ATT and Apple-how to really piss off a customer...

I'm over this just enough to have a little perspective.. ATT really Sucks and Apple really Rocks.. I should have taken a picture, but suffice to say I smashed my iPhone. I was Wazing around Salinas Golf and Country Club this afternoon working on getting my index above 10 for the Senior Championships later this month ( I got a chance folks ;)).. and I used to be a 3 so this is upsetting and I am not getting any younger..but... Back to story... I'm pretending to be road munching (blazing the new trail for Wazers) when all I'm doing is driving all over the golf course.. cart signs? common this is a very private club. So up I go over the curb on 4 and the iPhone of our dreams slips through the cup holder and onto the concrete and hits said curb and has a nice big crack across the back and two snowflakes on the front.. I whine and finish the 9 holes and think that ATT will take care of this no problem. I do a lot of business  with them (unlimited domestic calling, DirecTV, Internet/DSL, two blackberries and an iPhone for $350 a month plus any International roaming I might do now and then) and have been a very loyal customer for over 20 years and I've got insurance..BUT: they very politely (too, Too, TOO f'ing politely) explain I have no insurance because I didn't buy something they never told me about called "mobileprotect". They keep calling me Sir and this nice looking young lady keeps nodding her head as this Puke of a sales rep does absolutely nothing to try to help me except explain the brutal facts and about how little he could care about "my problem" and then at about the point I'm ready to hit him and spit in his face, he offers up that maybe apple could help.. Have had an iPhone for nearly 3 years (maybe?.. there are some posts back a bit about my first iPhone 3G) and this is the third time some jerk from ATT has told me the same thing.. Maybe they could help if I were willing to drive to Monterey in rush hour traffic (not too bad here really) and ask them (someone else who might give a ship), but he couldn't have cared less and ATT really hires jerks and trains them to be worse.. didn't used to be this way friends.. they were better.. I think.. So I email my Good Buddie RR who is an Apple Expert in one of their sweet stores and ask when they close and explain el problemo. 2 minutes later I know I have enough time and am on my way. I roll into Del Monte mall and head to the store. I just happen to have to walk by the ATT hole in the wall and get to see some fake concern by another ATT employee while their customer shakes his head in disbelief.. I might mention I have a Buddie who loves Blackberries and would have a Torch were it not for the fact that you can "only get one from those F%$ks at ATT"... "never again for those 'holes" ..so in I go to a nicely lighted, good vibe of a store and am greeted. Can we help? I show the patient. Genuine sadness. I can get you together with someone who can explain your options to you in 10 minutes. OK..I'll amuse myself with iPads and MacBook Pros. I walked out of there 20 minutes later with a brand new iPhone. ..a one time good guy we love you and hope you love us please come back Bro 32GB iPhone.. set-up with my gMail account and my sync'd contacts just waiting for me to sync it up with the master playlist on iTunes when I get home. The guy was tired and distracted by a very good looking 20 something on her way to a concert who had spilled nail polish on her keyboard and we hoped she took a lot of time to explain the problem to us, but he was gonna take care of me.. Next time It'll set me back $200. But this time, it's a Bro deal.. I will buy an Apple laptop the next time I need a laptop. No doubt.. and questions remain unanswered, but I hate ATT with a passion. They are corporate pukes... and apple are corporate pukes too, but they have the good sense to keep most of their CPs (I know you guys ...remember? ..we used to be friends.. we may still be) in Cupertino kissing the feet of Steve ..who really could change the world someday. I've heard the rumors...(spying?) OK. But I don't care. A Great Big Thanks. I have been down the road with Apple before and know all there is not perfect.. but compared to ATT , Sony and Dell? Wow.. It's not so much the lesser of evils. It's that at this moment of truth when I had made a mistake, these guys were willing to feel my pain and help me out...we could use more empathy in business these days. Today I found it. ATT got the first shot and missed by a mile.. then Apple hit a 3 pointer at the buzzer for the Championship.
I'm typing this on a custom PC made by a guy named Evan.. no one will ever approach his level of service and I'm not female, good looking or a gamer.. just a guy who really wants to do business with "friends"... partners to patronize.. I found some today. Thanks Apple!

BTW: all apple stores are not equal.. it's not 5th Ave or SF, and whoever runs the Monterey store gets my vote for Exec of the year.. it's the unsung hero who takes the time to build a great team that has the right attitude when it counts.. Go see them the next time your here.. easy to find. Worth the trip!