Apple Hillsdale - San Mateo, California

Judy M. C.

October 12, Saturday, I came in to purchase a new phone. We waited for around 5-10 minimum because we didn’t have reservations. The store was quite crowded during the weekend.

After my sale associate found me (I think his name is Barry, I don’t remember his name), he walked me through every step I would have to do because my situation was a bit complicated. I bought a new iPhone 15 and wanted to trade in an iPhone X for some credits. The problem was that phone belonged to my little sister, and in order to take her phone, I passed my current iPhone 12 to her. And, we all wanted our data on the phone, so it was gonna be really time consuming for us to transfer data from one phone to another, and we had to do that step twice. But, Barry was really delightful and patient. He aided us and guided us in every step to make sure we didn’t accidentally delete any data during the process.

We spent 3 hours at the store, but he was really helpful the whole time. Thank you!

S C.

I came in on May 8th with a 2017 MacBook Pro for a key replacement. The “T” key had officially gone the way of Crystal Pepsi. Kind of an important key, I’ve learned.

The employee who helped me was great. He listened, helped me out immensely, replaced the key on the spot, and explained that Apple admitted the keyboard design on my model was flawed. A full keyboard replacement would’ve cost me around 700 dollars. He saved me half a mortgage payment on a key popularized by Wheel of Fortune.

About two weeks earlier, I had a charging issue with my AirPods. One would charge, the other noped out like the Pope in 2013. Two employees went above and beyond to get them replaced. Music is very important to me, and my serotonin thanks you.

Shout out to the tall Genius Bar employee who told me I might be able to walk in and get the key replaced. That’s the only reason I came back, and he was right. Another helpful employee sold me a cord and offered extra advice. Great team.

Now for the honest part. Four out of five stars.

On March 28, 2025, I came in to look at computers. A newer employee, with a senior staff member nearby, was helping me. I made it clear I wouldn’t be buying that day. I always research big purchases first. Once I said that, her tone shifted. Smiles stopped, answers got clipped, and asking for a receipt became weirdly difficult. It was uncomfortable enough that I questioned if I did something wrong. But I chalk it up as a teachable moment, not a pattern.

Every other interaction I’ve had here has been positive. Back in November 2024, a female manager went above and beyond when I upgraded my phone. I even complimented her out at the end to compliment the store and her team at the time.

I’m also noting that a manager did call me about the March incident but never followed up. I understand life happens, but a callback would’ve gone a long way.

Overall, this store consistently exceeds my expectations. One cold interaction and a missed callback won’t stop me from recommending them to anyone looking for Apple help.

One small request. Please remind greeters to speak up during busy hours. Sometimes it’s hard to hear them over the noise.

Niraj S.

Had an Apple Watch but forgot the passcode. Made an appointment and was dealt with in the most professional way. The store employee did not get her name, was very knowledgeable. Very quick service, I will visit again when back over in the States

Mita K.

My husband was having issues with his Iphone screen all day. We decided to go to the Hillsdale Mall Apple Store. We were greeted right away and offered help, but when the person assisting us looked at the iPhone the issue magically disappeared, which was awesome. Highly recommend coming here for great service and awesome store ambience.

Jonathan D.

Ian went above and beyond to get the issue resolved I had with my iPhone. I came in 30 minutes before closing and instead of just throwing up his hands and saying not his problem he did everything he could to help me out. Outstanding customer service.

Atharav H.

I recently purchased an iPhone 16 Pro Max from the Hillsdale store, and my experience was extremely disappointing and irresponsible. Despite explicit and clear instruction requesting a fully unlocked and unrestricted device, I received a business-restricted phone tied to my employer. I found this after traveling overseas, that this precious Christmas gift for my nephew is useless for personal use as it required employee login.
The sales team failed to meet my clear requirements, above all the subsequent attempts to resolve the issue were met with inefficiency and a lack of urgency. The store's inability to provide a correct device and their failure to rectify the situation in a timely manner have caused significant inconvenience and wasted time.
As a customer, it is reasonable to expect that a reputable retailer like Apple would ensure that their products meet the customer's specifications, if not, appropriate efforts, timely response should have been made. Unfortunately, my experience at the Hillsdale store fell short of these expectations. After multiple interactions with my employer's IT support desk, I was finally able to resolve the issue after a month. There is an essence on why customers prefer "Brand-New" devices, especially if there are going to be someones Christmas present.
I am currently coordinating with the hills dale store and Apple Support on what can be done next.
I will revise this review if the store takes concrete steps to address my concerns and provide a satisfactory resolution.

Andrew B.

Wow, special thank you to David in service advising. My iPhone was having issues charging and he fixed everything. I was helped right away and he went above and beyond. Thank you to David and everyone here! A great Xmas fix just in time for the holidays - thank you!

Neeta S. P.

Had purchased an iPhone worth 1200 dollars in the year 2022—and in the year 2024—just after two years the mobile gets switched off by itself without falling on the ground or in the water—got back to the apple store—hillsdale mall to ask about it & i don’t get an appointment easy—when they give me an appointment m made to wait—when they come to help me they explain me so smooth that it’s not worth repairing
& they tell me i better buy a new iPhone
And am wished & sent away being wished happy holidays!
Unlike my purchasing experience of the same mobile!
Never buying an iPhone again!
Namaste to apple🙏🏻🙏🏻