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Apple Geniuses....yeah right?

T

TheyCallMeSaint

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 17, 2010
172
0
So, while I've heard all these horror stories of people seeing horrible Apple Store Employees giving blatantly false info, the exact thing just happened to me:

I went down to my local Apple Store to look into picking up the new MBP 13". The Apple Rep approached me as I was looking at the LightPeak port, and he told me this would help me do things such as sync my iPhone faster. :confused: I told him the iPhone doesn't support LightPeak and uses USB. He just repeated that it will still somehow make it go faster.

Whatever, so he then asks me what I'm primarily going to be using the laptop for (Sigh, why didn't I buy online?). I told him that I'll be primarily using it for light FCE editing and Photoshop. Get this: he then recommends me to get the $1499 13" instead of the $1199 13" because "the improved graphics will help you edit faster". Um....both of the 13" have the exact same integrated Intel graphics....:rolleyes:
 
Your title refers to the Geniuses, but the actually store employees on the floor do not usually work the Genius Bar

But to your point, yes, there are some very uniformed employees at the Apple Store, just like everywhere else. I had one tell me the other day that I didn't have unlimited data on my iPad because it was impossible and I was mistaken... AND that the iPad does not use a sim card at all... period.

But you will find the same at Best Buy, Radio Shack and anywhere else
People are just humans when it is all said and done
 
MacDawg said:
People are just humans when it is all said and done
Click to expand...

People seem to forget this and it makes me mad more than everything. Not everyone is going to know everything. He might have been a new employee or something, we all been new at what we do at one time.
 
I actually mentioned once to an Apple store employee about some misinformation I was given from another employee at the same store. He thanked me and went to tell the manager. I guess when they learn that an employee doesn't know what he's doing they will send him/her for, uh, re-education (sounds scary).
 
Primejimbo said:
People seem to forget this and it makes me mad more than everything. Not everyone is going to know everything. He might have been a new employee or something, we all been new at what we do at one time.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%, actually 1000%. One thing though I will never do is pass false information.

It's also different when you ask someone a question and they give false information (idea, opinion, etc..), and they give you false information without you even asking. That's not a new person mistake, that's straight up lying.

When I go into a store though and they ask if I need help. I simply say no and they usually reply no problem, if you do have Q's my name is ... and I'll be glad to help. End of story.

On another note. The staff I did speak with have always been helpful and yes geniuses and sales people are usually not the same.
 
First things first. No one is perfect. So why do we have issues when someone isn't?
Haven't we all be wrong at times? Misinformed? Ignorant?

yes

I to feel exasperated with ignorance. It manifestation drives me crazy.
However, and good news, there is a cure. Education.

Next time any of us get a misinformed employee, and when we feel we know more than they do, merely ask them for documentation to support their claims. This why, you can help educate them without losing dignity or dishonor.
Everyone wins.

Personally, I've always had great experiences at the Apple store. Its a store, they're human.
 
Primejimbo said:
People seem to forget this and it makes me mad more than everything. Not everyone is going to know everything. He might have been a new employee or something, we all been new at what we do at one time.
Click to expand...

That doesn't justify opening your trap and spitting out false information.

If he doesn't know something, why approach a customer and attempt to describe something foreign to himself?
 
we at macrumors should all get jobs at an apple store then everyone will me informed lol.

But that employee is not very informative, luckily the ones at my local store aren't dumb.
 
Primejimbo said:
People seem to forget this and it makes me mad more than everything. Not everyone is going to know everything. He might have been a new employee or something, we all been new at what we do at one time.
Click to expand...

But in the end, the store and the company have to be responsible for the hiring of competent people and the necessary training.

I'd say this is a valid complaint as both assertions were entirely untrue and only served to sell the newest revision or higher-end model. I doubt the employee was lying just ignorant. And yes, you do see this in every retail store but every chain has their own level of competence they see fit to hire and put on the floor.

And I will choose one retailer over another based on that competence. Not that I need help in picking out electronics but it makes for a more pleasant experience if they either know what they are talking about or just stay out of the way once they determine you do.

The people on the floor at the local Apple store definitely rate a notch above the local Best Buy and Future Shop. I think overall Apple does have higher standards but they can slip up.
 
I usually never get upset at someone trying to do their job, especially if they're nervous. When buying, I do a lot of research before buying, so if I have to go to the store, it's usually to just to pick up the product, especially if it's something expensive.

I end up having to tell the guy or girl selling me whatever that I know their routine or what not. Most of the time they relax and chill with you and they can be a lot more informative then. Quite a few actually don't mind I jailbroke my iPhone 4.

There are still a few idiots there and I end up having to explain to them or I get refered to a genius. When you know their processes they go through, you can end up bypassing a lot of BS.

(side note: I've actually helped a person or 2 in Best Buy from some bad purchases and always tell anyone buying a hdmi cable in the store to always monoprice or amazon)
 
TheHoff said:
But in the end, the store and the company have to be responsible for the hiring of competent people and the necessary training.
Click to expand...

Speaking from experience, no matter how hard you try, idiots do slip through. The best you can hope for is to catch the error, correct it, and educate the person to avoid it in the future, or let them go.

I would say that in general, Apple does a better job than places like Best Buy and Radio Shack these days.
 
well.. the $1499 will let you edit faster, but not because of the graphics card.

and maybe he was told about lightpeak coming to the iPhone and accidentally spilled that out to you (wouldn't be surprised, i think it will happen and yes, i know employees dont hear information before us)
 
Many of the people on the floor, that I've interacted with, don't know all that much. Last year, when I was asked for my email address at point of sale, I gave my "@me" email and first the guy asks how I got it.. I told him it was part of MobileMe.. He just stared blankly at me til I pointed to the MobileMe tag hanging from his neck. He replies, "Oh yeah, I think that's new."
 
MisterDisney said:
Many of the people on the floor, that I've interacted with, don't know all that much. Last year, when I was asked for my email address at point of sale, I gave my "@me" email and first the guy asks how I got it.. I told him it was part of MobileMe.. He just stared blankly at me til I pointed to the MobileMe tag hanging from his neck. He replies, "Oh yeah, I think that's new."
Click to expand...

"Ya can't fix stupid"<--- Ron White
 
No matter which electronic store you go to there will aways be someone who is confused...

i had gone to Futureshop yesterday and the 'Apple Specialist' had no clue when Mac OSX Lion will come to stores
 
Leet Apple said:
No matter which electronic store you go to there will aways be someone who is confused...

i had gone to Futureshop yesterday and the 'Apple Specialist' had no clue when Mac OSX Lion will come to stores
Click to expand...

instead of hiring people based off their retail experience or how to deal with customers, hire people who know the products they're selling.

i went to an Apple seminar and let me tell you, the stuff we talked about was totally irrelevant to Apple products. HOWEVER, there was a questionnaire they gave us on Apple products which makes me wonder how many people failed this questionnaire...

i remember going into the Apple store and showing the manager a few tips and tricks on Mac OS. they were in shock because i saved them time during iPhone activations (i had experience selling phones before)

you can teach how to deal with customers, you can't teach someone who's not interested and just wants a job something (speaking from experience, i'm a supervisor at work. the ones that aren't interested and are there to just make money are harder to train).
 
acfusion29 said:
instead of hiring people based off their retail experience or how to deal with customers, hire people who know the products they're selling.

i went to an Apple seminar and let me tell you, the stuff we talked about was totally irrelevant to Apple products. HOWEVER, there was a questionnaire they gave us on Apple products which makes me wonder how many people failed this questionnaire...

i remember going into the Apple store and showing the manager a few tips and tricks on Mac OS. they were in shock because i saved them time during iPhone activations (i had experience selling phones before)

you can teach how to deal with customers, you can't teach someone who's not interested and just wants a job something (speaking from experience, i'm a supervisor at work. the ones that aren't interested and are there to just make money are harder to train).
Click to expand...

The staff that sell who work in London and Paris's (don't know how it's like in the other countries) main Apple store comprise of mostly students working part time who go to Uni in order the pay the VERY high fees (just ask others about the problematic situation in the UK). I think they got other things to worry about thus their lack of motivation and rather think about their pay check at the end of the month.

Of course it's not professional but maybe apple shouldn't be employing people that are stressed with doing well and staying in their respective Uni with the money they are earning.
 
no one is perfect, yes tey could have been trying to rip you off or they could generally have thought what they were saying was right,

I manage people in a retail enviroment and you will have people who arnt 100% up on everything, they are only human,

Best thing to do is if they give you information that is incorrect is to ask them to check. If they do then ask to check with their manager/team leader and if you can tell them yourself they dont seem to know what they should.

Apple is better then most but will never have 100% of staff knowing everything they should.
 
rovex said:
The staff that sell who work in London and Paris's (don't know how it's like in the other countries) main Apple store comprise of mostly students working part time who go to Uni in order the pay the VERY high fees (just ask others about the problematic situation in the UK). I think they got other things to worry about thus their lack of motivation and rather think about their pay check at the end of the month.

Of course it's not professional but maybe apple shouldn't be employing people that are stressed with doing well and staying in their respective Uni with the money they are earning.
Click to expand...

I know people need to work to get through school (I was one of them) but you're not going to get a lot of sympathy from people in the US on UK school costs.
 
acfusion29 said:
instead of hiring people based off their retail experience or how to deal with customers, hire people who know the products they're selling...
Click to expand...

Yeah, that doesn't work either... overweight IT Dept rejects with BO, chronic halitosis and no human-to-human communication skills are FAR worse.
 
topmounter said:
Yeah, that doesn't work either... overweight IT Dept rejects with BO, chronic halitosis and no human-to-human communication skills are FAR worse.
Click to expand...


I purposefully seek out the salesperson that looks like they spend the most time alone in the basement on their computer. They are the most likely to know more than me on the products.

As an electronics salesperson, the more you look like you have a social life, the less I trust you.
 
they are retail salespersons ... not Geniuses ... and certainly we have all made simple errors.

As for the Genius Bar? ... seriously, who came up with that egotistical term?

I prefer the true Geniuses I meet in life to be just that ... Brilliant Minds. :cool:
 
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