Archive for November 2006

Superb customer service from Apple

Monday, 27 November 2006 Music, Personal, Things to do, Web 2 comments

Of late, my iPod (60GB video, black if you’re interested) has been failing me. I have found that after a while, any songs I bought via iTunes skip and no longer play again until I perform a reset. I followed all of the knowledge base articles on the iPod website such as:

  • Updating my iTunes software
  • Deauthorising and reauthorsing my iPod
  • Deleting the songs I thought were faulty
  • The five Rs, reset, retry a new USB, restart, reinstall, restore
  • Rebuilding my song list XML file
  • Voodoo

None of these things worked and in the end, I scheduled a slot at my local Apple store. It was my first experience in doing so and was very impressed. This morning, I booked an appointment online with my local Apple Concierge at Valley Fair, Santa Clara and arranged a time. You just visit apple.com and at the bottom of the screen you can pick your local store. Once on the store page, you click Make a reservation. You just stroll into the store about five minutes before your slot. If you’re a person who has just rolled in off the street you can only make bookings for the same day, however, if you’re a ProCare member you can make appointments 14 days in advance.

The screens behind the Concierge desk list who’s in line – and when you’re up, you just step forward. The guy was really knowledgeable and we talked through the steps I had already took. It was refreshing to be in a shop where people know what you’re talking about!

After working through the issues, he unfortunately couldn’t help me. I thought, “Oh no, I’m going to have to send it off, wait a month, blah, blah, blah!” – but no! He ran out the back of the store and came back with a shiny new iPod and replaced it there and then on the spot.

I was very impressed.

http://www.apple.com/retail/valleyfair/

 


The Freedom of Information Act: Borat

Monday, 27 November 2006 Film, Politics No comments

Borat Sagdiyev may be a fictional Kazakh TV journalist, but it seems that he’s been causing real problems for British diplomats in Kazakhstan.

Since the Freedom of Information (FOI) act was passed, the press have had some fun bringing to light the workings of the British government. The BBC have just made a request to see all correspondence relating to the film “Borat” – it seems there have been some serious conversations going on between the British and Kazakh governments!

The fact that it has been a touchy subject throughout the past year is made clear in documents released to the BBC by the Foreign Office under the FOI act. This stems from the period Borat has been a TV character, prior to the hit film coming out this month.