Bar and personally made sure I got checked in. Bing! 1 point.
A pleasant wait
It was evident though that there was going to be a wait. But I really did not mind because the store has tons of computers with wide-open internet access so I was able to get some work and email done (Bing! another point). The store had great lighting, chairs (1 point), and a buzz of people who are glad – or at least not mad – to be there (more points).
In line without standing in line
Here’s one other small thing that made a big difference. A giant screen behind the bar that listed customer’s first names reassuring me that, “yes”, I was next in line without having to stand in a line or continually asking someone when my turn is. Bing! More major points.
A great start and great finish
That’s a lot of positive experience there before someone even took a look at my machine. After 30 minutes of waiting, a technician who has been trained at Apple headquarters (more points) looked at my battery problem.
And here’s the great finish…Batteries are normally not covered under warranty, but because I had to wait, he gave me a new battery, no charge. Bing. Bang. Done. One happy customer who will continue to encourage friends, family, and associates to switch to Apple.
It’s No Secret
Apple is simply following well-proven best practices of customer service and being rewarded with loyal consumers.
Contrast my Apple experience to the news
that a New York state judge found that Dell unlawfully deprived consumers of customer service to which they were entitled.
It’s so, so, so simple. Basic business textbook stuff. Yet so elusive to other companies in the industry like Gateway, Dell, and CompUSA.
Synap Software, LLC 
My opinion of Apple’s technical support is totally opposite of yours.
http://www.agavemountain.com/2008/04/apple-bar-leaves-much-to-be-desired.html
Joe,
Admittedly my issue (dead battery) required little technical knowledge to resolve so I can’t speak to the knowledge of the staff, only that they treated me right. I hope to never have a technical issue, but will report fairly here how it was handled if we do.
Even though we don’t really have ‘THE Apple Store’ out here in India, the staff at the Apple stores out here are the best I’ve come across. Really friendly, allow you to surf and check your email and can answer hundreds of questions.
Nice writeup btw 🙂