Apple Discontinues 'Personal Shopping' Service in Retail Stores

[jdechko]

I hate to call you out specifically, but this is the type of attitude that people in retail absolutely loathe. Apple actually trains their staff very well, and the few times I've asked them a question they didn't immediately know the answer to, it was found within a matter of minutes. Don't let your prejudice about hipster teenagers alter your perception of their knowledge. You might be surprised about what they know (and what you don't!)

...

My advice? If you don't like the staff at your particular store, submit a constructive comment to the management and, if it's not resolved, shop online.

+1.

Was a specialist for about 10 months. Not a teenager, nor a hipster. Knew a lot about a lot of products.

For me, the benefit of the personal shop existed because the stores were (and still are) so busy. If you booked a personal shop, there was a 100% guarantee that someone would be there to answer all of your questions, regardless of how busy the store was.

And if they still continued a service, I'd have used it when I went in to buy simply because I knew I'd have a specialist on hand right away, and I wouldn't have to hunt someone down.

 

[CplBadboy]

I hate to call you out specifically, but this is the type of attitude that people in retail absolutely loathe. Apple actually trains their staff very well, and the few times I've asked them a question they didn't immediately know the answer to, it was found within a matter of minutes. Don't let your prejudice about hipster teenagers alter your perception of their knowledge. You might be surprised about what they know (and what you don't!)

I used to work in the tech industry (in retail, though not specifically Apple Retail), and the number of times that I got told I knew a lot "for a girl" or was deliberately ignored for one of my male coworkers (who, more often than not, would just turn to me for the answer anyway) was frustrating and demeaning, not to mention blatantly disrespectful.

My advice? If you don't like the staff at your particular store, submit a constructive comment to the management and, if it's not resolved, shop online.

Dotsnk,

Thanks for your reply. Im not saying i know it all not by any means. if I did hey id be working in Cupertino! Generally though the staff have been very good when ive been in store so hats off to them. Only been a few occasions when ive wanted to thrash the smart arse 'genius' across the table when he is trying defend a blatant failure of hardware and hes trying to **** me off with some made up bollocks tech speak. Like customers not all Apple staff are the model retail assistant they are meant to be.

 

[dotnsk]

Look at how successful hair salons became when they started advertising "No appointment needed! Drop right in!" We now have numerous Great Clips, Fantastic Sams, and Custom Cuts stores all over town because they use that business model.

When I'm going shopping, I'm doing it on MY terms, because I'm the one spending the money! You, the retailer, need MY business - so I expect you'll do what retail stores are supposed to do and be open for business and available throughout a large time-window, every day of the week.

I mean, I do realize someone at Apple probably came up with this shopping appointment thing as a way to make the whole experience seem more "up-scale". (Usually, you only schedule appointments for bigger or more important events -- so they were hoping for a tie-in there.) But in reality, it doesn't do much good. The typical Mac shopper doesn't want to have to wait for some pre-arranged appointment time to make a purchase!

Think more "Nordstrom" and less "Great Clips" and I think we'd have a pretty close approximation of what Apple Retail wanted Personal Shopping to be. A special, one-on-one experience for an expensive purchase. I just don't think people understood it (it wasn't marketed very well at all; I only heard about it if I actually went into the store), so it didn't work.

Certainly, as the consumer you get to vote with your dollars, but you do things on the retailer's terms more often than you think. Not every store is open 24 hours, for example, and lots of smaller businesses hold 'odd' hours (there's a furniture place out here that's ONLY open three days a week; they spend the rest of the week acquiring furniture from various places and merchandising it) because it's what works for THEIR business. Plenty of family-owned businesses (particularly restaurants) are closed on Mondays, or close between meals. McDonalds stops serving breakfast at 10:30am sharp, and they won't serve it again until 4am (even if they are open 24 hours).

It should probably be clarified that Personal Shopping seemed to be a thing available if you wanted to use it--say, book an appointment to buy on a busy Saturday and they'd have someone waiting for you--but you weren't required to use it to buy anything. Appointments AND drop-ins-the best of both worlds.

 

[kingtj]

I beg to differ ....

I'm not saying you, personally, aren't well versed in Mac knowledge. Maybe you are, and that's great! But this guy's complaint is pretty valid, across the board, from my experiences with Apple stores. (And for the record, my g/f worked as an Apple Genius in TN for several years, and SHE agrees with me on the current state of things in the Apple retail stores too!)

I can remember when Apple first opened their retail stores, you had a different type of salesperson working there. Sure, some of them weren't overly knowledgeable but they didn't come across as "hipster teens" either. And in most cases, a given store would also have at least one or two older people working there (by that, I mean someone in their 40's or 50's usually) who actually could answer most of the technical questions. Your salespeople were happy to refer you to that person whenever it was needed.

Something gradually changed though, in the mid 2000's, when the iPods started selling by the millions and then the iPhone came along. All of a sudden, a big percentage of customers were just looking for new cases or headphones, or had questions like "How do I hard reset my frozen iPod?", instead of Mac OS X issues. It seems like Apple responded by hiring a younger crowd of "hip" and "pretty people" to work their stores and make sure they kept up a trendy image, instead of a "geeky" one.

These days, I really don't find I get very good help at Apple stores at all. Sure, they have enough clerks around in colored t-shirts who you can speak with, but the experience is usually lacking.

EG. I just bought a new Macbook Pro 17" at my local Apple store, and the guy who helped me (only after I flagged him down because he was busy chatting with fellow co-workers) didn't even seem like he wanted to sell me the product! I asked him if they had a particular configuration in stock, and he kind of blew me off with an answer of, "Yeah... if it's shown on one of our cards on the table, then we sell it." (Not my question, buddy! I wanted you to make sure it was really still in stock!) When I told him I "think I want to go with one of these, then", he just kind of stood around blankly -- not getting a clue that he should go get one from the back room for me at that point! I had to repeat several times that I, indeed, did want to buy one from him right then before he finally offered to go get one. Frankly, it was a weird experience, and only one I could chalk up to him being an inexperienced teen.

I hate to call you out specifically, but this is the type of attitude that people in retail absolutely loathe. Apple actually trains their staff very well, and the few times I've asked them a question they didn't immediately know the answer to, it was found within a matter of minutes. Don't let your prejudice about hipster teenagers alter your perception of their knowledge. You might be surprised about what they know (and what you don't!)

I used to work in the tech industry (in retail, though not specifically Apple Retail), and the number of times that I got told I knew a lot "for a girl" or was deliberately ignored for one of my male coworkers (who, more often than not, would just turn to me for the answer anyway) was frustrating and demeaning, not to mention blatantly disrespectful.

My advice? If you don't like the staff at your particular store, submit a constructive comment to the management and, if it's not resolved, shop online.

 

[silentnite]

No Loss, I'm sure will find our own way

 

[dotnsk]

I'm not saying you, personally, aren't well versed in Mac knowledge. Maybe you are, and that's great! But this guy's complaint is pretty valid, across the board, from my experiences with Apple stores. (And for the record, my g/f worked as an Apple Genius in TN for several years, and SHE agrees with me on the current state of things in the Apple retail stores too!)

I can remember when Apple first opened their retail stores, you had a different type of salesperson working there. Sure, some of them weren't overly knowledgeable but they didn't come across as "hipster teens" either. And in most cases, a given store would also have at least one or two older people working there (by that, I mean someone in their 40's or 50's usually) who actually could answer most of the technical questions. Your salespeople were happy to refer you to that person whenever it was needed.

Something gradually changed though, in the mid 2000's, when the iPods started selling by the millions and then the iPhone came along. All of a sudden, a big percentage of customers were just looking for new cases or headphones, or had questions like "How do I hard reset my frozen iPod?", instead of Mac OS X issues. It seems like Apple responded by hiring a younger crowd of "hip" and "pretty people" to work their stores and make sure they kept up a trendy image, instead of a "geeky" one.

These days, I really don't find I get very good help at Apple stores at all. Sure, they have enough clerks around in colored t-shirts who you can speak with, but the experience is usually lacking.

EG. I just bought a new Macbook Pro 17" at my local Apple store, and the guy who helped me (only after I flagged him down because he was busy chatting with fellow co-workers) didn't even seem like he wanted to sell me the product! I asked him if they had a particular configuration in stock, and he kind of blew me off with an answer of, "Yeah... if it's shown on one of our cards on the table, then we sell it." (Not my question, buddy! I wanted you to make sure it was really still in stock!) When I told him I "think I want to go with one of these, then", he just kind of stood around blankly -- not getting a clue that he should go get one from the back room for me at that point! I had to repeat several times that I, indeed, did want to buy one from him right then before he finally offered to go get one. Frankly, it was a weird experience, and only one I could chalk up to him being an inexperienced teen.

Perhaps it varies by location, but I (and none of my friends) have ever had this issue at our Apple Stores (we're pretty scattered around the city, so we cover all four stores in the metro area). My Apple Stores perfectly emulate what you describe in your second paragraph--and they have for the last six years (my first purchase was in 2004, and I've become a regular since then).

FWIW, the configuration you were likely after (ANY 17" MacBook Pro, really) will likely never be out of stock simply because so few people purchase it. YOU certainly couldn't have known that, but he may have, and I imagine that it got lost in translation.

As for the rest, contact the management of your local store and share the story! The managers at Apple have always listened attentively to me (whether it was praise or constructive criticism that I offered) and it seemed like they genuinely wanted to make the experience better.

 

[avanpelt]

I bought my MacBook Pro in an Apple Store two minutes from my house in 2008. I was in and out in about 30 minutes, no personal shopping appointment necessary. Then again, I walked in knowing pretty much exactly what I wanted.

My wife just bought a MacBook Pro and AppleCare on Amazon a few months back and saved $50 over buying it in the store plus the cost of sales tax (which is a considerable amount on a $1,600 purchase.)

Needless to say, I will be buying my next Mac on Amazon without a doubt.

 

[charlituna]

"According to sources, the change became effective yesterday and stems from the belief that every customer should receive the same attention and amount of service."

Every customer that needs that level of service gets it. without signing up in advance before you show up at the store. It's been that way for a while. and its the way it should be.

The whole notion was a dud. I remember when they started it. the idea was that there were actual "personal shoppers" and you had to make an appointment because that's when they would be there to help you. So you were at the whim of when 1-2 folks were working. Rather than being able to go in when it was good for you. So then they dropped the whole shopper thing and all the staff were available. But regardless of you having an appointment, you got the same service. So what was the point.

Same game with the whole concierge fiasco. Why should I have to wait for the guy in the green shirt to check me in for my genius bar appointment when there are 5 sales people just standing around that I'm sure are smart enough to log in and push a button. And now they do.

 

[mac542]

personal shopping

I think it is a big mistake customer service is very important

 

[FloatingBones]

The OP said that all references had been erased from the Apple website. Not true. http://www.apple.com/retail/overlay_personal_shopping.html describing the service is still online.

 

[LagunaSol]

Personal Shopping at the Apple Store was outshined by Birthday Party and Dance Number at the Microsoft Store.

 

[charlituna]

If Apple blocked the computers so all those teens wouldn't be able to just come in there and use the place as an internet cafe they would certainly have enough room for people that genuinely need personal shopping help.

My local store doesn't have that issue. First gang, first yell, tickle crap whatever and they are promptly reminded what loitering means and how it is against store rules and local law. And then walked out the door.

As for the crowds etc, I guess folks have missed the articles about the updates to the Apple Store app. They are making an effort, trying a method and then trying something else if that doesn't work. Give them some credit for caring enough to try.

 

[ghostface147]

That's exactly it. I made a visit (one of my only ones, so far) to the closest Apple Store, and there was a group of 15 year olds all using the iMacs (well, who we kidding, all the computers) and an Apple employee asked one of the kids if they would mind stepping aside for a few minutes so she can show a customer an iMac, the kid entirely ignored her, continued to browse facebook.

I would have told that little tax credit turd to get bent and move off the computer.

 

[dakwar]

times, they keep on changing.

 

[petercooper]

I used to use this service. Not to get a "demo" of the product but so I had a good excuse to actually be able to test products before buying. I don't know about the US, but every Apple store in the UK is full of annoying kids and teenagers using it as a cybercafé.. and good luck actually testing the goods without waiting for ages.

The other benefit was you already had someone with you so they could just ring up the items or go find them in the warehouse, without having to line up for ages behind grandpa figuring out which of his 20 credit cards he can remember the PIN to.

 

[JAQ]

My boyfriend worked at an Apple a couple years ago, and he says that customers hardly ever bothered with Personal Shopping, and he never really understood the point of it himself. It sounds like a PR cliche, but they pretty much gave every customer as much attention as he/she ended up wanting (except for obvious crunch times like Black Friday or New iProduct Day when there simply wasn't enough staff – or room – for that). If it was an "I want a red 4GB nano" transaction, the customer might get 2 minutes; if it was "The missus and me figure we should get a couple computers... what do you have?", the customer might get an hour. The store kept their Personal Shopping stats up (because Corporate pays attention) by retroactively declaring some of their more in-depth sales sessions as Personal Shopping, or quickly signing up (slightly confused) customers for the service when it sounded like they had more than a couple questions. Worse, it led the handful of customers who knew about it to think they needed an appointment to buy more than an iPod. The bottom line is that it just wasn't serving a useful purpose, either for Apple or customers.

 

[firestarter]

That sums up everything that's wrong with Apple Stores.

You shouldn't have to play detective and Where's Waldo or imagine you are at a car dealer to buy an iPod case.

Absolutely!

I make sure I complain every time I go to the store to buy something and every time I get to fill out a feedback form.

I know what I want, I take it from the shelf and then there's nowhere to pay. I don't want to stand behind someone who's being helped out and wait for them to finish. Who knows how long that will take? And I don't want to feel like an idiot just because the person I chose to shadow is taking a long time, and another person got served first 'cos they chose more wisely.

Just give me a damn checkout Apple! I don't need someone to hold my hand when I'm buying an iLife box.

Maybe the stores wouldn't be so crowded if they weren't full of people wandering 'round trying to pay!

 

[Don Kosak]

Not a big deal. Any time I seriously needed some help making a major purchase, the retail folks have gone to great lengths to help me.

I guess if you were traveling a long distance to the store, and wanted to minimize your wait time... I'll be moving to an island in a few months, and the nearest Apple store will be a $150 plane trip away. Even then, I don't think I'd schedule a personal shopping session. (I'll most likely just buy online, to be honest.)

 

[jnc]

e! I don't need someone to hold my hand when I'm buying an iLife box.

Patience, Mac App Store's around the corner!

 

[satcomer]

Welll i have a bad taste in my mouth for Retail Apple Stores. To make a long story short I went to one in 2008 to buy a mid-level Mac Pro. However I was ignored every time when I ask to speak to a salesman. So up ended going to a third part online seller and ordered my Mac Pro. Then the next year I went oa different store about two weeks after the Phone 3GS went up for sale and wanted to buy one. Then again I could get any sales people attention and end up buy it from Apple's Online Store.

So never again do I even want to come close to an Apple Retail Store again!

 

[Popeye206]

At least at the MS store....

At least you can still get a personal shopper at the Microsoft Store!

Oh... wait... everyone gets a personal shopper at the MS store... the staff out numbers the customers!

 

[SeattleMoose]

I Guess The Cobwebs Were A Bit of A Clue

 

[Detlev]

Not too concerned this is now gone. I'd assume more people are willing to purchase online or possibly reserve items via the store website/app. This time of year people want to get in and out of retail establishments as quickly as possible.

 

[Popeye206]

Welll i have a bad taste in my mouth for Retail Apple Stores. To make a long story short I went to one in 2008 to buy a mid-level Mac Pro. However I was ignored every time when I ask to speak to a salesman. So up ended going to a third part online seller and ordered my Mac Pro. Then the next year I went oa different store about two weeks after the Phone 3GS went up for sale and wanted to buy one. Then again I could get any sales people attention and end up buy it from Apple's Online Store.

So never again do I even want to come close to an Apple Retail Store again!

I had a similar experience once at the Apple Store. But I should have known better than to go to one of the larger stores in the Philly area on a Saturday and try and get help. The store was so packed it was almost impossible to just get near an employee and they we're running 100mph trying to help everyone.

From there on, if I want good service I either go early in the AM or during the week. Much better experience when the store is only 1/2 packed.

And as for when they are packed... I smile big inside. As a almost 30 year user of the Mac and remembering the dark days of Apple when it looked like it was "lights out".... it's cool to see that the Apple Store is almost always the busiest store in the Mall.

 

[chris8535]

Not sure what to think

Customer experience is a funny thing -- but this service seemed to have its use.

Heres the thing, I'm a young professional who makes decent money (~$160k). My girlfriend and I like to shop maybe once or twice a week briefly.

I have pretty high expectations for my shoping experience. I don't expect to be babied, but at the same time -- if I have a question I expect an accurate answer. When shoping for a suit, I expect the personal shopper at Saks to give me a range of options, outlay them based on style and situation and explain to me the best options. I also expect him to put out some reasonable suits and some of the very best (Canali) and explain to me what might be the best choice given its use.

But its different when it comes to computers. When I go in to shop for an iMac, I would hope that the employees would be able to tell me the bit-depth of the 27 inch panel or maybe the specifics behind battery life while using Final Cut Pro. However, at the same time, I know I have very particular tastes and needs and should probably look those things up on the internet beforehand. Each and every person on the floor probably can't be expected to have that range of knowledge.

So personal shoping is a bit odd in technology. When shoping for clothes, I'm paying 2000 dollars for a suit and for the taste of the personal buyer. In an Apple store im spending 2500 dollars for pretty much only the computer. Theres really no taste factor going on -- and Apple simply doesn't have the expertise to provide excellent advice for professional technological applications. However...sometimes I feel a bit indignant when kids my age act like droppign 2-4k on a computer setup shouldn't come along with some service.

But heres the problem with 'experts' -- the Camera Store trap. I was briefly a professional photographer and acquired some gear on a budget to attempt to keep my business going. Camera Stores began to go the way of the dinosaur when internet warehouses came about, so many owners thought adding experts was the way to go to spur customers to pay more for local shops. Instead, most shops turned into haughty hangouts for failed pros who wanted to out talk eachothers gear knowledge. It was a real dick-swinging-fest and pretty much garanteed I'd never step foot in a camera store again.

In the end, Apple is making a good choice -- they are seperating the needed, but sales-unfriendly gear-headed expertise from the cool, easy, in-and-out feel of the store. Apple still supports very active technical forums (however they wont' ever respond in an official manner). And while I'd like to think that customer service in the stores would have done some nerdy research of their own (like rendered in FCP until their MacBook battery died to clocks its life) I just can't expect it.