Yeah, Apple never was the pinnacle of support, and that wasn't any different when Jobs was at the helm. I did a short stint as a hotline supporter, so for a change I actually know what I'm talking about… The products on average were quite good and the process was friendly enough, which in addition to the RDF got Apple some good marks regarding customer support, but the big competitors (HP, Dell, IBM) usually had better warranty handling, especially for desktop products (pickup etc.). And Apple had a hard time with the increased warranty periods enforced by European countries (which is still part of their excuse why their products are that much more expensive over there).
It's not like Steve personally delivered your fixed product with a ribbon 'round it back in the days.