Angela Ahrendts on Apple Retail Criticism: 'I Don't Read Any of it, and None of it is Based on Fact'

[cardfan]

I think that Tim Cook has made a few mistakes:

* The solid gold Apple Watch.
* Project Titan - versions 1, 2, 3, 4...
* The Butterfly Keyboard - versions 1, 2, 3, 4...
* The Touch Bar.
* HomePod.
* AirPower.
* Attempting to replace Gorilla Glass with Sapphire. He "loaned" $600 million to GT Advanced Technologies.
* Failing to update Macs on a regular basis - and not reducing prices on years old models.
* Failing to defend Apples's IP. I still don't understand how Android even exists.
* Letting everyone overtake Siri.
* Letting everyone overtake Apple TV.
* Letting Google destroy Apple in the classroom.
* Failing to update iCloud Apps - and to add new ones (including third party apps).
* Eliminating almost all "consumer" products. The only genuinely consumer product at the moment is the $329 iPad. I'm waiting for the day that Tim unveils a $5,000 Apple Watch that can edit 8k video.
* Making every Apple product some sort of washed-out pastel colour. He's even managed a pastel version of black - "space grey." Where have all the bright/ solid colours gone? At least it would be nice to have a choice.
* Failing to upgrade Apple Music to lossless / CD quality.
* The purchase of Beats for $2 billion.
* The upcoming Apple TV streaming service (this is a prediction, of course).
* The growing multitude of different "connectors" - Lightning, Thunderbolt, USB-A, USB-C, the Apple Watch puck, Qi. Some Beats products still use Micro USB, FFS!
* The quality of Apple's advertising.

I'm sure I've forgotten a few.

But the big overarching mistake is that he has turned Apple into purely a luxury brand - like Hermes (see, I told you I'd forgotten something), Louis Vuitton, Chanel or Tiffanys.

Apple used to make things "for the rest of us." Today Apple only makes products for the very rich.

Apple should be like an airline. Yes, of course they should make as much money from their first and business class customers as possible - but they shouldn't forget about "the rest of us" in economy/coach.

Some of Apple's biggest hits - iMac, iBook and iPad were not only amazing products, but they were also (relatively) affordable. Apple also used to routinely drop prices - iPods went down in price every year.

This is where I get to Angela Ahrendts.

Walking into an Apple store used to be like walking into a toy store - and not just any toy store... but Willy Wonka's factory. Today, Apple stores are like jewellery stores. I no longer feel that I belong. I'm just waiting for them to introduce a dress code.

Oh! I forgot something - Apple Maps.

Good post. I could add to it. The services attempt. Allowing iTunes to wither. Being seen as nothing more than an Apple id with credit card to be targeted for subs.

The insincerity at events. It oozes out of Cook. Cust sat at 100 percent claims. It’s sleazy sounding car salesman like pitches. While I expect ceo pr talk he goes much further into can’t believe much he has to say territory.

The services event was just awful. Truly a low point with post iPhone Apple.

 

[tallscot]

If I worked with her, she would definitely complain to HR about my #metoo behavior. She’s hot.
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Last quality experience I had in an Apple Store was when I purchased my first iPhone, an iPhone 5. Though crowded around the holiday season, I got quick help and service, as well as having a person politely explain the features of the phone. My only Apple experience prior to that was with Macs, which was also superior up to that time (bought the phone in late 2012). Except for my 2017 iPad Pro, which I bought at an Apple certified retail store, I've been buying Macs and phones online at the Apple website. The Apple Stores are a hassle to get to, crowded, and have slow service. Most of the employees look overworked and underpaid. Just my experience ...

At least you have a store. Apple is closing/closed my store because they don’t want to defend patent claim lawsuits.

 

[Braderunner]

She was in charge of Apple's retail operations. That part of Apple went downhill. That is a fact. Whether she likes the sound of it or not...facts and feelings are two different things.

 

[bb9]

Good for her.

 

[macduke]

She was far from the worst (Browett) but she wasn’t the best. The new stores have a nice aesthetic but they are less customer friendly. Most people buy online anyway so the stores should focus more on customer service and fixing their broken hardware. Each store needs to be lined with Genius Bars to help people. I like what she did with community workshops. The balance of everything is just off.

 

[DevNull0]

How can she know none of it is based on fact if she doesn't read any of it?

She's an incompetent idiot and a liar. She's not even remotely intelligent enough to be a good liar. Tim Cook's biggest mistake was hiring her.

 

[citysnaps]

She full of it and herself as well.
If she were worthy and doing a good job she would not be out the door. Period!
Total and complete deflection on her part. The retail sector of Apple Stores has been a disaster and many including myself NEVER buy Apple products from an Apple Store. Authorized retailers offer better service and slightly better prices as well.

I’ve found the opposite to be true. Apple Stores have become a much better experience than they were years ago.

That’s my anecdote.

 

[tothemoonsands]

That is quite unfortunate to hear that she did not read any criticisms. My early Apple store visits are nearly cemented in my memory.

Visiting the SoHo Apple Store. Standing in line during the original iPhone launch at my local Apple Store.

Now, not only is visiting an Apple store not that fun for me, it’s actually sort of a chore. It’s crowded, there’s no sense of “checkout”. There’s a lot of unquantifiables, it’s just overall not as good of an experience as it used to be.

I really hope Apple embraces a new direction going forward. Until then, I’ll be ordering via Apple.com

 

[StuBeck]

I'm assuming the cherry picked quotes are taken out of context. I've despised trying to shop at the Apple store for the last 10 years since they took away the cash registers. Every few years when I buy something its always such a pain to get seen by anyone and the last time I had to wait for half an hour for a store pickup AFTER I had checked in!

I get that they're trying to create an "experience", but there needs to be a middle ground of "this is still a commercial interaction" that they have been missing for years.

 

[handheldgames]

Angela always came across as a politician from the Hunger Games. All vision, disconnected from reality.

OK Apple. She is gone... Fix the retail disaster.

 

[audiophilosophy]

I think it's pretty unanimous in all areas that Apple retail stores didn't make any improvements the whole time she was at Apple, and many would say that the retail experience got worse. Her plans were silly too-- trying to make Apple a "destination hangout" place like Starbucks or something. Get real, and get a clue as to what people actually want out of a technology company.

 

[Guda.FL]

I used go love going to the apple store. Now its a massive chore. Whatever happened they need to fix it.

 

[TonyRS]

"mission accomplished" = "my shares got vested"

 

[5105973]

Here’s a list of what I am aware of with regards to her accomplishments.

1) She oversaw the integration of Apple’s retail stores with their online stores. I feel that is a pretty huge accomplishment, and this puts Apple in a pretty good position for 2019.

2) She also oversaw the major Apple retail store redesigns, basically converting customer service spaces into areas with which to better experience Apple. This seems to be the critics’ biggest bugbear. I am personally fine with it. Here in Singapore, our sole apple store has two storeys. Products on the first, service requests and workshops on the second, and it seems like a pretty efficient way of separating and managing the two.

3) I believe the chief reason for Apple stores becoming more crowded is because they are selling to more customers. Therefore, more products mean more people with issues and consequently, more people to service. I think Angela has done a respectable job of streamlining customer service bottlenecks in store, and Apple will likely continue to assimilate service requests into the store experience directly.

Angela was hired for her vision and leadership, and we have not seen or heard anything wrong with that. She is right in that her KPI with which to be assessed by Tim Cook would be Apple retail employee satisfaction and retention, and if the numbers (~90%) are to be believed, that’s pretty impressive.

To put it bluntly, her KPI is not based on how many or few complaints are levelled at her here at Macrumours (or any other forum out there), so while she might be aware of them, she is absolutely right to disregard them for her own health and sanity.

Did Tim Cook pay too much for her? It’s going to be a matter of perspective. Angela inherited the apple stores at a time when a lack of leadership was taking its toll on them. She hired more staff, oversaw numerous initiatives, and helped raised overall morale. She’s did the job she was paid (handsomely) to do. And the chief criticism the haters can give her is that her profile pic looks “arrogant”.

Your Singapore store sounds nice. The one closest to my house is in a mall. They remodeled it and did make it easier to walk around among the tables. But really it looks pretty much as it did, but with harsher lighting.

What I miss, even though I no longer have small children in tow, were the bean bag chairs around the computers for the kids. It was a safe place for the little ones to get acquainted with Apple products while the adults shopped. I think some Apple brand loyalty among the now-teens was started at those stations.

Anyway, I can’t fairly judge AA’s impact based on my experience of these mall Apple stores and unfortunately that’s all I have near me. There is the new one in Washington DC, but that is not exactly a convenient location from where I live. I would have to make an effort to go way out of my way to visit it. And honestly when I’m in DC, my focus is on galleries and museums.

 

[DeepIn2U]

how can she know if any of it is based of fact if she did read them

How can she say it's not based on fact if she hasn't read any of it? Wow. Mind blown.

So if she didn’t read any of it how does she know it’s not based on facts ?

exactly what I was going to say. I don't care to bash people but her statement makes no logical sense.

Statistics she specifically mentioned this. I guess you guys were not listening during the video when she stated that. Focused attention for anything negative? hmm.

Like seriously you focused on a specific part about the stores yet not what she said in entirety about that statement. Go ahead, go back to the video and listen to it. The article quotes are limited and focused to place negative attention. Goto the actual video. Better context.

Seriously. Too crowded. Too impersonal.

It could be a chance to grow. But let’s just ignore the criticism. That’s what strong leaders do.

Sounds like Apple will be better off without her. It's that sort of attitude that has fed the current culture of Apple.

Definitely the majority of the stores are too crowded and impersonal - I've agreed on this when she left (that first thread) ... yet it's been there BEFORE she started at Apple and AFTER ... nothing has changed. The focus on what Apple is looking for catering to their users is what they wanted to change and in the newer larger stores that seems to be working.

The existing stores that have NOT been upgraded prior to her arrival and yet still have not - were designed to cater to a MUCH smaller user-base (circa 2007). This cannot accomodate the user-base now.

Examples in my city:
Toronto Eaton Centre
Toronto Fairview Mall
Toronto Yorkdale Mall

All are WAAAY too small.

....shut up.

the retail stores suck ass now. literally no organization, stand in this line to stand in that line, no help whatsoever. annoying af to go into now.

They've sucked before she arrived 5.5yrs ago where have you been? They've been far too packed, dis-organized staff etc. This has nothing to do with Angela. Did the stores in your location have far less users 5.5yrs ago?

Genius bar (something Jobs himself loathed before changing his mind) may need to be returned. Maybe Apple as a whole thinks their products barely never work nor need repairs. Curious how Apple favours the 2016-2019 MBP keyboard program to be done: shipped in or in store? Most likely repaired in storage out of site. This maybe by desin as all it takes is for some clumsy user to fumble their starbucks coffee and spill into a machine on the genius bar table on YOUR laptop while being repaired and Apple must present you a new machine. Yet your data maybe permanently gone.
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Went to a group interview at my local Apple Store a month ago. The Hiring Manager spoke very highly of the changes she made though I didn’t really see any. The store was just as much an overpopulated fire hazard before and after she was at the company.

Exactly!

How can everyone not recall this ... she's only been at Apple for 5-5.5yrs; that's it.
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Oh yeah, but that the employee rating was on a all time low for several cycles which lead to very good people leave? Including myself! I met her once, she seems like a nice person. But she has no ****ing clue!!!! She ruined everything with that ******** experience. It‘s all about the money. I recently visited the store I worked. I heard a manager telling to the employees „we need some more results today“, like, really? Is that your problem? You should care more about how they feel. But hey, I‘m so happy that I flew out of this sick, capitalistic (well most of the products are still good though) sect and followed my dreams! **** you Apple!

She has no clue?
How long did you work at Apple, was it over 5yrs - as in before she was appointed?
Curious if you where an employee and a 'Good people' how busy was it before she arrived and the state of the stores you worked in before vs after?

You seemed very disgruntled with the cursing, yet glad you followed your dreams. If the living the dream is very good why curse? you shouldn't be so angry if everything is going well for you.

 

[ksec]

In those 5 years, she managed to Redesign the Stores, and opened a few Flagship / Town Centre. And Lots of Today at Apple event.

It would be good enough for anywhere else. But not Apple. There are 130 Million population in Japan, with high Smartphone usage, iPhone has an 70%+ usage share and it has 8 Apple Store. Eight ! Compared to 270 Apple Store in US. Its international expansion is seriously lacking behind.

 

[DeepIn2U]

You know........ I may be wrong, but.

Just hearing things she's said, and the very look of her in photo's

To me, give off a strong impression of Smugness, Arrogance, and a feeling that she see's herself as a better human being than "normal people"

It's just the vibe I get from her.

I get the same vibe reading quotes and looking at Federighi - especially looking at the 208WWDC opening video that he's like a coding god (when OSX was almost completely created by Serlet, Federighi came back to Apple after leaving in early 2003(?) for Microsoft. At least Forstall chose NOT to goto Microsoft and came to NeXT.

Angela always came across as a politician from the Hunger Games. All vision, disconnected from reality.

OK Apple. She is gone... Fix the retail disaster.

Lol good way to put this. Then again is this not what ALL the top executives at Apple behave?
- I think honestly until really called out during their tenure, and even then, do they Apologize. The most memorable apologies:
Jobs:
Arrogance: You're Holding it Wrong. Please turn off your WiFi's/HotSpots.
Apologies: Some people can fool those some of the time. This guy maybe right (changing compiler & javascript choice in early OSX). G5 processor to 3Ghz and in PowerBooks failure; leading to the change to Intel processors (Intel has been continously courting Jobs for this for over a decade prior).

Federighi & Schiller:
Mac Pro 2013 Thermal dead end apology interview in an article.

Cook: Letter warning about lower unit sales and revenues for the first time in 9 years in early 2019.

That's just a few. Photos are chosen for executives to evoke confidence, unwavering sight line (or vision) and power.

 

[forrie]

Echoing other sentiment here, her statement that she doesn't read criticism alone makes her woefully unqualified to be in her position. 'nuff said. That is a dangerous, egotistical approach to the market.

 

[antiprotest]

SHE is not based on facts.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

She uses etcetera a lot for a highly educated top earner in the business world. Maybe expand your vocabulary as a top paid business professional?

Ps. The stores are a mess. Waiting at the MacBook table for 45 minutes to buy a phone case, not a good experience.

 

[nutritious]

She did a terrible job. I don't go to the Apple store because I want to make friends. I go there because I want service.

Back when Jobs introduced the first apple store, he already had nailed the concept. Not sure why they moved away from the vision of Jobs.

When you look at Apple now, you realize they would be no where without Jobs. Jobs had such an impact on the company that they are still milking what he created. Cook did a good job growing Apple after the death of Jobs, but now it's time for a creative visionary to replace Cook.

Cooks is a good operations guy, but he's not a product man.

 

[mikethemartian]

Except for hardware issues what type of support do you get at Apple Stores that you can’t get from the online Apple discussion forum?

 

[actcyclist]

That's the type of comment made on the exit survey of a disgruntled employee working in middle management.

 

[hack1nt0sh]

Apple's disconnect with its most loyal and passionate users in the last several years is due to this kind of thinking.
I still get excited by new Apple product launches but have lost the passion to advocate Apple due to several design and build faults with their products over the last few years. And have learned the hard way not to buy anything from Apple before the real reviews come in.
The Apple Store used to be able to handle any issue with the Apple products but now they seem to find ways to not deal with the issues.

 

[vir2l2k]

Like what? You can scan things yourself and pay in app....

great if u don't have the product in your hands