AT&T Screwed Up the iPhone 5 Launch for me | Hacker News Reader

AT&T Screwed Up the iPhone 5 Launch for me

nickwoodhams.com

17 pointsnickwoodhams39 comments

Do not assume your cultural norms are everyone's cultural norms.

That this guy was spoiling your (and likely other folks') moment is unfortunate. However, this is not screwing up an iPhone launch, this is spoiling your experience. Your experience is not the iPhone 5 launch.

I am sympathetic that this engagement didn't go the way you wanted it to. Complaining on the internet is not the way to address this issue, and if you thought this was actually a big deal (especially for how they were going to treat others), I hope you expressed your feelings to the guy at the store, not just the anonymous internet, because it comes off as a bit entitled.

After all. You got your iPhone didn't you? You now get to spend the rest of its life with your iPhone, one would presume that is actually the important part of your relationship with your phone.

Edit: Nice stealth edit on the title (going from "AT&T Screwed Up the iPhone 5 Launch" to "AT&T Screwed Up the iPhone 5 Launch for me"). *grin

I should say that I really don't want to delegitimize your disappointment (c.f. http://weeklysift.com/2012/09/10/the-distress-of-the-privile... ) because I know exactly how you feel. But I also don't think your post is constructive, or lends any interesting insight or analysis to the topic of a user's relationship with their devices, or Apple and AT&T.

it comes off a bit as entitled

That's an understatement. I'm tempted to think that the original article was a troll, satire, or both.

And can you explain why it comes off as entitled?

The overall message that I need to be the one to remove a product from its packaging and that if anyone else does it, then my whole experience is ruined feels whiny and entitled to me.

I get where the guy is coming from. I appreciate quality of experience as much as anyone, and each time I purchased an iPhone in store (three times now) it was at an Apple store and they did it the "right" way. I would even feel a bit annoyed if I didn't get the "proper" experience, but I'm mature enough to understand the magnitude of the infraction, and I wouldn't whine about it in public.

This is unboxing a goddamn phone, not your wedding night.

This isn't necessarily entitlement, it could be a combination of 1) having paid for a product and wanting to be the only one handling it and 2) OCD.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Though there is clear evidence of some idol worshiping going on here with the author of this peace (in regards to Apple). But IMO that's another story.

Personally, I'd want to open the box myself without anyone else handling what's clearly mine. Especially not some lame ass that couldn't care less if he damaged the device.

Point taken.

I didn't write about it to whine, I wrote about it to plant the idea that AT&T should have some stricter requirements from Apple.

Apple has had a profound affect on my life and my way of thinking. I've had some emotional experiences with some Apple products in the past. I consider that a gift. I think that shouldn't be undermined for anything.

If the rep was encouraging and shared in my excitement, imagine the change in sentient from this one small change.

I'm pretty sure AT&T does have strict requirements from Apple, and that this one retail employee just dropped the ball or has some (also understandable) distaste for the iPhone-as-fetish-object ritual and is just choosing to opt out of it.

A carrier's experience will always be inferior to an Apple Store experience. That's news to no one.

I wouldn't have said "entitled", but instead, "lacking perspective".

The launch is described as a religious experience, as if the AT&T sales rep violated someone's most sacred ceremonies, when instead he should have been celebrating alongside. I have a hard time taking seriously the suggestion that opening a phone deserves to be spoken of in the same way as pesach, epiphany, Eid al-Adha, or your wedding night.

Now, I certainly agree that the tech didn't treat the phone appropriately. There's room for improvement here; stricter requirements from Apple or stricter training for this particular sales rep might be in order. But ultimately, it's just a phone; the sales rep's behavior is closer to "the grocery clerk put my tomatoes at the bottom of the cart" than "this guy violated my religious experience".

Totally agree with the sense of entitlement, the author sounds like a spoiled brat.

It's a phone, grow up.

Part of what makes Apple so great is that it holds itself and the companies it does business with to a higher standard. I don't want to see that standard slip. Even this AT&T rep, who was obviously not very good.. could have been given some guidelines to follow that would improve the experience for everyone.

It's not just a phone. It's a $600 device. If you bought a new car and the dealer said "We went ahead and let the girl scouts down the street wash it with their stone infested rags", you wouldn't be pleased either. When he said the dude removed the coverings and slid it across the table I cringed. Some of the "unboxing" stuff isn't a big deal to me, but that's a hobby for some people.

OP should have spoken up, but calling him names is a little silly. When you buy a product you expect to have control over how it's handled and used.

Look, you might value something different that I do. I value great design and great experiences. In this case, Apple has designed a great user experience with a new product. If you believe that the iPhone is just a phone, then I don't think you can appreciate the thought that goes into each and every piece.

I think that Apple has personally touched me because it's values resonate so well with my own. To create things that are simple and wonderful to use, thought through to every minor detail. The careful precision that you don't really get with any other smartphone maker at the moment.

When the iPhone is treated a coffeetable book in front of the owner entering a 2 year contract and paying $200-$400 dollars, don't you see the harm in that?

I still can't work out if your post/comments are satire

From a random observer: thanks for the tactful response. I think that HN is best represented by this kind of thoughtful, deliberate post on a subject that could instead generate inflammatory or derisive remarks.

Though HN may be even better represented when the iPhone reax subside and real content dominates the front page again :)

Many people conflate their possessions with their self-worth. Pity them.

Whether or not his cultural norms were mine, isn't it common sense to let the owner open up his own product? He was sloppy. I've had wonderful first experiences with Apple products before, namely the 3rd Generation iPod. I think that's part of what has drawn me to the company ever since.

These emotional highs create some very strong connections. I think it's one of the reasons Apple has such high brand loyalty. And AT&T is messing this up for new customers. They didn't get to experience opening their new product, sure they might think it's great like I do, and spend the rest of their life happy with it.. But I think there's a key component to the Apple experience missing.

Doesn't surprise me. No one loves AT&T like they do Apple, and it seems most people don't even like AT&T--they just tolerate them at best. AT&T is like a sloppy, "ehh good enough" kind of company, and it shows in all facets that the customer sees.

Having purchased mobile phones in the past, I have had store reps open the box, boot and test the phone. That seems courteous if that is their intent. And you've got to think that dude sells a lot of phones other than the iPhone, and may well not have appreciated that you have a special personal relationship with Apple (via their devices) that he was interfering with.

That's what I mean by cultural norms. You are essentially demanding that this man accede your preferred experience. This guy may just be totally clueless that this is how you experience devices (because I can tell you a lot of other folks do not experience unboxing the way you do).

And it's okay that you wish to have that experience, and that Apple wishes to facilitate that sort of experience, but to blame this guy for not having known what your expectations are ahead of time, that is what comes off to me as entitled.

Apple pretends that they are mind readers (what they really are is a company that is really good at cultivating expectations that they then meet), and AT&T and your rep are clearly not mind readers and are also bad at cultivating expectations.

isn't it common sense to let the owner open up his own product?

When I order large things (Televisions, Furniture) it's a luxury to have people come into my home, open the product, and take the packaging away. That's common sense, too.

"Opening an Apple product is a religious experience"

And people wonder why so many of us hate Apple fans, this is off the charts lame.

Guy. WTF? Buying of a communication device as a religious experience? What's next? Church of The Holy iOS?

Agree, really man, I felt stupid even reading an article about how some guys experience was ruined. So many topics you can talk about to create interesting internet content, and people are writing about this?. What's happening, are we becoming this spoiled?

This is the epitome of a first-world-problem. I'm also having a hard time believing this isn't some kind of satire.

I'm hoping this was satire of some sort. Otherwise this guy got a ton of page visits for a non-issue. And if isn't a troll, please grow up. They didn't screw up anything, just your box opening experience. Besides, they're suppose to make sure your SIM is working in your new phone!

You should have said something, not only did your experience get ruined, but every passive person behind you will now have their experience ruined.

Sometimes "unboxing" is just about getting something out of the box.

Sometimes we take it all too seriously and forget, as another poster said, that our norms are not everyone else's norms. Thus, "all those passive people" might well have had their experience ruined not by being deprived of some unboxing experience, but by having to wait while every person ahead of them opens their box to make sure the phone's there, working/can be activated, etc.

It's too bad that the poster's experience wasn't what they wanted it to be, but really, seriously, don't make it a bigger issue than it really is and don't assume everyone else has the same issue, even given the same treatment.

My point was, if he didn't like something they did, he should have used his voice. I personally don't care if I open a box, in fact, it would be less work for someone to setup the phone for me.

While I can understand the excitement of opening up a shiny new thing, and agree somewhat with your assessment that the rep messed up (forgetting the charger and haphazardly handling your new phone), I don't feel that your proposed solution is in any way viable, and might even end up pissing people off more:

2. The rep retrieves the phone and hands it to you to check.

3. The rep then encourages you to open your iPhone and shares in your excitement.

4. Once the phone is open, the rep then respectfully asks to take the phone and goes about his business. He leaves the protective covers on the phone, and lets you take them off at your own will.

So, here you are on iPhone 5 launch day, you've been waiting for hours, and the store is absolutely packed with people. How does this process work out? Do you lose your place in line while you open your phone and play around with it for a few minutes (even though it doesn't do anything yet)? Is the rep supposed to stand there and wait, 'sharing in your excitement' while the lines grow even longer? The reps are at work and they are trying to get these rabid fans their iPhones as soon as possible. This guy was working quickly because the line was out the door and he's trying to do his damn job. I'm guessing that when you work at a phone company, even the thrill of a new iPhone loses its charm pretty fast.

I would guess most people want the carrier to do this stuff for them though I agree it should be optional. If you order directly from Apple you can avoid it. AT&T definitely did screw up their iPhone 5 launch in other ways. Lagging behind Verizon in LTE coverage and failing to offer iPhone 4S owners any good option besides paying their ETF and switching carriers.

This person would have been better served going to an Apple Store. I've bought (many) phones from an AT&T store, and I don't ever recall them not opening the boxes for me, tracking down various pieces of cable, throwing out crap. Indeed, on a few occasions, I just walked out with the receipt, phone and charger - nothing else. And, when it wasn't an apple phone - that's exactly what I wanted.

If you want the pristine "Apple" experience, then the Apple store is absolutely where you went.

I really, really feel for the author - wish that his day one iPhone 5 experience had been all he had been looking for - I know precisely what that moment of expectation is like, where you actually sit and marvel at the fit-and-finish of the cardboard box, and how the packaging all fits together as you slowly unbox it - but, AT&T was not the place to do that.

I think you might be right, that the Apple store would have better served this purpose, definitely. I guess that I just assumed that to sell Apple products on launch day, there are certain procedures that Apple would make AT&T follow.

Yeah, AT&T doesn't run the tight ship that Apple does. I'm sure it is easy for them to open it like it is just any other phone.

That's why people buy an iPhone in the first place though. It is the experience, that starts before you even turn on your iPhone.

If they waited for every customer to enjoy the unboxing experience then the line would have barely moved as everyone would be joygasming.

On the real.

The employees are trying to rush through the mass. They have the setup the phone, activate and etc for the account that they don't have the luxury of time for you to enjoy the unboxing experience. It is unfortunate for those who enjoy it - sure. But it is what it is and business is business. There are a hundreds of customers waiting and want to play with their phone and so they have to blitz through to fulfill every customer.

Not trying to troll you but where did you read apple spends 10x on packaging? Not only do you sound spoiled, but you also sound uninformed. I'm sorry that your experience was ruined but its just a toy.

My AT&T rep was very considerate of my strong desire to get my hands on my new device. He also mentioned a survey to review his performance, and how likely I would recommend AT&T strictly on how he handled me. OP should use that survey. My guy was delightful.

Don't buy Apple kit from AT&T. They aren't invested in Apple's brand and frequently discourage purchasing Apple devices.

You're making me appreciate AT&T more.

Did he post his own blog?

I believe so.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com