The key to Apple happiness

Just a few weeks ago, my sister-in-law finally traded up from a dying Toshiba (Windows XP) laptop after about a year of cajoling and incessant praise for the Apple computers that we have in our home/office. Fast forward to the day she takes home her shiny new Apple Macbook (unibody) – everything is as beautiful and flawless as expected, until later that night.

10:00PM
I get the call later that night from a very frustrated and obviously disillusioned new Macbook owner. As she’s telling me how the mouse won’t move and one of the keys has popped of the keyboard, I’m thinking to myself, “Great! She finally makes the investment and it turns out to be a turd.” Now, it’s up to me to convince her that it’s a fluke, this never happens and I’ll find a way to make it right. Nothing ruins your new purchase experience more than having to immediately pack it up and mail it off for service!

The next day, I pick up the Macbook from her hoping I’ll find some magical solution to fix the broken keyboard without having to send it all back to Apple. (The mouse was fine, she was just getting used to the multitouch trackpad.) After taking a look at it myself, I immediately called MacHaus to see if someone was available to look at the Macbook and gauge whether or not they could do something about it. Their service tech quickly answered my questions and suggested I bring it by to see what they could do.

2:00PM
Stopped by MacHaus to see if they could fix this day old Macbook with a broken keyboard. The service tech was super friendly and sympathized with the situation while trying to evaluate the root of the problem. As it turns out, the key was in fact broken, likely due to manufacturing issue. Normally, this means a round trip flight to some Apple repair facility and a further delay in gratification for a new Macbook owner.

2:10PM
Problem solved, permanently. I won’t give you all the details on how he managed it, but MacHaus just happened to have what was needed to make a permanent fix to the broken key! This had to be one of my single most painless visits related to any sort of repair.

Okay, so maybe it was luck or maybe MacHaus really is that good. What dawned on me at that moment was the real value of supporting a local business that has the products, the know-how and positive attitude. Had MacHaus not been around, the overall experience would have been significantly marred for someone brand new to Apple products.

Mostly I wanted to just say thank you to MacHaus for making an otherwise blemished Macbook feel new again! I also think this example illustrates the value of supporting local businesses that take pride in their service and support. This experience has definitely restored my interest in supporting the “Buy local” ideology.

On that note, be sure to check out Buy Alaska’s website: http://www.buyalaska.com

You can search for almost anything here and find a local company in your area. Look them up, buy local – it really pays to keep the business in Alaska!

Disclaimer: We did order this Macbook from an online retailer, only after we had shopped every store in town to find they didn’t have this model in stock. Even then, MacHaus took the time to make it right regardless of where it was originally purchased.

MacHaus
Alaska’s Apple Specialists
www.machaus.net