Minor mac mistake musing

MacBook Pro

I made my first minor (some might call it “major”) Mac mistake last Thursday. I was traveling to Washington, DC for a client meeting/presentation/training via the Portland Airport (PDX). Wednesday night I had packed my MacBook Pro, power brick, headphones, iPod, and wireless mouse.

Apple DVI to VGA Cable

The shuttle to PDX departed at 4 A.M. We had just passed Salem, Oregon when I was suddenly awakened by a disturbing thought…I had forgotten the DVI to VGA cable for my laptop. For anyone who reads my blog and uses a PC, please feel free to chuckle at my ineptitude. What is a DVI to VGA cable? It’s a little 5 inch cable that has a DVI connection on one side and a VGA connection on the other. 99.9999% of all PC laptops have an onboard VGA output. Mac’s however, do not have a VGA connection. The onboard video connection for MacBook Pro’s is a DVI output. Without the cable, I would not be able to connect to my client’s LCD projector. The idea of flying all the way to Washington, DC and having 10 people hovering over my laptop did not exude professionalism. My presentation and training materials were constructed for the big screen. I needed that cable.

Upon arrival at PDX I switched on my laptop and hopped onto the web courtesy of the free wi-fi at the Portland Airport. I looked up the JW Marriott Hotel Pennsylvania Avenue’s web site and called their general information number. The operator was very patient with me as I quickly summarized my situation. She connected me with HD at the Marriott’s Audio/Visual Department. I spoke with HD regarding my rookie Mac mistake. HD informed me that one of their staff would go out and purchase the cable for me. I was extremely grateful and relieved. The JW Marriott’s AV staff is very customer service oriented and I appreciate their assistance. When I arrived at the hotel, the cable was waiting for me at the front desk.

My mini Mac crisis was averted. The presentation/training went well and I learned a few important lessons:

A spare DVI to VGA cable is a necessity for MacBook Pro users.

Customer service at the JW Marriott is superb!

5 thoughts on “Minor mac mistake musing”

  1. Nice to hear a positive customer service story. Too often people only take the time to go online with their complaints over negative situations but when people do something right they deserve the recognition!

  2. I suggest you send your post to consumerist.com, a very popular consumerism blog (which was started by ex-gizmodo blogger Joel Johnson). Like FinanceBuzz said, most customer service stories are usually negative, so it’s nice to see some positive customer service stories.

  3. Good to hear!

    I have had several terrible Marriott experiences on the road which is why I am now a Hilton loyalist (see slave).

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