So many people like to call out companies when they blow it. I see constant rants on Facebook and Twitter. So, when a company did something positive for me this evening, I decided that turn about is fair play and I wanted to share my simple story.
This evening, I took my laptop to a restaurant so that I could work while I awaited the arrival of my food. I’m out of town this week on a consulting engagement, so I wanted to make best use of my time and I had a lot to do. Unfortunately, the outlet that I was using was dead, so I just ran on battery power until I hit about 30% and then left and went back to my hotel room to plug in and keep working.
When I got back to my hotel room, I plugged in my laptop – a MacBook Pro Retina – and went on my merry way. While I was working, I received an error indicating that my battery was down to 10%! I hadn’t even bothered to look to make sure it was charging. I checked to make sure everything was plugged in and it was.
Upon looking at my power cable, I noticed a black section near the transformer. Apparently, something zapped my cable earlier today and I just hadn’t noticed it. Unfortunately, it was close to 9PM and the closest Apple store was 20 minutes away… and I had a bunch of stuff to get done tonight, not to mention going on-site to my client in the AM. So, I rushed out to my car and dialed the closest Apple store, which happened to be in Columbia, Maryland. My rental has hands free, so I was using both hands to drive. I waited for my turn on hold and once someone answered, I explained my predicament. The person on the other end indicated that they close at 9 PM, but given the situation, if I just came by and knocked on the glass door, they would be more than happy to let me in to buy a replacement supply.
I arrived at the Apple store about 9:20 and purchased two power supplies… having learned my lesson.
While it wasn’t a major disruption for someone to wait for me, it was extremely appreciated. Thank you!