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Did I mention that his colleague behind him had already corroborated my information, stating that there ARE different keyboards for each 12" PowerBook G4 model? I also tried to point out that font factor, how the one he had was bolder than the ones on mine.

He finally listened, but this was only after he confirmed for himself (genius) when he popped off one of my good keys and compared the scissor mechanism under that, to the one he was trying to unsuccessfully plop, uh, pop onto mine.

He went back into the drawer to look for other keyboards. He found one that was correct, and this time, it fit like a glove. But to add insult to injury, the key he put on top of the correct scissor mechanism was from? The incompatible keyboard.

"Here we go again...," as the late Ray Charles sang in his duet with Norah Jones, the first track on his album, the aforementioned Genius Loves Company from 2004.

I patiently and respectfully pointed out to him that the key wasn't fitting because he was using the old key cap. He turned it over and looked underneath, and surely enough, the notches on the key cap didn't match-- uh, duh --with the scissor's notches.

He went back to the drawer, but there were no matching "F1" keys. There was also not one to be found on the second keyboard, the compatible one, so I wasn't going to blame him for that one. I helped him out by saying that I still had my original "F1" key (though more out of fear that he would do more damage by trying something else).

After that, the original Genius employee that was helping me came back and asked if that was all I needed, and I said yes. I also asked if there was a charge for the repair, and he said, "Oh, no. That's nothing." Thank goodness my Apple Store was one of those that are nice.

If there's anything I hate, it's knowing more than the people who work at a store, whether it's the Apple Store, or some other one (and it happens 95% of the time). People just don't know who they're dealing with when they're associating with me.

I am not your Average Joe. (Ha! I just had to say that).

Even more disconcerting is how many times an Apple Genius may have provided the wrong solution, given the wrong advice, or even, damaged someone's product due to their lack of knowledge on a specific area of their job. And that's where I get concerned.

Case in point, last year, in another one of those window shopping episodes at the Apple Store in Emeryville, as I was looking at possibly getting a Mac mini or iMac G5 to replace my aging iMac G3 at home, I along with everyone else in the store heard a loud scream. Though, not one from a woman. One from a man. A very, angry man.

The said man was at the Genius Bar, and was very distraught with an employee who had just managed to, apparently, delete the files on the customer's iPod. The Apple security guard nearby stood on alert. The customer yelled at the Genius. "Why did you do that?? I didn't ask you to do that. All I was asking you to do..."

From what I could decipher, the employee was explaining that this was the only way he knew how to fix the customer's problem, whatever that problem may have been. The customer's wife explained to the Genius (while he kept pouting on the side in anger) that what he erased was very important and only resided on that iPod. Used to. OOPS. The damage was done.

The store manager came out to try and alleviate the situation, and even the Apple security guard was offering some words to help calm the man down. All I could think in my head the whole time was of course, the famous sarcastic use of the phrase... "What a Genius!"

On Apple's website, they state that, "Mac Geniuses-- selected by Apple --are the most knowledgeable Mac people. Trained at Apple's California headquarters, the Geniuses have broad expertise and know virtually all there is to know about your Mac or iPod."

I beg to differ based on my experience.

I'm not claiming this is a widespread issue, since I've only found two occasions of the Genius Bar fouling things up. The situation I just explained, and of course, my personal experience at the Apple Store on Sunday afternoon in getting my precious snowflake repaired. But it makes you wonder what the guidelines are for the hiring process with Genius Bar employees.

I think that's very important for Apple to consider, especially when these employees are probably the most important ones in the store because they're handling repairs on-site. (Kind of makes you wonder too, what goes on at Authorized Repair Centers where you can't see what's going on. Though I'm sure those guys are screened and need to have ACDT certification).

With the holiday season approaching and Apple expected to sell a lot of hardware-- Macs and iPods alike --that's a bunch of snowflakes that'll be floating around out there that will need the attention of the employees at the Genius Bar, helping customers keep their products intact and in tip-top shape.

Apple's no flake when it comes to its fashioning hand at capturing customers with their products, as well as their overall reputation on service. But misery loves company and this company just might want to check up on their Genius Bar employees from time to time because when nature isn't full of genius, a lot of snowflakes will be escaping their fashioning hand at the retail sector.

RESOURCES:

Apple.com- Apple Store (Retail) | the Genius Bar | Apple Store Concierge**
(**links to store in Emeryville, CA)

note: Concierge link provided as an example on how to make an appointment online for the Genius Bar
(go to the page for your local Apple Store for the link to your store's Concierge)

REFERENCE:

MacRumors.com (forum topic), "...Replace a Single Key on PowerBook Keyboard?" (11.01.06)

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