Another "laugher" from Apple employee

[Deepdale]

While inspecting the merchandise at Apple Soho, one iBook had a folder entitled "Other Icons." Many of the choices were very colorful with interesting designs, so I proceeded to replace the standard hard drive icon with one from that collection. Another customer observed this and remarked how much better than replacement icon looked and said she planned to e-mail it to herself so she could change hers once she returned home.

An Apple employee, who must have overheard a portion of our chat, walked over and asked me in an indignant tone, "What did you just do to the hard disc icon?"

"Simply replaced it with something better, but I do return computers to the way they were before leaving," I replied.

"It would be best if you did not do that," he stated as if speaking to a child.

"Considering all the activities that regularly occur in this store such as people blasting music, deleting files, adjusting settings in programs and downloading many items onto CD's, I must tell you that this is a strange thing to hear. Might there be a specific reason behind the request?"

He then offered up this gem. "The hard disc icon is the one that can NEVER be restored once it is changed. To get it back to where it was requires using original installation discs and all that takes time to do."

I then told him that the original icon could be restored in approximately 10-15 seconds. He then watched sheepishly as normalcy once again returned to Prince Street.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

They really should hire better help, that's embarrassing on Apple Stores behalf...

I then told him that the original icon could be restored in approximately 10-15 seconds. He then watched sheepishly as normalcy once again returned to Prince Street.

Why 10-15 seconds? Just Get-Info, click the icon and hit backspace (or cmd-X if you want to paste it elsewhere). Should take less than 5 seconds, really...

 

[wrldwzrd89]

That's amazing - I would never think that an Apple employee could be that clueless about the very operating system sold at that store.

 

[iGary]

I got yelled at for downloading and running X-Bench once. I suppose i deserved it.

 

[Deepdale]

Why 10-15 seconds? Just Get-Info, click the icon and hit backspace (or cmd-X if you want to paste it elsewhere). Should take less than 5 seconds, really...

There's always gotta be someone with a stopwatch in Norway. Okay, < 5 seconds it is.

 

[iGary]

That's amazing - I would never think that an Apple employee could be that clueless about the very operating system sold at that store.

The night I went in to buy my iMac, this couple came in with every intent of walking out with a new iMac - switchers. They asked about viruses, running Word, surfing, files - they were obviously ready to buy one.

The kid just got cocky with them (basically didn't answer any of their questions), so after he let them go, they were wandering around the store, and then came back to the iMacs.

I asked them if they were thinking about getting one, answered their questions, and then told the kid to go get them a 20" 1.8, and get me a 17" 1.8 while he was at it.

An "ex" friend of ours (for unrelated reasons) is the GM of that store. I was so embarassed by his help I never told him. I think Apple tends to hire on appearance sometimes, rather than skill set.

I can't tell you how many computers I have sold at that store. Wait until our store in Annapolis opens. They might as well give me a black shirt.

 

[Deepdale]

I think Apple tends to hire on appearance sometimes, rather than skill set. I can't tell you how many computers I have sold at that store. Wait until our store in Annapolis opens. They might as well give me a black shirt.

Good story, Gary. I agree that image and a perceived type of aloof attitude seemingly go far with respect to hiring there. You do deserve your blackshirt.

 

[Brother Michael]

I have never had that problem at the Apple Store in the Easton Towne Center in Columbus Ohio.

The staff are very good there and have always answered my questions and listened to my useless ramblings. One of them even discouraged me from getting a newer G3 stating that my current one was fine enough for what I was doing.

Mike

 

[iGary]

Good story, Gary. I agree that image and a perceived type of aloof attitude seemingly go far with respect to hiring there. You do deserve your blackshirt.

I mean don't get me wrong, I like going into a store and looking at "good looking people" but this particular store has an attitude problem.

I don't plan to put up with that at our new store in Annapolis (less than a mile away from my house - lock up the credit cards). Yeah, that sounds cocky, but I want our store here to be a good one.

 

[notjustjay]

I was at the Apple Store in Toronto this weekend, and I was ogling the 30" Cinema Display running iMovie HD while I overheard an employee talking to a guy who asked "So how come Apple computers use those, what ya call em, 'Power PC' chips, anyhow? What's so great about those? Why not just use Intel like everyone else?"

... the guy proceeded to extoll the virtues of the PowerPC chip and how it's so much more efficient than Pentiums! And then said, "That's just the G4, now the G5, I'm not personally familiar with the design..."



Those DP 2.7's are snappy, by the way.

 

[Applespider]

The Genius Bar and Studio staff are great in London.

The rest of them are less use than a chocolate fireguard. They seem to spend most of their time aimlessly wandering around or chatting to each other so intently that the polite Brits don't like to interrupt.

I work in retail (tho not on the shopfloor) and customer acknowledgment is one of the holy grails. Staff should be trained to nod and smile when the customer enters (much harder when it's busy I agree) and then to monitor their area of the store and if a customer stands looking at a range of products for more than a couple of minutes to approach and offer assistance.

I can almost understand their attitude downstairs where people are queuing up to use the Macs (to check their mail mainly) although having a staff member stationed where someone who actually wanted to buy a Mac could ask questions would be useful. Having a staff member who could boot off random backpackers for real customers might help too.

But at the printing/scanning/camera/software sections where you can see customers standing looking bamboozled at the range on offer, training the staff to make a helpful query wouldn't go amiss. Particularly when they're only standing messing around the volume on the iPods anyhow.

 

[Les Kern]

That's amazing - I would never think that an Apple employee could be that clueless about the very operating system sold at that store.

He IS clueless. I was at the Apple store at the Apple campus in Cupertino and talked to the Mac guys there. They INVITE you to make changes. Every night at closing they do a netboot and restore all the machines in the building. You just had one "new" guy I assume. Let it go.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

There's always gotta be someone with a stopwatch in Norway. Okay, < 5 seconds it is.

It took so little time I didn't even have time to get the stopwatch out and running...

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

The night I went in to buy my iMac, this couple came in with every intent of walking out with a new iMac - switchers. They asked about viruses, running Word, surfing, files - they were obviously ready to buy one.

The kid just got cocky with them (basically didn't answer any of their questions), so after he let them go, they were wandering around the store, and then came back to the iMacs.

I asked them if they were thinking about getting one, answered their questions, and then told the kid to go get them a 20" 1.8, and get me a 17" 1.8 while he was at it.

An "ex" friend of ours (for unrelated reasons) is the GM of that store. I was so embarassed by his help I never told him. I think Apple tends to hire on appearance sometimes, rather than skill set.

I can't tell you how many computers I have sold at that store. Wait until our store in Annapolis opens. They might as well give me a black shirt.

If appearance is a factor, they didn't get that memo at the Tysons store.

To be honest, the grousing about the staff at stores is sad if we are not willing to pay even more for our goods and services in order to give decent living wages to those we chastise.

 

[Applespider]

To be honest, the grousing about the staff at stores is sad if we are not willing to pay even more for our goods and services in order to give decent living wages to those we chastise.

I'm not complaining about them not all being highly-paid Mac specialists which is unrealistic in any environment; I'm complaining about general retail service standards which is a training issue. And training can only help people achieve their sales targets and improve their prospects in the retail job market. Training would also help staff when faced with a question they're not sure of to say so and offer to find out the answer.

Incidentally, I'm not surprised the first guy wanted to stop you playing around with the icons only that he used FUD logic to do so. While the Macs are rebuilt each night, I'd guess they want to leave them as standard as possible so that they look like what a customer might expect/be used to.

 

[Daveway]

I was in the Towson location last year an I was one of 3 people in the store at the time. It was about 2 in the afternoon and all the employees were in the back near the cash register talking amongst themselves.
not one employee came up to me or the other person in the store. I was in there for at least 15 minutes.

 

[iGary]

I was in the Towson location last year an I was one of 3 people in the store at the time. It was about 2 in the afternoon and all the employees were in the back near the cash register talking amongst themselves.
not one employee came up to me or the other person in the store. I was in there for at least 15 minutes.

LOL

My "ex" friend is also the GM of that store.

 

[sk8erboy]

does apple ever hire windows users?

 

[runninmac]

When I was at the North Mich. Avenue store I was didn't no a whole lot about them a guy there was showing me how to mess up the computer and then fix it. He was pretty cool. I hope there isn't any ignorant workers at the apple store thats opening up about 10 min away from my house.

 

[katie ta achoo]

does apple ever hire windows users?

When I applied for a job, Sebastian (one of my Fav clerks ^_^) said that one of the requirements was to own a Mac.
So, if you use both, then Sure they could hire you.
but hiring someone who doesn't use a Mac to SELL said Macs wouldn't really make much sense.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

I'm not complaining about them not all being highly-paid Mac specialists which is unrealistic in any environment; I'm complaining about general retail service standards which is a training issue. And training can only help people achieve their sales targets and improve their prospects in the retail job market. Training would also help staff when faced with a question they're not sure of to say so and offer to find out the answer.

Incidentally, I'm not surprised the first guy wanted to stop you playing around with the icons only that he used FUD logic to do so. While the Macs are rebuilt each night, I'd guess they want to leave them as standard as possible so that they look like what a customer might expect/be used to.

You have reached the Catch-22. Most retail stores are not willing to pay for training of their staff. And with out the training, the staff does not meet expectations of the consumer.

 

[wdlove]

LOL

My "ex" friend is also the GM of that store.

You should try to kindle your friendship again. Maybe you could get hired on at the Apple Store, especially the new one. Then you could assist the new staff by example, teach the correct way.

 

[ham_man]

At the Austin Apple Store, the employees all seem very knowledgable. Hell, I went in there Friday and they were so busy they didn't notice me filling up a 20 inch CD's Dashboard with nothing but Clocks. Ahhh...how I do love Apple stores...

 

[yellow]

Sounds like the resident "Genius".

 

[James Philp]

Anyone know what qualifications you need to be a genius bar worker? I'm finishing Uni in 3 days (last exam!) and will have some spare time on my hands!
I will have a degree at oxford in engineering under my belt and 5 years' worth of Mac knowledge...
What do you need?
I'd be applying for the London store - it's only a commute away from home..