She should start by increasing air flow in every store. A busy summer Saturday at an Apple Store smells like hot dogs and swamp a$$.
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Angela Ahrendts to Bring a Personal Touch to Apple's Retail Operations This Week
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Make an appointment
Make a Genius Bar appointment. Everyone knows that. Here you go... http://concierge.apple.com/reservation/us/en/techsupport/
Surprise. Many people in the store looking for service means you need to wait for service. Maybe don't go to the store the day after that was announced next time.
Make a Genius Bar appointment. Everyone knows that. Here you go... http://concierge.apple.com/reservation/us/en/techsupport/
Surprise. Many people in the store looking for service means you need to wait for service. Maybe don't go to the store the day after that was announced next time.
lol I know what you mean. Even in winter days, the crowded air smells like what I call "nerd and electricity". Some "floor specialists" need hygiene lessons, and that's not meant as a joke, I'm very serious. Not good.
Walmart for you...
I hate to tell you, but going to the Apple store is a great experience for most people. That's why they go. You can go buy your Android devices at Walmart from now on, because being greeted by an 80 year old who can't make ends meet and being helped by staff making minimum wage whilst destroying small town America with cheap, Chinese crap... isn't dehumanizing at all.
I hate to tell you, but going to the Apple store is a great experience for most people. That's why they go. You can go buy your Android devices at Walmart from now on, because being greeted by an 80 year old who can't make ends meet and being helped by staff making minimum wage whilst destroying small town America with cheap, Chinese crap... isn't dehumanizing at all.
This is a childish and obnoxious comment. Obviously he means he's read about her, which is equally valid as someone who "knows" her, if not more.
None of us have ever met any of the historical figures we like to spout opinions about, but we still hold arguably valid opinions of them. No one ever asks us if we've met them. Grow up.
Um, no we don't. We need more people who are the very best qualified to perform certain sets of tasks better than anyone else. If such people happen to be men, then so be it.
Angela Ahrendts is an affirmative action hire. She was hired for her gender. Why wasn't Ron Johnson rehired, especially considering the fact that he's largely responsible for Apple Retail stores being a massive success and the fact that he hasn't been working for J.C. Penney since April 8, 2013?
Yet another bonehead move by Apple in the post-Jobs era. Not courting and rehiring Ron Johnson is in the same league of boneheaded behavior as the firing of Scott Forstall.
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I feel so bad for capable women and people of color. Even when you have obvious talent someone is going to claim it's because you're black or a woman.
Angela Ahrendts has a lot of work to do at Apple. One of the things I'm concerned about is how will she be able to turn the retail stores into a better, more comfortable and more enjoyable experience for everyone.
I believe in a way the Apple retail store model, as Ron Johnson devised it, is on the verge of becoming obsolete, for lack of a better word. Yeah, I know they still make a ton of money and that they're the most profitable stores in the world per square foot, but it's true that going into an Apple store has become less and less of a pleasant moment for any of us.
When those stores were designed, Apple was still a niche company, with its loyal (but stil small) legion of fans. Remember when Steve Jobs said that the Retail Store concept was designed so they could attract at least five out of every 100 PC users and have them switch to Macs?
Then iPhone happened. And iPad. Now it's even impossible to walk into an Apple store and not going into an overcrowded place in which it's almost impossible to get personal attention. And yes, I agree with the concept that many of today's employees are not prepared enough.
An example: I bought a retina MacBook Pro and I wanted to port all the data from my old MBA into my new shiny Pro. I was able to do this wirelessly with Setup Assistant right on the spot. Several Apple Store employees were impressed that I was able to do this! (Did no one ever tell them about that feature?) You can have someone set up your new Mac for free but in order to transfer your old stuff you have to pay for a one-on-one membership! That's crazy!
Ahrendts has a challenge because I don't think she's ever dealt with an overcrowded Burberry store. You can walk into any Burberry store and you'll see they're figuratively small (except for the flagship one in London) and their products (250$ jeans come to mind) are very high-end. Apple, high prices and all, is not as exclusive anymore.
However, one thing Burberry does great is to let you feel they care about your purchase from the moment you walk into the store. They will let you try clothes and take as much time as needed, they have 180-degree mirrors so you can have a complete idea of how the stuff looks on you... Even the delicate way in which they wrap every purchase (they can even be given away as presents in its bags, it's that nice).
That feeling has been lost from Apple for the last few years. I guess that is Ahrendts' biggest task: To bring some of that back. How will she be able to do it in such a mainstream corporation?
I believe in a way the Apple retail store model, as Ron Johnson devised it, is on the verge of becoming obsolete, for lack of a better word. Yeah, I know they still make a ton of money and that they're the most profitable stores in the world per square foot, but it's true that going into an Apple store has become less and less of a pleasant moment for any of us.
When those stores were designed, Apple was still a niche company, with its loyal (but stil small) legion of fans. Remember when Steve Jobs said that the Retail Store concept was designed so they could attract at least five out of every 100 PC users and have them switch to Macs?
Then iPhone happened. And iPad. Now it's even impossible to walk into an Apple store and not going into an overcrowded place in which it's almost impossible to get personal attention. And yes, I agree with the concept that many of today's employees are not prepared enough.
An example: I bought a retina MacBook Pro and I wanted to port all the data from my old MBA into my new shiny Pro. I was able to do this wirelessly with Setup Assistant right on the spot. Several Apple Store employees were impressed that I was able to do this! (Did no one ever tell them about that feature?) You can have someone set up your new Mac for free but in order to transfer your old stuff you have to pay for a one-on-one membership! That's crazy!
Ahrendts has a challenge because I don't think she's ever dealt with an overcrowded Burberry store. You can walk into any Burberry store and you'll see they're figuratively small (except for the flagship one in London) and their products (250$ jeans come to mind) are very high-end. Apple, high prices and all, is not as exclusive anymore.
However, one thing Burberry does great is to let you feel they care about your purchase from the moment you walk into the store. They will let you try clothes and take as much time as needed, they have 180-degree mirrors so you can have a complete idea of how the stuff looks on you... Even the delicate way in which they wrap every purchase (they can even be given away as presents in its bags, it's that nice).
That feeling has been lost from Apple for the last few years. I guess that is Ahrendts' biggest task: To bring some of that back. How will she be able to do it in such a mainstream corporation?
I must say, I'm really excited to see what she does at Apple. I think that Apple have a very bright and interesting time ahead with Tim Cook in charge and hires like this.
Having worked Apple in retail before the iPhone release in 2007, when Mac's were a primary sales focus, almost all of us knew computer systems inside and out. It was practically a requirement for any position. I was bewildered to witness younger "floor specialists" being paid less (before iDevices, most of us were full-time Geniuses being paid $50k+ or specialists), and didn't know the differences between various processors, how RAM works, HDD's and SSD's, or the basics of OS X and how it differs from Windows systems (or that - then - newly released Intel Mac's could run Windows cold).
Apple needs to refocus on quality sales specialists, it's embarrassing when I walk into a store and over hear complete misinformation given to a customer for 15 minutes while waiting for help. I once stepped in and spent an hour with a customer on her iPhone 5S upgrade because she was slightly hearing impaired and no one could help her.
You think that's bad, ask the same question to someone working the floor at Best Buy.
call me crazy but I feel like the "human feel" VS technology dichotomy is below Apple. The last place I want to hear a worn out debate is from the biggest computer company in the world. What I do want to hear is how we can keep taking technology to places that make us better.
Can she bring back the no questions asked iPhone replacements at the Apple store? I am tired of waiting for the genius to reinstall iOS or other inhouse repairs they are doing these days at the store for issues. There used to be a time when I could walk into the Apple store for a minor problem with my phone and I would walk out with a new one 10 mins later. That is what made me an Apple fan in the first place. Can we bring that kind of customer service back please.
Apple won't be Apple again. That much is clear. Vintage macs and powerbooks are there to remind us of what this company could become. What I can gather from this Ahrendts lady is just an enhancement of the ******** side of business. To attract more Biebers.
I am kind of glad they are diagnosing and troubleshooting issues. I recall reading that one user had his iPhone 4 swapped because "only one bottom speaker worked" on his device. In actuality, the device is built like that - the other "speaker" is actually a microphone, and makes no sound!
So many problems stem from user knowledge issues, which means if they just replace it, and the problems exist, it then becomes a bad customer experience. So Apple is on the right track here.
I hope she brings her A game. But as someone who has frequented (for the wife) Burberry retail stores over the years I'm not impressed. Consistently across several Burberry locations staff is extremely condescending and judgmental. They give me the stink eye because I'm usually dressed casual. The store layout is also poorly designed IMO and they've got a half ass CRM strategy
I am glad there is someone who also had a taste of this ballooned "success" person they are marketing right now.