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Angela Ahrendts Updates Retail Employees on Apple Watch and MacBook Launch Situation
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Like apple has EVER let ANYONE but press and special people see and touch their products before they could buy them. WTF is wrong with people?
DO. THE. MATH. Everyone wants one of these things including the people pissing and moaning about a "botched launch" wherein loads of people (but maybe NOT "YOU"...awww) *will actually have the product in their hands and on their wrists* Friday
Just because Apple has "denied" you the "privilege" of standing in a long-ass line with scalpers that DON'T actually want the thing, people who've been pissing in containers, TaskRabbits and self-promoting startups or strippers handing out cards for their strip clubs does not mean *I* want the Premium Apple Store in my town's upscale shopping area clogged with this nonsense.
Perhaps where YOU are, it is all fun and happy Apple people only, folks making connections/finding true love or whatever, but more often than not in the last couple-three years, what I'm describing is closer to reality.
I did forget the cranky, entitled people leaving the store cursing like sailors with nothing because they still were holding on to the romantic notion of Apple Line-ups long since gone...since a huge amount of stock was absorbed by the aforementioned unsavory types.
HERE'S an idea: form a MEETUP for Friday night or Saturday where all of those people you'd like to be in line with can congregate with you and enjoy the camaraderie of *actually* haven't gotten their Watch Friday! Celebrate!
It could be a whole new thing for Apple launches...Apple Launch Meetups.
-K
Exactly my feeling. If it is soooooo important to stand in line to socialize, why not post a suggested meeting on Facebook in some mall.
Careful, there are enough nuts who may make that a 25,000 people event.
There is got to be a better idea what to do with 3 hours of ones life than standing and waiting and not getting anything.
Apple has done the right thing here. Not frustrating customers is better than the bad press one would get letting people into stores with no stock to buy.
The frenzy of wanting something that is scarce is a psychological issue and not rational. ME,ME,ME, generation at its finest.
What is really wrong with going to a store , looking at various models one considers , then order online and WAIT until it arrives.
Sounds more civil to me and wastes no time whatsoever.
Scalpers have also been kept to a minimum.
The amount of dumb people who cannot understand that millions of such a product cannot be made overnight is amazing.
They should all ask themselves how they would have handled this if they owned the company.
Have 1 million of each variety on hand and then find out each model doesn't sell as planned?
Tie up millions in unsold goods?
Apple will go back to the store sales with the iPhone 6S and other items, but the customization of the watch can only be handled as they are doing it!
BTW: They will eventually have the best selling configurations in the stores.
Like apple has EVER let ANYONE but press and special people see and touch their products before they could buy them. WTF is wrong with people?
DO. THE. MATH. Everyone wants one of these things including the people pissing and moaning about a "botched launch" wherein loads of people (but maybe NOT "YOU"...awww) *will actually have the product in their hands and on their wrists* Friday
Just because Apple has "denied" you the "privilege" of standing in a long-ass line with scalpers that DON'T actually want the thing, people who've been pissing in containers, TaskRabbits and self-promoting startups or strippers handing out cards for their strip clubs does not mean *I* want the Premium Apple Store in my town's upscale shopping area clogged with this nonsense.
Perhaps where YOU are, it is all fun and happy Apple people only, folks making connections/finding true love or whatever, but more often than not in the last couple-three years, what I'm describing is closer to reality.
I did forget the cranky, entitled people leaving the store cursing like sailors with nothing because they still were holding on to the romantic notion of Apple Line-ups long since gone...since a huge amount of stock was absorbed by the aforementioned unsavory types.
HERE'S an idea: form a MEETUP for Friday night or Saturday where all of those people you'd like to be in line with can congregate with you and enjoy the camaraderie of *actually* haven't gotten their Watch Friday! Celebrate!
It could be a whole new thing for Apple launches...Apple Launch Meetups.
-K
Or you know they could have had demo models BEFORE the online only sales started so people knew what to order, and then ship them out in 2 weeks. Everyone who is getting one on Friday had to order sight unseen. How is that a good thing besides you poking fun at people and making immature remarks?
They also didn't need to have the online store launch at 3AM for tens of millions of people in the US. Theres better ways to handle online only sales than what happened.
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Why couldn't they do the appointment and have demo models for a week or 2 before the online only sales started? Why is it a good thing that everyone getting one in the next two months had to order sight unseen. How many are going to get returned now?
Online sales don't have to mean ordering sight unseen for something like a watch which they are selling as a fashion item with 2 different sizes and different bands? Many people won't even know if the size they got will fit their wrist or not.
At the risk of sounding misogynist, because anything that a man says critical of a woman is "because she's a woman!!!"...
1. She is smart. You can see it in her eye movement. She appears to be doing this from cue cards, and filling in the blanks, and making sure that there isn't a leak of bad information. In fact, the whole thing being done in one take wouldn't be my choice, but that she did a 5 minute video that way is more than I could do.
1.5 (not doing these in any particular order...) I think that delivering bad news wrapped in a happy message might not be her strong point, or, since this is the first video I have seen of her, she may be just polishing off the rough edges, and getting into her groove. I remember Tim Cook's first stage show, and he has really grown into his role. He had the shadow of Steve behind him, and that was probably pretty daunting.
2. I think she had a difficult message to deliver, as can be seen in the "rah rah! People are overwhelmingly positive on the whole experience!". If people are so overwhelmingly positive, why retell the staff? They should already know this.
3. (nitpicky...) If you're going to shoot a video, don't have people walking in/out of the door behind you. This isn't on her, just on the production people.
4. Wow! The photographs of her don't do her justice. In the video, she really is a beautiful woman. (Here's my formula - Pretty to me + smart = Beautiful)
I got mine *last week*...see, when they went on sale on the 10th, I ordered one *on the 10th*...Space Gray Best model w/o BTO to boot...and wouldn't ya know it, damned if the thing didn't arrive before they said it would.
Even before I got it, I went down to the local Apple Store and messed with the exact model I ordered! Crazy, right? Total failure of a launch.
-K
If it makes you feel any better, I also ordered on 4/10. I got my Macbook on 4/16. The delete key was broken so I took it to the Apple store for an exchange. They said they didn't have any exchange units so now I have to wait 4-6 weeks to get my replacement. weeee!
I have done the math. What Apple did is in their best interest. The mystique of Apple was doing things in their best interest while simultaneously making their fans excited about the launches.Like apple has EVER let ANYONE but press and special people see and touch their products before they could buy them. WTF is wrong with people?
DO. THE. MATH. Everyone wants one of these things including the people pissing and moaning about a "botched launch" wherein loads of people (but maybe NOT "YOU"...awww) *will actually have the product in their hands and on their wrists* Friday
Speaking of that, who did that in your corn flakes this morning? Here's a thought... With the previous launches, people could do both: They could order online at 12:01 Pacific Time, AND/OR stand in line on launch day. If you want the watch delivered, you order online. If you want to stand in line, stand in line. If you want to bring your own container, bring it! (For the record, the people in Charleston would hold your place while you went to the restroom at the Walgreens down the road.)
You view a cup (of whatever fluid, but I'm guessing the container...) half empty, don't you?
They had a limit of 2 iPhones at the last launch where I was. If someone wants to buy/sell/trade/give them to the girls handing out cards, that's what the free market is all about.
I'm really sorry that you had a bad experience with the last launch, and it has tainted your feelings towards them forevermore. As I put in my last post on this subject, the fun of the lines is the camaraderie that you build with the people around you moving towards a common goal. A meet-up afterward, in my opinion, wouldn't have that struggle (ha!) and shared experience that standing in the line would.
It might happen with the Apple Watch as well.
If they don't want to sell products in the AS I'm fine with that, as long as they put them on display and they keep an amount of units for replacement
Am I the only one wondering why they don't ship the watch separately from the bands? It seems like this would be a smarter move. Apple could still require a band be purchased with the watch, but then inventory would be a lot easier to control. Just a thought.
Yeah people keep calling her a "bitch" on here, it's so obvious. She's amazing and I hope people grow to love her work at Apple.
Literally every product Apple has launched in recent history has been sold SIGHT UNSEEN and every single one of them has had the same result.
It would not have mattered one iota if they had done it two weeks before or whatever. Same result. As for 3AM for some people in the US...they launched *worldwide* so for different people, it was different times...for some, more convenient that others. Would not have made ANY difference. Every watch they made or could have made, was sold. They didn't have 10s of Millions to sell. I'd be shocked if they could actually make more than 100K-150K of them a week right now.
There was no need, no desire and it makes literally no business sense whatsoever to NOT have sold them via pre-order. It was simply brilliant. People all over the world will have these things come Friday, "launch day". They will be happy.
People all over the world, because they were too indecisive, too slow, too broke or whatever, or chose a model that was constrained, or one that takes longer to make...will...not. SOME of them will be unhappy. Others realize their happiness will simply be deferred. It isn't a race.
All of the bitching in the world will not change the fact that whatever they had, they sold out of, very quickly. Just like every other product. Just like WWDC tickets. Demand is just huge. It isn't complicated and if I seem like I'm making "immature comments" by pointing out the simple math of it all to over-entitled, whiny people floating conspiracy theories and spewing vitriol...so be it.
You *still* aren't getting anything before they actually get the parts, the robots do their part, those parts are QA'd, they move to human assembly and are assembled, more QA, finishing, MORE QA, packaging, inventory, shipping and fulfillment happen...if ever, depending on "your" maturity level.
So be as "put upon" as you please. I am certain, for the foreseeable, every single damned watch they make they will have a sale for
-K
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And Apple changed this.
I view "a cup of of whatever fluid, but I'm guessing the container...)" as one containing a volume of fluid equal to whatever the measure reads it to be. How I "feel" about it does not actually change the amount of fluid contained therein.
And if someone selling on the free market chooses to no longer facilitate any of this...that's what the free market is about
I did not. My time is *far too valuable and too expensive* to stand in a line for hours and hours...this is what TaskRabbits are for
Even better...I can just have the thing flown to the home office and enjoy it over coffee or brunch
Try door prizes and or drawings. Apple Gift cards work well...limited supply for the situation, high demand...
-K
Yeah because as a gay black man I havent faced systemic oppression in the form of better treatement better job opportunities than a white guy simply by virtue of my being black. You should try being black and come back and tell me how hard you have it as a white guy. Just by virtue of me being black Im more likely to be poor jobless and in many cases without even so much as a place to vote in my neighborhood. Go cry in a corner somewhere you poor agrieved soul.
You just sound like someone who is entitled and when the playing field is even remotely equal among sexes and races you simply cant handle it. You have unrealistic expectations of women and minorities as an attempt to try and discredit their success.
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"She also emphasized Apple's efforts to give customers the best possible ordering experience by restricting in-store orders and said there are no plans to change the current Apple Watch ordering process. "
So, this would imply the future is beek ??
I sure hope Apple does does allow walk in orders at some stage, otherwise this will be a way as promised to reduce lines, (which by the way not long lines, only twice a year after an event) what about the other days ?
It may be noted "in no direct way of going forward" but I wonder....
If Apple's goal if to get everyone to order online why would it only show "online orders only just to to limited supply" ? if that is NOT the main reason to get users to order online...
Yikes..... I should have kept my Apple watch order June "or later" ?? Now that really sux.
So, this would imply the future is beek ??
I sure hope Apple does does allow walk in orders at some stage, otherwise this will be a way as promised to reduce lines, (which by the way not long lines, only twice a year after an event) what about the other days ?
It may be noted "in no direct way of going forward" but I wonder....
If Apple's goal if to get everyone to order online why would it only show "online orders only just to to limited supply" ? if that is NOT the main reason to get users to order online...
Yikes..... I should have kept my Apple watch order
June "or later" ?? Now that really sux.I don't remember Craig getting much backlash with the iOS 8 bugs. I don't understand this Angela hate. None of us has the scope of what she ultimately wants to do. And I don't see any disaster. Can someone point me to the ****up she caused?
Craig was a man. I honestly believe it's as simple as that.
I will have to admit that the MacBook was far more interesting to me than the Watch.
It's one of the most exciting notebooks I've seen since Apple put out the 17" and then 12" PowerBooks.
I went to be store to grab one for the station and they looked at me like, "You really thought you'd just walk in here and grab one didn't you?"
I did feel a little naive.
It's one of the most exciting notebooks I've seen since Apple put out the 17" and then 12" PowerBooks.
I went to be store to grab one for the station and they looked at me like, "You really thought you'd just walk in here and grab one didn't you?"
I did feel a little naive.
Why can't people stop all the crying and the spoilt brat routine and just be patient? No one *needs* it on day 1!
Just wait and stop complaining.
Just wait and stop complaining.
Because version 2 is about 9 months away. If you wait a month or two, you lose a huge percentage of your time having the best watch. And getting it earlier is all about bragging rights.
You didn't think any of this was what the watch will do for the user's life, did you?
It's not the 30's anymore. People don't care or criticize just because she is a woman. It is demeaning to play that card.
Shes getting criticized for her actions. Just like everyone else would regardless of sex, race etc.
Ha! No...
I don't really understand this constant requirement that people must have it on or as close to day 1 as possible. If people have to wait a few weeks or a month or so, then so what? People need to calm the hell down and relax. There's far more important things to worry about.
You clearly haven't read this thread before you posted that.
Secondly, when I originally posted that I was being sarcastic. It's macrumors and it never fails that when a woman or minority is in a powerful position at Apple people automatically target them. People here pretend to know what is going on at Apple when they don't know anything but they are happy to pile on anyway.
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I for one criticize this launch simply for its vagueness and obvious disregard for doing things in any kind of order. I expect the vague "Window" type act from some place like Comcast, the phone company, DirectTV, etc. Not Apple. I can understand that not doing walk ups is smart when there is next to no hope to supply stores enough for more than a handful of people per day. But I expect them to know their supply well enough to get people at the very least an accurate shipping date. For me, I'm going out of town on the 7th and 8th, the end of the shipping window. I do need to know when my device is shipping so that I can make appropriate plans for it.
Well played!
I sense we agree on this.And if someone selling on the free market chooses to no longer facilitate any of this...that's what the free market is about
Man... I was expecting a battle with you, and there I go, agreeing with you.I did not. My time is *far too valuable and too expensive* to stand in a line for hours and hours...this is what TaskRabbits are for
Even better...I can just have the thing flown to the home office and enjoy it over coffee or brunch
If they had those, I'd show up. Maybe have a $3-5 refreshment charge, and that can go to pay for the gift cards.Try door prizes and or drawings. Apple Gift cards work well...limited supply for the situation, high demand...
-K
Thank you for an enjoyable response to my post.
Have a great day!
This is the first time posting on MacRumors although I follow the news blog and forum religiously every day for the past few months. And usually I just quietly read and observe without passing judgment but some comments (not all) provoked my self-righteousness enough to register for an account and write a comment.
Honestly, although the original poster may not consciously be thinking it, the comments about how she looks or "Apple hired her just because she's a female" ARE sexist. I don't see anyone commenting on how Tim Cook looks when he gives his presentations or that he's in Apple "because he's a male". If you read up on Ahrendt's history, you'll know she took Burberry's company value from $2 billion to $7 billion in 8 years. I can't speak for everyone on this forum but I definitely cannot make even half of that working for 80 years. Not to mention revamping Burberry's whole brand image to becoming relevant again, as some forum members have mentioned. So, it's not because she's a woman, it's because she delivers damn good results, that Apple hired her... and any of their employees I'm sure.
Honestly, I'm in the camp of "Since it seems like you have a lot of great ideas on how to launch a product that has failed for every other company, please march up to 1 Infinite Loop and tell them how it's supposed to be done." Of course, it doesn't mean we can't criticise their actions, but I hope we all keep in mind the quality of people working at Apple. I think completely denouncing Apple's actions without consideration for how much the people there have worked to develop, market, and launch this product is just really immature and disrespectful.
Which brings me to another point... I'm sure many of us in this forum are successful, working adults, actively contributing to society. However, very often, I feel many of the forum members' comments do not reflect that reality. It's a shame because I think we're all here because we have a deep interest for a really great and innovative company (I will not dispute this statement). I understand some of the complaints and disdainful comments stem from a hope for Apple to be even better. I think many parents do this to their children, too. Fortunately, Apple is not our child and does not live to seek our approval. Despite what we say, they will do what they do, and honestly, that's the reason why I love Apple.
Honestly, I'm really grateful for everything Apple has done, is doing and will do. I enjoy reading some of the comments on here because they are very insightful. At the same time, I hope since it's a Mac Forum, the members would show more love for the company. But I guess this negative criticism is what happens when a chat forum about a company is mostly male (totally my assumption and I realise the irony in my gender-based comment, but I stand by it.) (^^)v
Honestly, although the original poster may not consciously be thinking it, the comments about how she looks or "Apple hired her just because she's a female" ARE sexist. I don't see anyone commenting on how Tim Cook looks when he gives his presentations or that he's in Apple "because he's a male". If you read up on Ahrendt's history, you'll know she took Burberry's company value from $2 billion to $7 billion in 8 years. I can't speak for everyone on this forum but I definitely cannot make even half of that working for 80 years. Not to mention revamping Burberry's whole brand image to becoming relevant again, as some forum members have mentioned. So, it's not because she's a woman, it's because she delivers damn good results, that Apple hired her... and any of their employees I'm sure.
Honestly, I'm in the camp of "Since it seems like you have a lot of great ideas on how to launch a product that has failed for every other company, please march up to 1 Infinite Loop and tell them how it's supposed to be done." Of course, it doesn't mean we can't criticise their actions, but I hope we all keep in mind the quality of people working at Apple. I think completely denouncing Apple's actions without consideration for how much the people there have worked to develop, market, and launch this product is just really immature and disrespectful.
Which brings me to another point... I'm sure many of us in this forum are successful, working adults, actively contributing to society. However, very often, I feel many of the forum members' comments do not reflect that reality. It's a shame because I think we're all here because we have a deep interest for a really great and innovative company (I will not dispute this statement). I understand some of the complaints and disdainful comments stem from a hope for Apple to be even better. I think many parents do this to their children, too. Fortunately, Apple is not our child and does not live to seek our approval. Despite what we say, they will do what they do, and honestly, that's the reason why I love Apple.
Honestly, I'm really grateful for everything Apple has done, is doing and will do. I enjoy reading some of the comments on here because they are very insightful. At the same time, I hope since it's a Mac Forum, the members would show more love for the company. But I guess this negative criticism is what happens when a chat forum about a company is mostly male (totally my assumption and I realise the irony in my gender-based comment, but I stand by it.) (^^)v
It's clear that a lot of people on here don't have a clue. If they were in her position (let's be honest, it wouldn't have been her choice anyway), they would have rolled out the small amount of watches, maybe 50 per store and then listen to the backlash of customer 51 to 100 who waited outside for 5 hours just to buy one, not mention the people who work who couldn't wait outside the store to hope to get one. Yeah, that's gonna endear the customers to the brand :roll eyes:
This way, everyone had a chance of ordering, they didn't have to wait outside a store for hours, they know for sure if they are getting one and when they'll get it.
This way, everyone had a chance of ordering, they didn't have to wait outside a store for hours, they know for sure if they are getting one and when they'll get it.