My iphone 5s (less than a year old) suddenly stopped connecting to my cell phone provider's network on a Friday afternoon. No issue with my provider or my SIM card and none of the typical fixes could get it going again (restart, reset network setting, update software, erase contents). So without a landline phone, it was pretty important that I get the problem fixed. I went online to make an appointment with the Genius Bar, but the first available appointments were Monday evening--that meant three full days with no phone before someone could even look at it.
I scheduled an appointment and headed to the store on the off chance that someone could try to help me. Drove across town to the store and was told that I had to have an appointment and the only available appointments were on Monday. I explained the urgency of the problem, but was told no one could help me until Monday. Great.
So, on Monday I trek back to the Apple Store and a Genius confirms that my phone does not work and that it is under warranty. However, the store is out of stock of the iphone 5s and will have to order it for me. This means yet another trip to the store, but the Genius says orders typically arrive the next day and that someone will call me when it arrives. I remind him that I have no phone, so a call won't help much. He says I will get an email when it is ready.
No email the next day. No email by 4:30pm the following day. I've now been without a phone for 5 days. I call Apple Care from work to see if I can get an update on the replacement order. Apple Care says they have to call the store to check with them. The Apple Care rep and I were on hold for 20+ minutes and she couldn't get anyone from the store to take her call because the store was so busy. I told her to forget about it.
About an hour later, I received an email from Apple saying that my phone was ready for pickup "anytime." I make another trip out to the store the following morning -- the store opens at 9am for extended holiday hours. I arrive and I'm told that techs don't start until 10am, but someone might be able to help me. I wait around a few minutes and a tech arrives and gets me the replacement phone. Such a frustrating experience. The store is always teeming with sales associates (and customers) and hoards of people are always waiting to see a tech. Waiting three days for an appointment and another two days for a replacement is not acceptable when dealing with a non-working phone under warranty.