So far this new system has yet to work efficiently, I know the 3 stores near me [Tysons Galleria Mall in VA, Columbia Mall and Towson Town Center both in MD are very disorganized when it comes to the new processing of customer's orders. Around here, when you enter the store, you have 2-4 employees hanging at the front door, yet once you get in the staff seem to disappear instead of being helpful [or even useful].

You typically have to follow them around the store for up to 5 minutes before someone will finally help, it is time consuming and irritating trying to figure out who is available and who is working with other customers. I don’t think it is respectful nor efficient for any customer to have to run around the store and find the help that they need, especially when they are busy. A lot of the staff at these particular stores seem to have more than their fair share of attitude, they would rather hang out up front near the door and socialize with the security personnel.

The last purchase that I made at the Columbia Mall location was less than pleasurable, when I arrived, they of course where not stocked well enough so that I could pick the items that I wanted directly off of the shelf. Instead, I had to wander around, trying to find an employee that would locate the items in back-stock. After several minutes I found a free employee, they disappeared for quite some time then reappeared with only one of the items that I asked for, so they went to the back room again, come back after another five minutes with the missing items. The employee then runs the purchase through, handling my credit card in a very busy area of the store, so that any and every person around can hear and see what is going on. They then ask for my telephone and email, again I had to give this information to her in this very busy area [not sure how many idiots were listening to my private info]. She then disappears with my card, going to the front to get a shopping bag for my purchase, then to the other side of the store to get the printed receipt from under the table. After finally getting the purchase completed, instead of handing me my bag, she then lays the bag on the table and walks away to help someone else.

What a bunch of crap!!! I had to wait my turn, the other customers should as well. I wasted quite a bit of my time waiting for someone to assist me, then instead of being given the respect and time needed to complete my purchase in its entirety I am just moved to the side. My order that day was over $300.00 in software, certainly not cheap. I have bought plenty of Apple products over the years, in excess of $14,000 on three laptops complete with laptop bags, one 24″ iMac, one 23″ screen monitor, one Mac Mini, one Airport Extreme, several hard-drives, two iPhones complete with cases, two iPods, many software purchases including: 4 years of iLife and iWork upgrades, OS upgrades every time they are released, 5 years of .Mac and now MobileMe subscriptions, iTunes purchases, and much more. These items are purchased for my business, personal use and for gifts.

I would just love to have one Apple store that is organized, respectful of their customer’s time, and they should leave their attitudes at home.

In regards to large purchases, its not policy, never has been, just customers feel “safer” if they have it. It’s all psychological.

When EZPay was first introduced, if one customer said no, the rest would say no and you’d use the cash register on the rest of the line. Now its a normal thing. [IFO -- OK, it's not new. A photo of it is new.]