Had a bloated battery issue with my iPad. Walked in and put my name in the waiting list. Estimated wait time, 1.5 hours. Half hour goes by and they text me to tell me that I can be seen. Explanation of my problem took 30 seconds. 2 minutes later, I had a brand new iPad in my hand. You can't really get any better for customer service. A lot of these one star reviews are pretty laughable. read more

I bought my Mac about 10 days ago. Experienced a great initial purchase experience, but rapidly found some shortcomings in the initial Email set-up and some real challenges with subsequent support calls - all of them with charmingly lovely people, but with always a bigger problem post-call than prior to the call. All that went away when I walked into the Apple store in Cambridge this morning, ready to return my Mac (I was bringing it back in its original box) and more than ready to return to the seemingly safe, sure and secure world of my former PC relationships. If there is an equivalent to "coming out" in the computer world, then I screamed out of the store a convert and a satisfied customer, and I promise I will never look at another PC again. Incredible customer-care. My "expert", Tony was a model of customer-centric focus and thoughtfulness (it certainly helped that we liked the same Cuban, now-exiled, singer he noticed on the iTunes folder he helped me rescue). And he speaks Spanish...ojalá! And how impressive that someone really cared about my less-than-perfect support calls to take my Mac's serial number to be able to coach the support agent who helped me over the phone. How impressive is that! Unless, of course, it is really to add me to some blacklist of most-hated Mac customers to be bombarded by PC-touting spam mail! No...I didn't think so either. Thanks Tony (and colleagues) - you saved me a lot of heartache! read more

I went to this apple store because my MacBook cord was broken. Not only were they unhelpful they were downright rude. My MacBook is just over 3 years old and just over the apple care package. I also just spent 900 on an iPad there last week. Not only would they not give me a new charger cord, when she saw that my warranty had just expired she did not help me replace the battery cover she had removed to look at it and also did not take me and show me the right cord on the wall that I needed. She just vaguely pointed in the direction even though there were few clients in the store. For how much money I spend at apple (2 computers, one desktop screen, blue tooth keyboard and mouse, iPad, iPhone, iPod nano) I felt like they treated my like shit. I will never return this particular apple store and am less happy overall with apple. read more

I am very disappointed with the service at this location. I brought my computer to the genius bar. I had an appointment at 12:45 and was not helped until 1:15. I was informed that the software would need to be reinstalled on my computer and that they would remove all of my files... and then put them back on as long as the hard drive was intact. Well, the hard drive was fine and I none of my files were put back onto my computer. While my computer was at the store I was never informed that it was ready. I had to call to find out that I could pick it up. Be careful who you work with. Being busy is no excuse for poor service. I am livid. read more

Was having a few issues with my computer, including a "ghosting" screen. Usually I have to wait 15-20 minutes after arriving for my genius bar appointment before someone will see me. However. this time someone saw me with in 2 minutes. Dave was my "genius" and answered all my questions adequetely and professionally. Despite barely passing a biased standardized test designed to prove that all but the most severe "burning" or "ghosting" computers don't have an issue, Dave acknowledge that my screen was messed up and offered to have it replaced. Dave, you rock. Excellent customer service is one of the few reasons I haven't switched over to PC. read more

Had problems syching an ipod following the download of the latest version of iTunes. Called in at the store, the staffs solution was to wipe and reset the ipod to factory settings. Now transpires it is a computer problem (which I subsequently found out by browsing the web). It is a not uncommon error code, Apple store staff felt they could not know of this as "there are thousands of error codes". Net result was a wiped ipod which I couldn't reload because of the glich in my computer. Apple were unwilling and unable to load the music on from a backup memory stick to correct their error of wiping it. Went to Ismashed it in Buntingford, where the excellent and helpful staff reloaded the ipod from a memery stick in half an hour at minimal cost. Now all I have to do is find the bug in my computer from the latest version of iTunes.... read more

This is by far the worst apple store! The supervisor was rude and disrespectful. i walked in to repair my phone and one of the employees said the wait time would be 2 hrs. After waiting for 2 hrs in the mall I went back to the store to see if they were ready to fix my phone. The employee told me unfortunately you need to wait for a additional 4 HOURS!!! Which was extremely ridiculous!! I approach the supervisor and he basically brought up excuses stated that I was inform via text there would be a 2-4 hrs waiting time. Which complete bullshit they never texting me this information. I left the store with complete disgust how horrible there customer service is!! PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME going to this shitty ass apple store. They are completely rude and the worst customer service I experience in my life!!! read more

truth be told, i love most apple stores. sure, shopping there can be annoying. each location has a super large staff of people who are over-eager about helping, which is irritating if you are just browsing. nothing i would hold against them personally; it's their jobs. i would give most apple stores a five based on their customer service alone. it is super easy to set up appointments with the genius bar. you can set them up in the store or do it online at your leisure. i feel like the workers genuinely want to take care of whatever technical issues i have. my experience with this location: i dropped my macbook one too many times so it could no longer start up, my disc drive also had a dvd lodged in there, and the casing to my macbook was coming off around the screen. the genius bar suggested i send my computer to a warehouse to repair it because the flat rate of $240ish to repair everything was cheaper than fixing the individual problems at their location. $250 versus $900-2000 for a new computer was a no brainer. i come back a week and a half later to pick up my macbook. i was informed i needed an id to pick it up (which i wasn't told when i dropped off my computer but it's a sensible policy). my wallet was stolen a while back so i had not been able to replace my id yet. the employee saw the look of distress on my face and offered to hunt down the employee who took in my computer to confirm my identity. he didn't have to do it. he was thoroughly justified at sending me on my way. he found the employee, i got my computer back and i even got the dvd that had been lodged in the computer for a year. when i go to the apple store i know i will be taken care of, so that's why i give them a five. read more

I never brought anything from this apple store branch, but I been here a couple of times with friends to fool around with the macs and their photobooth. This place is pretty roomy and they have everything that any apple retailer branch would carry. The customer service here is great as well. The apple store staffs would also if they can help you with anything, and if you do have questions, they can provide answers. read more

i was happy when we got an apple store in boston, well cambridge. everything in there was so cute! this is where i got my nice, black video ipod after best buy failed me. very quick and easy to go in there, get it, and get out. of course, i knew what i wanted, so i didnt need to ask any questions. this is also a good store for just browsing and looking at all the cute, cool things. and wanting to bring them all home with you. read more

Thank you Brendan! From the moment I walked in- a little nervous because I know very little about computers- I was put at ease. I needed a new MacBook. While I was waiting for an associate one of the sales persons came over and helped me assess what I needed and helped me make sure I had backed up my old Mac correctly. The manager Stephanie came over to check in while I was waiting and let me know I was up next. Total wait time was maybe 5-10 minutes but during those minutes I was checked in on. Brendan was then assigned to me and I could not have asked for a better sales person. He answered all of my question and suggested what might be the best fit for my needs. He showed me some tricks and features that I would never have discovered on my own, explained the cloud, and was very helpful. Knowledge and a great personality! Will definitely visit CambridgeSide Apple for all of my needs going forward. Thank you again Brendan! read more

The store manager (I believe his name is Ryan, Grey beard) is super condescending. You are likely to wait for 20-40 minutes. In the 45 minutes we waited, we were able to observe a lot of frustrating things: 1. Multiple service people walking around talking to each other and looking at their screens, instead of at people. 2. A process of getting service akin to an emergency room- rude service people and long lines, read more

CALLING ALL BLACK PEOPLE! CALLING ALL BLACK PEOPLE! CALLING ALL BLACK PEOPLE! PLEASE STAY OUT OF THE CAMBRIDGE SIDE APPLE STORE!!! I had an incident that happen a month ago regarding a pick up of an iphone 4s. What should have taken 10 minutes took 5 hours for me to get the phone. My father got a free iphone 4s and added me on the second line. He is in California and I am in Boston, so he had a phone placed under his name at the Cambridge side store in Boston. All I had to do was to tell the salesperson his name, show my id, set up the phone and walk out. But that didn't happen and here's why... The sales guy, Zach, did not want to give me the phone because he believed that I was trying to get a free phone from the store. He kept telling me the policy of the store is that I needed to have a credit check before I was allowed to receive it. He even took me over to the Verizon kiosk to confirm that the phone was already set up for service. The guy at the kiosk verified my father's name and even my name as the second person on the account. Zach still refused to give me the phone so I went directly to the manager of the store Nancy Sponpinato. Nancy was in agreement with Zach and I ended up calling my father to verify my identity and he sent an email stating so. He ended up calling Verizon and they told me that the Mac Store policy was incorrect because I was listed on the account and they just needed to check my id and give me the phone. Then Verizon wanted to speak to the manager and she didn't want to speak to them. Suddenly, the manager had a solution and I was given the phone. They verified my id (which they should have done hours prior) and she also gave me a free case and extra charging devices. At one point, I told the manager that I have never been treated like this before especially in California and asked her if they have encountered a situation like this before and she said they had not. Then I said it was probably because of people who look me (Black people) that she was compelled to harass even when they have done nothing wrong. It was wrong on her part, the manager, and I have reported it to the corporate office in Cupertino, California. So, be warned Black people in Boston this behavior is unacceptable and please report any wrongdoing to the corporate office in the future because the only way that this is going to stop is if WE continue to report it and STICK TOGETHER!!! read more

Even though they are closed for renovation, this is known as the oldest Apple Store that opened in the Boston area in the early 2000s, (right in Cambridge across the river, and a brief walk from MIT). I would say that the staff here is the most friendliest out of all the Apple Stores I have been to. Not to say the other locations aren't. But this place had a consistency of going the extra mile to make sure the customer is really super happy. They are just great at having conversations with people going to this store. I returned an iPad once, and they gave me another one instantly on the spot, that was brand new and unopened, all without giving me a hard time. Also purchased an iPhone before from this location, and the staff member I was with, was very patient and helpful and making sure the transition from the old phone to the new one was smooth, inorder to get things up and running. Can't wait to see what the new store design is going to look like there! read more

I have to say right from the outset that I am neither hip or cool. I am old and cranky but not unreasonable. Having read Dave Eggers' The Circle, I was horrified to realize that I had landed in the middle of that book. All sorts of bright young things in red tshirts rushing around doing God's work. All I wanted was a gift card. Twenty minutes later, someone finally called my name. Clearly, I was a little put out that I had to wait in the same line as people trying to figure out their IPhones. Instead of a "I'm sorry you had to wait", my person looked at me like I was some sort of odd sea creature that had landed in his lap and asked me, "Are you upset?". REALLY??? What was his first clue? Ridiculous that anyone should have to wait that long just to purchase a card, or a headset or whatever. Add to that the insufferably self-congratulatory atmosphere of the place and it seriously makes your head explode. I realize that this is the new world order but I'm old enough to remember when customer service was more than a buzz word and something that companies and the people who worked for them genuinely subscribed to. The whole place felt like it had been taken over by robots disguised as perky young people. Spare me. I really hope they get their act together and create a line for people who know what they want and just want to purchase and split. Luckily I had a book with me. read more

I've heard that Apple sometimes don't stand by their products. You can play with the IPhones all day and they don't care, and make free calls too! Come here to check your EMail for free, and listen to music on their IPods! read more

The reservation system is always full. You cannot really get any support by walking in. Too bad there is not enough support to provide to the growing Apple user population. read more

I gave 4 stars instead of 5 only because the manager on duty the day I went in was awful. Her team, however, was fantastic and as soon as she let go of her powertrip and released her claws from their necks, the truly knowledgeable and helpful staff went to work. I fried my MacBook Pro after spilling a glass of wine into the keyboard (rookie mistake) and wanted to crawl into a corner and cry, since it had been my all-time favorite belonging. Well, sad news is that it couldn't be brought back to life. Good news is that Cameron was there to help me with open arms to get my brand new laptop up and running exactly the way I had had it set up to my liking! He went above and beyond to help me feel less dreadful about ruining my old one by painstakingly showing me why the brand new one was soooo much better and worth the mistake! Cameron should be Employee of the Month! read more

My friend and I had a very bad experience. We know what we wanted and just needed to swipe the credit card to grab and go, but they put us in line (even though we see many "specialists" idling around) and we had to wait 30-40 minutes. Also there were more scheduling people than people actually helping clients. Why can't they have something like a normal checkout line for fast clients? This is really bad operation and I don't think customers are happy. They need to restructure their human resource and operations to keep customers still interested. read more

Rude, unfriendly and helpful employees!. My wife tried to but an iPad Air 2 knowing exactly what she wanted and it would have taken less than 5 mins for the transaction. She had some issues with using a credit card abroad and offered to go and get cash from an ATM, when she got back to the store, she had to check in again, waited over half an hour for the same server who then informed her that they were going onto front of house and she would have to wait again for someone else. She then left empty handed after an hour of trying. Not what we would expect from an apple retail location and completely ruined the experience read more

It boggles my mind to see good reviews about this place. Alright, I bit the bullet & got an Ipod & they are pretty sweet. I also have about 6 macs for my business. I have come to the conclusion that everything apple breaks. Their stuff is rediculously over priced and they scam you by selling it all piece by piece. The genius bar is my worst nightmare...I don't know whats wrong with all you mac-heads. Good luck read more

I love this Apple Store! I find the staff very helpful and have enjoyed some of the trainers immensely! It is my go-to store for any help with my iPhone and computer, and it has been a challenge to have them closed for renovations. read more

I came to this store to have my computer repaired. They told me I had to drop it off and make an appointment to do so, the first one was about a week away. Mind you this is a computer I bought in 2017 and has already had to be taken in for repair. At the time I had coverage with Apple care, and now my Apple care had run out. I should be able to buy an Apple product and trust that I won't need to repair it within a few months (unless it is my fault of course). So I am already at this point frustrated with the issues I am having with a brand new computer. You'd think they would jump me ahead of the queue?... As I hung around a bit with my children I noticed that they were taking in customers who wanted to purchase Apple products. So the sales staff is very available, but not the staff that take customers who have a broken apple product, which they bought a year ago :( Hmmm.... Feels very wrong and it shows their priorities. My appointment came and I dropped off my computer for a screen damage issue, the representative did not even ask me if I had backed up my computer, good thing I knew to do this because they wiped out my data. He estimated the repair at around $400. A few days after I dropped off the computer to be services, I got an email saying the they found water damage, and the repairs would be almost $800. I cannot function without my computer which I use for work, so I agreed trusting that when I pick up the computer, they will go over with me what they meant and the work they did, because I did not personally drop any liquids on my computer. I learned from my mistake to trust Apple. Upon picking up my computer the representative was nice but knew nothing about the technical aspect of computers, and when I asked him for proof of the work, and explanation of it, he knew nothing. His manager got involved and she could not help me either. She promised an "Apple Genius" would call me to explain the repairs and show evidence this work was necessary. I have yet to hear back from that genius. So I left the store, frustrated with having a 2017 new computer I feel like I actually had to pay twice for, no explanation of why this is happening, and a promise that would go unfulfilled. A few days later my computer screen started to display similar issues it had displayed prior to the screen becoming totally damaged, and a strange sound came out of the body of the laptop, the same type of sound I had heard prior to my computer breaking down and being repaired a second time. I called Apple care and they could not show evidence that the prior repairs were necessary, and $800 I lost complete confidence in this product, brand, service and possibility for resolution. I am disheartened and totally lost confidence in this brand. And I don't see Apple owning up and shaping up anytime soon. I own a business and I am raising 2 boys, and I will make sure they know this has been my experience with Apple. Time to find alternatives. Too bad, it use to be a good product. read more

Warren at the Genus Bar simultaneously worked on my mac book air and phone, and was a great example of how outstanding customer service can be both charming and efficient. I even learned a few tips for getting more out of my electronics. Warren seamlessly transitioned to working on yet a third device for another client so he could wait and ensure that my restores were running smoothly. In no short order I was out of the store and up-and-running. Nicely done. read more

Made a trip here a couple of nights ago after an unsuccessful trip to Verizon Wireless. My iPhone lost the ability to make and receive calls along with other functions. Long story short. After battling heavy traffic from the narrow roads, I decided to go to the Apple Store to see if they could repair my phone. Jordan greeted me and I explained my situation. He had an appointment available for 8 pm so I made the appointment. However, he mentioned there was a possibility it could be moved up to an earlier time. So I grabbed dinner in the food court and returned about 25 minutes later. When I returned, I checked back in with him and fortunately he was able to take me at 7:40 pm. He introduced me to Mike who would be my technician. Mike ran several diagnostic tests and did whatever he could. Unfortunately, my phone was damaged beyond repair and out of warranty so he was able to offer me a new iPhone 5s for $269.00 vs $549.00. So I paid the $269.00 and had him transfer all of my data which I had backed up which made for a smooth transition. I decided to give 4 stars due to the price I paid otherwise I would have given this five stars. read more

OBSCENE wait times. The staff is perfectly nice once they are in front of you but they need to be either much more efficient or have more staff at the Genius Bar. I've been there four times within a week for a problem they clearly couldn't fix in a sustainable way and my average wait time was at least 2 hours every time and ended with spending hundreds of dollars on a new phone. Talk about wasting your time... read more

The Genius bar is superb. The consistency of Apple's service across all of its stores is astounding - don't hesitate to bring your misbehaving Apple stuff here for a quick fix! read more

Have had good experiences here at the Genius Bar. Although I had to wait a while to get someone to help me, the "genius" was very gracious and patient, and he was able to diagnose (and fix) the problem. Everyone working there is very professional and courteous. Thumbs up. read more

Apple spends so much money on advertising but loose so much money on customer retention. I called on Tuesday to make an appointment about my iPhone. The next available appointment was Saturday at 1pm. I spoke to a manager and I was assured if I dropped by on Friday morning , I would be seen to straight away. I arrived at the store and it was explained to me that I have to wait four hours for an appointment. I requested to discuss this with a manager. The manager explained to me that they have no idea on how to predict business so they are unsure on how to staff it ! Wow ! 1) I am waiting 4 days for an appointment I think you are busy 2) it's Friday of course your going to be busy 3) The store is full of staff but they are trained to focus on selling instead of retention 4)The staff are busy attempting to sell to new customers but zero interest in retaining the ones they have 5) This is basic business 101 6) what type of people is Apple hiring ? 7)What is going on with your product that you have a 4 day wait for people with issues 8) Another lady just spent $1000 on a new lap top they have transferred her 4 times for any questions - awful awful service Thankfully I am due for an upgrade with verizon. I am looking forward to leaving Apple and joining my family and friends with Samsung. They are so happy since they switched , I urge you to do the same . read more

If I could give this a 0, I would. This is the fault of corporate, surely not the result of this store. However, it's ridiculous that I cannot talk to someone at the store itself - the phone keeps routing me to the Apple Care 800 number and they are impossibly inefficient. I give this a 0 because it is impossible to do business this way. If someone comes along who is better at wanting my business, I will happily give my business to them. I don't want to spend an hour to trek into the store to ask a simple question - that's pretty lame. read more

Very quick and I am a very happy person. Went in a few weeks ago and Jenna took great care of my problem. She was happy and energetic. Would recommend to anyone read more

This is the worst service I have ever experienced. This afternoon around 7 I called to ask if I can have the screen if my iPad fixed. A guy called Jeff spoke on the phone clearly that it can be, depending on the situation of the iPad. Having this clear answer, I took a very long train to this store. (other store told me it cannot be done, but I really don't want to pay the replacement for a new one, and tried to cut budget by replacing the screen only.) Then when I arrived, the Jeff looked intoJ my eye and said that he never said so. ( what a surprise!)The manager, Jess, said no recording on the phone, either you pay 300 bucks for the replacement or that is it. No respect. Other employees laughing. One tried to come up to ask what was going on, and then was stopped by another one. There is no caring about why the screen got broken ( I guess many pll experience the problem) or the quality of the product, and from the first step into the store all they ask was to 300 bucks and get a new iPad. No costumer service at all. What I didn't expect that they used this kind of low techniques to draw a costumer. Will stop using apple products and turn to other products. Even though might just me, it is worthy turning to other products who put efforts on valuing customers. read more

So pleased with the customer service here! Liz and Matt were extremely knowledgeable and helpful and saved my computer (and my thesis). Thank you! read more

Unbelievably bad service. They screwed up a repair and refused to resolve things even though I brought my computer in within the warranty window. Extraordinarily unhelpful. read more

I love apple products but there very expensive. the people that work there are not always polite. I had a problem with my iPad so i brought it in, and they gave my appointment to someone else so i had to wait, and when i finally got help they said we can do a restore to fix the problem but it didn't help. read more

I just came back from the store after purchasing a new iPhone and had exceptional customer service yet again. I walked in pissed at the world because someone had just stolen my phone at the grocery store. They quickly helped, related to the annoying circumstances and made the whole transition to my replacement phone as painless as possible. Jose L. took great care of me as did the gentleman at the setup table whose name I didn't catch. I also bought my mac book and last phone at this same location and always had the most friendly, knowledgable reps help me and wouldn't hesitate sending anyone there. Thanks again Jose! read more

Very dissapointed. I took 2 trips to recieve no service on my battery. First time I came I was told there is another opening in an hour. When I came back I was told that I was unable to get my battery issue resolved because they close at 9pm. Now I am stuck with 30% of an iphone since the phone dies at 70% for another two nights. I signed up for yelp just to make this post thats how frustrated I am. Terrible iphone 5 battery and even worse service. read more

I bought a new iPad at grand Arcade Cambridge 18 months ago, for about £400, state of the art. It had problems connecting to the WiFi and so Apple gave me a refurbished one. This lasted about 9 months and then refused to charge. I was then given another refurbished one which lasted barely a week before the mail and safari froze. I did all the recommended things and now I am told I have to wait for 5 days before I can get an appointment to get a "new" iPad!! I am really fed up with Apple service and methods of getting in touch with them. When you get an appointment they are fine, helpful and knowledgeable, but the process of getting there is a nightmare. read more

Terrible service with terrible people. Blamed an obvious manufactures defect on me when the laptop was brand new and wouldn't help me replace. Only demanded that I pay 500 to repair a laptop I got for 750. read more

Only giving one star because zero isn't an option. This was the worst apple store I have ever been to. I had an appointment at 1PM, arrived at 12:50PM. Had to wait 25 minutes past 1PM for a genuisbar employee to come over and help me. The issue that I was having, a cracked screen, apple support says only takes around 15-20 minutes, yet I was at the mall for over 4 hours waiting for my phone. They guaranteed that my phone would be ready by 3:30PM, which was fine with me. I came back around 3:50-4:00PM, and they said that someone should not have told me 3:30 and that it would be another 45 minutes. At this point, I was also late for work, and every employee that I talked to seemed to have zero sympathy and only wanted to avoid me and send me over to someone else. After waiting almost 20 minutes to get an update, the manager told me that they could switch my information over to a new phone and that would only take five minutes. I agreed, because at this point I was extremely late for work. This took another additional 45 minutes. Nobody came over and updated me during this time and I was stuck waiting like a sitting duck for my cell phone, which I needed for work. After this, two hours after they said it would be ready, I got my phone back and they still expected me to pay the $150 for this repair! Absolutely ridiculous and I will NEVER return to this apple store and will never recommend this apple store to anyone. Horrible customer service and insensitive employees. read more