Customer support at Apple has been one of the company's strong points, at least for this decade. Apple tends to always end up at or near the top in customer service rankings. From my own experience with Apple's customer support, I have to agree that its sales and tech support staff deserve a pat on the back for going beyond what's expected.

Of course, one's experience with customer support can vary, depending on who you're working with (Apple online, a retail store, a third-party authorized repair center) and the nature of the problem you're having.

We'd like to hear about your experiences with Apple's customer support. I've heard lots of stories, ranging from the incredible (a free replacement Mac Pro for an old G5 that was many years out of warranty, simply because Apple didn't have a replacement part available) to the incredibly frustrating (orders lost in a shipping nightmare, requiring authorization from a supervisor before a customer support technician can even discuss the issue).

I've been using Apple products since 1984. My contact with customer support has been limited to three events, and all have turned out quite well. In fact, they turned out so well that I use my customer support stories as one of many reasons to persuade others that Apple may have the best products to fit their needs.

I'll add my own stories to the list of Apple Customer Support stories we're collecting here, but first, let's hear yours: the good, the bad, and the ugly!