MacBook Pro Retina 13' HDMI Problem

Hello TingWee,

I checked with a MBP 13' early 2010 without any issues.

This is a strange behavior.

Still received nothing from Apple yet...

Kird

I received a call from Apple support on Friday the 14. They were asking if it might be possible to send in my new MPBR 13' for further lab testing. As soon as my notebook would arrive in their lab they would send me a new one in return!

What kind of service is that? I am surely willing to support these guys - I know that you sometimes need help from your customers to solve issues - but:

1) I would expect to receive an exchange devise before I am going to mail in my "old" one - especially due to the fact that this notebook is in professional service. I am willing to erase all my personal stuff and install it again on a new one. I am not willing to wait (and maybe gamble) that someone is sending a new device back on time

2) Apple care doesn't seem to help - I have it and the only response of the guy on the phone was: "sorry, that's the procedure" - serious question: what's Apple care for beside a basic guaranty extension?

3) Apple support promised me to call back as I refused to send in my device without further receiving a new one to discuss the follow up. Again no one called back till today (more than a week later)

That's not poor service - that's very poor service!

Kird

PS:

Apple announced the EFI update on Dec. 18. This update was supposed to solve an issue with the HDMI output. Unfortunately it didn't help with the above mentioned problem.

Apple, I thought my first impression with your service was just bad luck... Now I am not so sure anymore...

It started with HDMI - an odyssey...

Wrote Appel an email last week. Not a complaint. Just a neutral question regarding the HDMI case. I also included my ticket number (issued in Nov. 2012) with the request to send me a brief update about the status.

Guess what, nothing happened. No email, no call - silence.

This reminded me of a paragraph in a book I recently read. "The Mesh" from Lisa Gansky: "When a customer has truly bought into a brand, the company will be the first to learn when something goes wrong" - right in my case, I called, mailed and chatted with Apple.

"Customer's loyalty translates into their willingness to give the company a chance to make it right" - well... I think I did to, not exactly in the way Apple wanted me to (sending in my Laptop and then receive a new one - I wanted to do it the other way around) but I tried to balance out the restrictions on both sides.

"They exercise their right to complain often, hoping that their trusted brand will step up and fulfill their expectation. At that point, there's another chance to wow them by resolving the issue promptly and well - to make them feel smart and back in the trust boat again". Ahhh... Apple sorry to let you know, you missed it.

And now I am on my odyssey from a "bought in customer", over someone who's "loyalty is fading" to a state where disappointment makes room for a Lack of understanding and trust.

I have learned, that by Lisa Gansky's definition Apple is not a Mesh Business.

To be continued...

Hello Daniel,

I gave Apple a call last week and asked for a feedback on my ticket. The guy I talked to at least tried to help me with the issue. In the meantime since my last attempt to receive something from Apple nothing has happened on the issue. Surprise! So we started from 0 again... Ok... Bought in customer with a decent pain level...

I received some test tools from the guy that I ran on the MPPR creating an encrypted file (...yes I can imagine what you think and I can assure you I had similar thoughts...) and mailed this stuff back to Apple. Now that they have insight of my whole digital live (ok I distend it a bit, but in reply to my question what's all included in this file the guy mentioned something like "don't worry only technical stuff..." Ah yea... That's why it is encrypted... You might find an info about a malfunction in the HDMI inside... very confident... Ok... What you all do for a chance of solving an HDMI problem).

So the current status is: Apple engineers are spending nights in the office to dig into whatever this tools squeezed out of my innocent MacBook. You see I have reached a state where I am slowly drifting into sarcasm ;-)

The guy mentioned there might ! be a patch coming with the next release if Apple finds the issue important enough ! and ! enough other customers have the problem as well. And on this I am not kidding. That's what he said.

Hmm... Will 3 customers be enough? I doubt it... We'll find out with the next release. Maybe we can increase the complains from release to release and empirically estimate when Apple starts taking customers seriously.

My personal guess is that they will dismount the HDMI port and send us an aluminum plug that fits perfectly in the hole. I have a flashback... There was once an issue with an antenna and they offered a piece of plastic to...

I am getting carried away so I better stop now :-) and return to my wine

Let's stay in touch if you find out something on the GB

Kird

Hello Daniel,

Not really, I am running other OS in VMWare but due to the routing through OS X for the output there is no difference for my installations.

And as you said, Microsoft Win is not an option for me in general. Otherwise we would have bought the plastic shoe boxes from I.., D... or A...

It is unbelievable... I really like the products, and still think that OS X is in general a good OS. But the way they treat customer problems concerns me. Usually this is a sign of decline. And looking at the press coverage of Apple and the latest developments of the stock...

I am willing to wait till something is fixed. knowing that it takes some time to solve a problem and integrate a fix into the general release cycle. But not being informed and forced to chase status updates is simply poor poor service.

Maybe customers start looking for shoe boxes again, Apple - watch out...

Kird

PS: running the external monitor with DVI at least helps a bit

Hello Daniel,

This sounds like it might be a solution. But I completely agree with you.

If this is going to solve the issue it make the Geniuses look like fools.

Let me if it worked for you.

Kird