IC
In your Corner
Apr 22, 2026
I made an appointment for 1:50 PM and arrived right on time, but the experience quickly became frustrating. Despite several employees standing around, it took about five minutes just to get checked in. I was then directed to a table to wait, where eventually someone came over and checked in everyone sitting there. What didn’t make sense was that a walk-in customer was told there was only one person ahead of her, while I—despite having an appointment—was told I had three people ahead of me and it would be about 15 minutes. After waiting 20 minutes past my scheduled appointment time, I tried to find someone to ask for an update. It wasn’t easy to even find someone to speak with. When I finally did, I was told to sit down again while she talked with the supervisor. She went back up front and the supervisor then helped another customer, and when I followed up, I was told I was “probably next,” with still no clear timeline. At that point, it had been 25 minutes past my appointment. I left. If appointments don’t actually hold your place in line, then what’s the point of making one? It creates an expectation that isn’t being met. If the system is essentially first-come, first-served, it would be better to clearly label it as walk-in only rather than misleading customers into thinking appointments matter.
MG
Miranda Gray
Apr 13, 2026
Walking into this store felt like stepping into chaos, the kind that immediately raises your cortisol levels.
I had a 4:00 PM Genius Bar appointment on Sunday at the Apple Store in Easton Town Center for a simple battery replacement on my iPhone 12 Pro Max. I arrived on time, but there’s no clear check-in area, no direction, just a packed store and employees who are all too busy to help. After wandering around for 12 minutes, I finally flagged someone down, only to be told my appointment had been automatically canceled because it was now 4:12 PM.
They reinstated me, but I didn’t actually get helped until 4:45 PM, standing the entire time because there was nowhere to sit. When I was finally seen, the employee quickly confirmed my battery was swollen and warned the display might be damaged. I made it very clear: I’m okay with a ~$90 battery replacement, but not a $400 screen repair as at that point I’d just buy a new phone.
Despite being told the repair would take about an hour, they couldn’t get to it before store closing. So I had to leave my phone overnight and return the next morning (they told me to come in at 11am), with instructions that they would call my fiancé if anything changed.
The next day? Same chaos. No check-in system, no direction, just wandering again trying to get someone’s attention. After waiting, I’m told there was a mix-up and the screen wasn’t damaged initially, but it was damaged during the battery replacement, and they’d cover both repairs for $90. However, the phone still wasn't ready and I needed to wait an additional hour. Fine.
I left to grab lunch and came back later, only to be told they had no record of me in the system. No record of my phone. No record of the repair. Nothing. After multiple employees got involved, someone finally recognized me from earlier and went to the back to check on the status of my phone. I waited an additional 15 minutes.
Then I’m told they tried to call me to approve a $400 screen repair (while they physically had my phone) and never contacted my fiancé, the alternate number they specifically asked for.
At this point, I had spent parts of two days in this store with:
-no clarity on where my phone was
-no consistent communication
-conflicting information about cost
-and no idea where I stood in their system
Eventually, the original employee reappeared, confirmed it would indeed just be $90, handed me my phone, and I left.
This should have been a simple, routine repair. Instead, it was a disorganized, time-wasting, and genuinely stressful experience.
There is no clear system for check-in, queue tracking, communication, or pickup area which is shocking for a company known for its attention to user experience.
The only bright spot: every employee I interacted with was kind and trying their best. But without a functional and efficient system, even great employees can’t fix a broken process.
And the final touch? My “repaired” phone was handed back to me with 5% battery and it didn’t even make it through the drive home.
I love Apple products, which is why this experience was so disappointing. Something this simple should not be this difficult.