WestWorld Computers

I’ve been a Customer here since the 1990s. It’s always been excellent. It was excellent recently. One complaint about communications by another respondent is somewhat pointless. That’s like telling human beings to be less human. These guys try pretty hard to find solutions. Most of the time, they’re spot on or damn close.

I thought I was going to have to buy a new MacBookPro because my old one was chugging, and I’d been told I couldn’t update the OS any further. The charming Brendan checked over my machine, gave me a few valuable tips about managing my disk usage, and told me that the OS could in fact be inexpensively upgraded. The new OS installed simply and flawlessly in about 45 minutes. Now my old MacBook runs at blazing speed with a current OS and I saved the cost of a new one for a few more years. Outstanding service. No cynical product-​pushing whatsoever. Can’t recommend the place or the integrity of the staff more highly.

Before Apple stores opened in Edmonton, this was where we went to get our Apple products serviced. Their tech support staff are leagues ahead of the «Genius» bars at any Apple store, and they fix any issues efficiently. I’ve had some hardware issues with my MacBook, and when I had to leave it there for service, they always finished before their estimated timeframe. Their sales staff are also friendly and knowledgeable, but you have to seek them out in the store. I find the layout of the store a bit hard to navigate, but I like that it’s a large store with plenty of space so that you’re not bumping into other customers.
Sales staff are not pushy either, which I love. They are often happy to talk about products with you until you make your decision. My 6 year old MacBook finally hit the end of its days, and I had to look for a new laptop. I didn’t feel rushed or pressured into buying something before I had considered all my options.
I’ve had some issues with my external hard drive and moving data back and forth, and each time I’ve gotten quick service.
I come here whenever I have questions, am looking for a product, or have a tech issue because every visit has been more helpful than going to the over-​crowded Apple stores.

My wife and have have bought 2 mac books from here and they were awesome. We went today to buy a wireless hard drive to back up stuff. Came in the store amd someone came over right away. I did some online research amd found one id be happy with for 99 $ not knowing all the featutes of an external hard drive. The sales person chris wasnt very helpful. He asked where i did my research amd then promptly informed me he couldnt match a big box store. I never asked him too. I looked online mostly to find a price range and thought the person would ask me questions and help me narrow the choices down. I came to westworld to support a local business. The sales person was nice polite cheery and everything. My wife found him a bit condescending one she informed him of our computer knowledge or lack of. Well he showed me some models that ranged from 250 to 500. He never asked me what I wanted or how id like to use the product. so I informed him I wanted something that would work with my xbox and my Mac and I would be able to access the information wirelessly. He informed me the only thing they had that did that was a time capsule. The price for that time capsule was in the neighborhood of $ 300. I told him I was on the Internet and seen the 99 $ and id like to purchase it. He said they were out of stock and wouldn’t be able to order it for next week. Although the one on the internet did not have the wifi ability like I wanted. We left the store saying we would be back if we can’t find something else we would like. Went to Best Buy found a wifi 2tb hard drive for $ 160. The girl asked me a dozen question and settled on the 159.99 version. I try to avoid big box stores but the quality of service at some ma and pa stores leave something to br desired. So instead of finding out more about what im looking for and get a sale. I felt like this person forced me to shop somewhere else.

Service is a little slow, but good. They’ll talk to you on the phone, check stock and hold products for you. Often they’ll tell you product is not in stock whereas it actually is. Product knowledge too is relatively deficient, so it might be more for businesses or people who are looking for product and repairs only, rather than product selection.
While their bench rate is lower than Apple, I am wary of their inconsistent ‘charge as much as the customer will pay’ pricing for both the service and third-​party parts for upgrades.
They have to do at least as much as they do given the stiff competitition from and greater and faster product inventory, better deals, hassle-​free returns and free data transfer at the Apple Store.
I see this place more as one for business customers as they sell discontinued and used products that might be needed by a business.

They apologized for the inconvenience they caused me and removed the cost of the diagnostics. Still need to work on their lack of communication; When I went in to pay for the service, the service manager had already called me to let me know they would be removing the fee. However, the man who brought me up to the front to pay for my service had no idea and was still going to make me pay the full amount. I was lucky the service manager had caught me at the desk before I was ready to pay because otherwise I still would have payed the full price!
All in all, they made up for the mistake and I got my computer back, fixed and ready to go. Thank you for making up for it!

So my first Mac product EVER crashed on me yesterday and wouldn’t restart. I was in a PaNiC because I had my son 10 days ago and all of his newborn pictures were on the laptop that just crashed and of course we hadn’t backed them up yet!
So we immediately tried troubleshooting based on the online forums — no luck.
MORE PANIC!!! Went online and booked an appointment for 45 minutes later at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store in West Ed. Packed up the whole family — 10 day old baby in tote — and went down to West Ed — Good grief!
Met with our assigned Genius Bar employee at Apple who determined that our hard drive was starting to fail on us — he said if we replaced it right away the pictures should be recoverable. He was so honest that he told us if we went to West World Computers down the road that we would be able to get a harddrive double the size for the same price because it didn’t really need to be an «apple» brand harddrive. KUDOS to him for his honestly. Besides, we have 4, that’s right 4 FREAKING apple computers and laptops in our house and 2 iPhones and 4 iPods… So Apple has easily squeezed 10K out of us in the past decade or so… They won’t be hurting if we don’t drop another $ 200 there on a harddrive.
So we sauntered off to West World where Hugo assisted us and was super helpful and friendly. He did try to upsell us on diagnostics but respected our wish to only first replace the harddrive and to go from there if that didn’t do the trick. He even offered us a refurbished harddrive for $ 50 off of the normal price and we were able to more than double the size of harddrive available for the same price at the Apple store! Hugo helped us with a few of our other Apple questions and was efficient and thorough.
My computer was fixed by the end of the day and we will definitely be back! Still a huge fan of the Apple store in West Edmonton Mall — but West World definitely won me over with their service! Also noticed they have trade in deals on their computers and such… Not something that the Apple store would do!
An Apple a Day makes me a Happy Mommy!

Westworld used to be the best Mac shop around until the new Apple store came, now it feels like everybody has a chip on their shoulder. This may have nothing to do with the timing of the new Apple store at West Edmonton Mall, but the service I have received has declined accordingly. The sad part is I would be just as happy to stay a Westworld customer if I didn’t feel like it was a burden on the employees every time I walk in the door.
Recently when I have come in I find the floor salespeople to be sub-​par. And the girls at the cashier till to be apathetic and lack the friendly demeanor one would expect from «Apple» types.
(note to manager, hire cashiers that are more happy; oh, and the girls who are on the right side when you walk in the store, what do they do? Answer the phone? Could they move them somewhere else, it detracts from an engaging consumer experience when the first 4 people you see when you walk in the store are people that are not going to be helping you at all, or at least not till you checkout)
One of the traditionally awesome things about Apple lovers is, well, their love of everything Apple and the resulting enthusiasm about «knowing» everything Apple. Now, it feels like this essence is gone at WestWorld. Case Study-​I just got off the phone with them and my experience was like this:
(monotone, sounding slightly annoyed to have had to answer the phone) «Westworld Computers.»
–Hi I am looking for a replacement battery for an old macbook pro
(no pause) «Wait and I’ll transfer you to sales»
«Hello, John Doe here»
–Um, I’m looking for a replacement batter for an old macbook pro, pre-​unibody model
«which model, is it black or white»
–It’s a macbook PRO, all silver, silver keys
«When is it from»
–I bought it Dec. 26, 2006
«Just wait and I’ll check… no we don’t have it. Maybe the service department has one»
–Ok, can you transfer me to them
«ok»
“Service”
–Hi, I’m looking for a replacement batter for an old macbook pro, pre-​unibody model.
«What size»
–17 inch
«Just hold on a sec and I’ll check… Yup we have them available on the sales floor, their $ 159»
–Oh, the sales guy said he didn’t have any and to check with you…
«Um… well, they’re on the sales floor»
I know this review will sound like a rip on Westworld, but maybe a manager or owner will read this and take note of how things really are now. The service guys are pretty cool. Sometimes I think they are the ones who should answer the phones and be on the floor though.
Probably won’t go to Westworld anymore, especially now that there is an Apple store on the South side in Southgate. The unfortunate part is that I, like presumably many people, develop emotional connections, and I would have happily stayed a Westworld customer (despite closer stores) if the level of service would have at least stayed the same.

Terrible service.
Not much else to say about this store. I needed help picking out a mac and no one here lifted a finger. They stand around, they don’t say hi and aren’t friendly at all. I felt totally unwelcome and uncomfortable.
I left and didn’t look back.

I visited this place as I was considering a Mac… lets just say their service did not exactly make a convincing argument to get one. There were hardly and sales staff on the main floor, and I felt as if I was being pre-​evaluated by the others just standing around. They were less than helpful the moment I grabbed hold of one of them; they were oblivious as anything and could not give me any quote on student price discounts. Where’s the cheery service that’s suppose to distinguish Mac?
I did not like their store arrangement either. All their accessories were horribly organized and their prices were not even close to being competitive with other electronic stores. They argued everything was ‘Mac-​exclusive’, yet I found the exact same iPod case at the nearby Best Buy for 20% cheaper.
Luckily the Mac store in West Edmonton Mall is now open so I do not need to deal with this location.

I had to get my Macbook fixed the other day (yes, things actually go wrong with Macs occasionally — not often, but on occasion). My experience with WestWorld was OK. It took them a few days to do the diagnostic tests which would have been fine with me but every time I called to check on it, they told me it was on a tech’s desk or it was being worked on. This freaked me out because their prices for labor are HIGH! I ended up only getting charged the minimum charge for my laptop (only for the diagnostic test because I chose not to get the new part for $ 500) which led me to believe that I was lied to every time I called! It couldn’t have been being worked on because I would been charged a lot more if it had (the minimum charge is only half an hour of labor). I would have appreciated the honesty and would have rather been told that they hadn’t gotten a chance to look at it yet. But other than that, they were nice and they didn’t try to convince me to get the part it needed. They also made a recommendation on how I could get it fixed cheaper by buying a different part somewhere else so I really appreciated that. Overall, it OK but not the best experience I’ve had.

West World Computers
Edmonton, AB T5P 4V4
3 stars
I went to this shop ’cause I’m a Mac girl. I heard it was the place to go. I left because the service — or should I say lack of service — was so brutal, I didn’t want to spend my hard-​earned cash. I wasn’t even greeted or offered help. I felt attitude. The show space was too sleek and the sales people were too oblivious. I ended up going to Best Buy, where the sales people literally line up to help you, and your questions are answered promptly. I made a purchase in less than 15 minutes and never looked back. I’ve been handling all my computer issues at Best Buy ever since. As a Mac specialty store you’d think they’d be making the extra effort these days, ’cause they’re not the only ones who’ve caught on to Mac Fever. Step it up, West World. Us Mac people are simple, friendly folk who look for the same in our service people!