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Early Addition
The Observer looks at the similar yet opposing philosophies of Apple and Tekserve today. With Apple encroaching on two new spaces, including one in the Flatiron district near Tekserve's store, the question becomes "Is there room for both entities in this town?" Writer Rebecca Dana explains the Tekserve essence:
Tekserve has always been a workshop and meeting place for the old generation of Macheads. The store has been doing repairs on Mac products since well before it was cool to own them. And so: When a writer from the Village finally decides to make the switch from a typewriter to a Mac, he goes to Tekserve. When an Upper West Side 13-year-old wants her first iPod mini, or a 28-year-old from Williamsburg wants to upgrade his laptop, they go to Apple...Any way you slice it, Apple’s modern store fronts and well-groomed staff will soon be siphoning business away from Mr. Lerner’s store, which doubles as an old Mac warehouse, kitsch factory, and meeting place for artists, Communists and surviving fans of the Grateful Dead.It's a gentrification story within the niche technology sector! There's also a description of enduring the long wait at the Apple Store's Genius Bar (sometimes called the crApple Store) in relative comfort, while the waits at Tekserve were immortalized in Sex and the City.
What are your feelings about Tekserve and the Apple Store? Which do you prefer? And Gothamist pities all the PC users - there are no stores they can brag about.
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But the question is, can one pick up gorgeous model babes at Tekserve the way you could at the Apple store (according to the Post story reported here on Gothamist in November)? Or at least in my case, get pitying, disgusted looks from gorgeous model babes.
The Apple Store is to Tekserve what Whole Foods is to Patsy Grimaldi's. What the Hard Rock Cafe is to the Second Avenue Deli. What Times Square is to Coney Island. Your turn.
It's not about style, for me. It's about function:
TekServe is for service-- no making you make an appointment and then making you wait another 2 hours anyhow just to torture you + no "geniuses" that actually know less about OSX than I do.
Apple is for products-- inventory + no restocking fee if you return.
I just bought my first Apple product about a month ago, the iPod suffle.
I went to the SoHo store several times, hoping to snag one off the shelf, but they were sold out every time. And not helpful or nice either. So I gave up.
A coworker suggested Tekserve. Unlike the Apple store, Tekserve was taking reservations for shuffles. It still took some time before I had the gadget in my hot little hands, but I think that would have been the same at the Apple store.
The guys who work at Tekserve were a lot more friendly and personable than the ones I ran into at the Apple store.
So, as an Apple newbie, I would go back to Tekserve, and not the Apple store.
The geek girls who work at TekServe are way, way hotter than anyone hanging out at the Apple Store.
Rebecca Dana's assessment shows a tendency towards op-ed and opinion rather that real knowledge and research. Typical N.Y. Observer smarmy.
First thing is that Apple has been pissing off resellers for years. Even before Apple turned into high-fashion. Not just Tekserve. The fact that Apple is encroaching on Tekserve's territory is not shocking. Annoying, yes.
Second, Apple actually has been researching Tekserve and the way they work for a nice long time. While some people will say that Tekserve is more earthy and the Apple Store is more gallery-esque, they both have the same things. With Apple being the one who swiped ideas from Tekserve. The demo and presentation area. The open layout of the store. The ability to schedule time to talk to a tech as if you're at a bar. They are all things Tekserve has done for years while other stores barely made an effort.
And Apple ripped them off concept-wise in many ways.
Dana's "When an Upper West Side 13-year-old wants her first iPod mini, or a 28-year-old from Williamsburg wants to upgrade his laptop, they go to Apple" is laughable. It makes it seem like Tekserve is a geriatric clinic. Stop in any time and take a look around. The staff is as young as the Apple Store. And the clients are in the same demographics. I've taken friends to both stores and nobody has ever said that Tekserve is "older" in appeal. All agree that the Apple store is just a factory showroom where Tekserve might be frentic but they know what they have and what they sell. The funny thing is that the SoHo store typically has no stock of anything. And the staff is clueless as to when stock will come in. Tekserve? They have it 90% of the time and if they don't they know when they will get it and can genuinely help you.
Ang.'s assessment of the Tekserve tech angle versus Apple's retail stint is somewhat on target. But the "Genius Bar" in SoHo is rooutinely packed to the gills. Many people go to the Apple Store for service and nothing else. Too bad they're probably getting horrifically bad and overpriced advice. Tekserve's store is much more of a retail entity that actually has demos of realworld setups and a staff that helps with the sales.
And price-wise, you're much better off with Tekserve. Apple is 100% MSR (Manufacturers Suggested Retail) and the wide-eyed tourists--who don't know any better--love paying that price even if it sucks.
The difference is not that much. The crux of the article should have been Apple's general strongarming techniques against long-time resellers and how it's playing out in NYC. And not so much gentrification of NYC, but more of the mallification of NYC retail. At this rate, will there be a real benefit to coming to NYC to shop? Or is everything destined to be a crappy chain store.
techserve is for expertise, apple is for style.
i love both, but get annoyed far less frequently at techserve. plus, i am 28, hip, and a writer/designer, and YOU KNOW i dropped my $3000 for my powerbook at techserve. i didn't even consider going to the ass (apple store soho).
Overpriced advice? Genius Bar "advice" is free if you are still under warranty or have AppleCare.
lately, i think i've been prefering the apple store over tekserve.
my one experience using tekserve wasn't pretty. i had sent in my old ibook to tekserve to get it repaired and it took about TWO weeks to get it back. when i did get it back, the ibook case was all scratched and bashed up... AND they didn't even make the correct fix! 2 days later, the problem came back.
once i got it back, i just sent it back to apple, got it back in two days, and it was completely fixed. i recently used the apple store to get my current powerbook repaired and it was quick and thorough. got it back in two days, only waited like 10 mins (when it opens in the morning), and the geniuses were pleasant and knowledgable. under warranty, the genius bar is free.
i would definitely prefer to support tekserve, because it was nice and down to earth. but i like results and i wasn't happy with tekserve's service.
John T.
"Overpriced advice? Genius Bar "advice" is free if you are still under warranty or have AppleCare."
And it's free at Tekserve as well if you are under warranty or have AppleCare. The same holds true for any Apple service source. Even Digital II Society does that. That's nothing special.
The issue is that Apple's official advice at the Genius Bar often costs more in parts and labor than at a reseller after warranty. And Apple's inflated price on parts is pure profit. Ever compare the cost of Apple official RAM upgrades to the real world? Pure ripoff. Apple's 1 Gig upgrade for the Mac mini cost $300 when it first appeared. Street price anywhere else? $150 for the same ram. Ditto with other service parts such as DVD-R Superdrives. The same drive in a PC store costs less than $75 and works without a hitch. Apple's official price? $300 for the same drive.
There was a blog started by an Apple Genius that came up in the last few days--and was pulled down by Apple's lawyers--in which this particular genius explained how overpriced Apple's official service can be.
If you think you're getting better service at the "Genius Bar" you're distinctly off. It's not worse, but it definitely is better and cheaper elsewhere.
The "Genius Bar" is free for a first consultation. Beyond that, take a loan out on your arms and legs.
The only thing the Apple store really has going for it over Tekserve is the interior decoration. Service, prices, knowledge, everything is better at Tekserve. Sure, the ticket thing is annoying, but its worth it.
Also, the Mac Genius blog can still be found here:
http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=1276510
I have never gotten less than flawless advice and service from Tekserve - and I've been a customer since the late 80s in the first incarnation. And I have gotten less than flawless - actually, Motherboard-frying - advice from Apple's phone support. So why go to their store?
My one Genius Bar experience was when the screen on my iBook died. Went in 20 minutes early for my 4:30 appointment as I was told. Ended up getting serviced around 6.
Had my iBook sent to the shop to replace the screen, told it would be about a week, I'd get an email when they're done. A couple of weeks later, I don't get an email or a call so I call Apple. The repair was done and it's been sitting in the store for 3 days. Great.
I had much better experience with phone support, especially since they send you packing material to ship your computer overnight, and then you get it back as soon as you done. No need to make a trip.
And the people at Tekserve can be surly, but at least they get to you in a reasonable amount of time.
Also, I never, ever ever buy anything from Apple Store, either the online or the brick and mortar version. I can always get cheaper prices, be it system or accessories if I do a search on DealMac. I'm replacing my iBook within the next 12 months and when I do, I'll probably go to an Apple Store to touch and feel but I'm certainly not swiping my plastic there.
Two things:
"And the people at Tekserve can be surly, but at least they get to you in a reasonable amount of time."
They're not as much surly as honest. I'd rather have a surly, honest tech dealing with me, than a glad-handing actor/actress/model who comes off like some hipster used car salesman than anything else.
Apple Store staff is generally about as useful as a cardboard cutout with a nose piercing.
"Sure, the ticket thing is annoying, but its worth it."
It is annoying, but it's also no worse than going to Balducci's, Zabar's, or any New York deli. Or The it's no worse than any other repair process for anything else. It's the same complaint we all hear about doctors, car mechanics and others.
Tekserve will do well regardless of Apple's encroaching because ultimately their stores are showrooms and not much else.
I've only been to Tekserve once and will never go back. They seemed totally unconvinced that I knew exactly what I wanted. I guess I didn't look enough like a tech geek or something. The Apple store beats them hands down if for no other reason than you can actually serve yourself for simple stuff.
that article is the most bastardized piece of nonsense i.ve ever read. Tekserve has awful customer service...whenever i.m in the apple store, i am always helped by someone knowledgable...and as far as the 'zoo' atmosphere is concerned...blame the weak dollar and the influx of all the brits.
i think the wabi sabi atmosphere at tekserve is much more interesting than the cookie-cutter minimalism of the apple store. tekserve also publishes some of the most user-friendly troubleshooting booklets for free. my many tekserve experiences have been quick and helpful. apple store's service was about the same as far as wait time and knowledge goes but i'm happier supporting the local innovators so i'll keep using tekserve as long as they're here.
MT - have you gone to Digital Society? It's a much much much much much much much smaller operation than either Apple Store or Tekserve, but I find them to be slightly less surly (which I don't mind, really) than the latter and the service quicker than the former.
I really have no problem with the Apple Store. It's a nice space where you can play around with the machines and has free WiFi access. I think of it more as a showroom than an actual store.
I'd Pick Tekserve over Apple Store (Used them a few times over the years), but the Apple Staff does seem to be picked on looks...
I was a confirmed pc user forever and went to Tekserve because I thought my kids deserved more... I found them to be informative and more importantly accessible (despite the sly winks about how boringly pc i was ;-)
As a designer it always gives me warm fuzzies walking into the Apple Store, if not only because it's Apple, and I'm a freak about their design. I often go to the Apple Store just to sit in the theater, surf the net, and listen to their free classes, which, while I already know most of what they talk about, I still pick up an odd tip here and there; and I can only imagine how helpful it must be for those new to the Appleverse.
My few experiences at Tekserve have generally been weak. I don't know if surly is the word I would use, but I certainly felt less helped (even though it was relatively empty when I went in). Also, it may be shallow, but the atmosphere makes a big difference as to how much time I want to spend in the store. Not surprisingly... I haven't spent much time there.
I always like to say, 'I'm not a communist, but spending time in the long lines at the Apple store makes me a communist sympathizer'. Seriously, making those stupid appointments and then not being served for an hour or two after you made them feels like you're trapped in a communist country. That being said...
As a designer it always gives me warm fuzzies walking into the Apple Store, if not only because it's Apple, and I'm a freak about their design. I often go to the Apple Store just to sit in the theater, surf the net, and listen to their free classes, which, while I already know most of what they talk about, I still pick up an odd tip here and there; and I can only imagine how helpful it must be for those new to the Appleverse.
My few experiences at Tekserve have generally been weak. I don't know if surly is the word I would use, but I certainly felt less helped (even though it was relatively empty when I went in). Also, it may be shallow, but the atmosphere makes a big difference as to how much time I want to spend in the store. Not surprisingly... I haven't spent much time there.
If I'm going to buy, I almost never go to a retail store to do so. You'll always find better deals online. There's a reason why the Village Voice voted the Apple Store "our favorite place to get ripped off". And for customer service, (after long hours of waiting) I've always found the 'Mac Geniuses' to be very helpful. Part of the reason it takes so long is because they give every person their complete attention, and don't try to rush you through. And I really don't mind taking a break from my busy New York life to sit around, surf the web, and do nothing in a store I love, in a Neighborhood I love, in a City I love.
Sorry about the double post. Stupid, weak wireless signal.
hahaha...everything apple makes [almost] has dual voltage! Esp. the ipods which i imagine is what most of the brits are after!
I currently have the opportunity to either work at Apple or Tekserve, but I can't decide which to pick!?!
apple = part time, no benefits, $12
tekserve = full time, full benefits, $12
what to do?
sacrifice more money for apple name? ah!
"They're not as much surly as honest"
Hmmm, I think that they are and since it's not what I might be in the market for I'm, therefore, not pleased.
I went to tekserver because I was given a powerbook prismo and this guy with a heavy accent gave me all the "ny nightlife, behind the velvet rope" attitude that I would expect at a club. I asked him if he could find out why the PB wouldn't come on. He told me it's not worth it; I told him it was ok; I, the potential paying customer, wanted to know if someone could tell me what might be the problem and then I would decide what to do. He told me that they have to send it to apple(???) and it would costly. I asked him about their hourly rates and he told me $120. He kept telling me that it wasn't worth it. Maybe if I wanted to run OS 9 it would be a waste of time and I probably would have a hard time "enjoying" the Quartz effects but that wasn't my goal; but he knew what I wanted better than I. These machines perform extremelly well when running Linux and NetBSD(BSD??, OS X (freeBSD)hmmm). The machine can handle up to 1GB of ram and even get, for around $280~ a nice professional CPU ugrade.
I didn't need all of that attitude. I just wanted to know what was wrong and let me go and play with my "museum piece".
Tekserve may be cheaper than the Apple store but I still haven't had a good experience with them. (I've been there before). I also couldn't even find someone to help me with drive caddies for grey G4 towers.
Anyway, I think that the market is ripe for another company to step in and take a chunk of NY Apple customer base.
I agree with badiane. Tekserve USED to be nice years ago BUT now they are beyond surley and too hip to be decent to customers. The bad attitude has sent me back to internet shopping / 5th or soho apple store, compusa or B&H Photo. Do not know what happened but if you want to be ignored belittled or just made to feel like you are intruding go to Tekserve. Plus they are NOT cheaper. If you need repair make a reservation online for an Apple Store - you will be much happier than waiting for your ticket number to be called.