Microsoft Store

Recently dropped by the Microsoft retail store after ordering a Surface Pro 4 online which unfortunately was defective. I thought I was going to have to deal with push back but it was surprisingly a very pleasant and quick exchange. Was able to return my model for a new model and even change the color of my type key. I’d highly recommend this place, and it’s a step up from Apple because I didn’t need a «reservation» (although I’ll still keep my iPhone). Shoutouts to Faraz, great customer service!

Microsoft is really getting their act together and this store is a good example of that. Really nice. One star off for the one staff member not knowing the current Xbox One deal and insisting I was wrong. Thankfully another staff member corrected him and I got the 2 games with the system as advertised at the time.

I came and stopped by the Microsoft Store at the Toronto Eaton Centre just to try the new Windows software that had recently been released. While demoing it, not even for 5 minutes, I was told that I had a maximum of five minutes more and then I had to leave the store by a store employee. This coincidentally happened just minutes after I was asked if I was interested in buying something and I said «I am just trying Windows, thank you.» I think that this store looks nice superficially, but the customer service is not so good. If you are interested in buying a laptop, Windows may be a better choice; but if you are looking for a place to check your emails and Facebook and enjoy yourself, give the nearby Apple Store a go (the staff don’t seem to bother anyone). It’s also annoying that there’s always a huge group of people blocking up the mall walkways because they’re busy playing Just Dance in front of this store.

Went in to get my laptop checked up on by their specialists. They said it would take up to 3 days on paper. I go speak to them on the 4^th day and the associate tells me it would be done by the end of next day. So i visit them the the following day expecting my laptop. They said it would take another 3 days. They did not make any act of redemption for failing to deliver upon what was originally agreed in the contract I signed. It has been a good 9 days since i have checked in my laptop, and I still have not received any call or email, I had to go see them personally in the store and ask for an update. As a university student starting a new school year, a laptop is absolutely necessary to do my printing, and readings at home.

Umm. ok from a store perspective it’s okay-​ish, but it would be nice if there were some more budget laptops shown and not just $ 800-​$ 2000 range machines.
On to the fun — as I was looking at the Nokia phones (8 identical units, all next to each other next to the entrance to the store), I saw a guy casually walk up next to me, pick one up, break off the security tag, look at the phone for a second, then casually drop it in his bag and walk out of the store. I pointed this out to the staff immediately and they responded by shrugging their shoulders and saying Yeah, that happens sometimes. Nice. Apparently by the time they call Eaton Centre security the perp is long gone, but you’d think they might learn to, you know, watch more carefully? Or not put easily stolen goods next to the entrance? The experience left me with the feeling that the employees here don’t give a rat’s ass about the products or the store, and that if it was me being pickpocketed instead they’d be equally indifferent. Perhaps it’s their strategy not to draw attention to those events so as to not disrupt other customers’ experience? Just felt. weird.

After 17 years of incident free usage Microsoft locked me out of my Hotmail/​Outlook email box because I refused to give them my phone number for «security» despite my already giving them an alternative email address.
That and the fact that their PC operating system is designed to fail in order for them to make money off of tech support is why I will never buy/​use another Microsoft product for as long as I live.