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Apple Increases Work Scheduling Commitments for Retail Store Employees
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Why if you can get more time out of curent employees. They don't have to be trained. If that fails to fill the gaps I'm sure they will hire more.
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They did that by lower the number of hours the overseas works get.... much to the overseas workers chagrin.
Really? All I have to do is use the iPad next to the product I'm interested in and a specialist turns up and sorts out the sale - even if it's just an accessory (I just go to the nearest mac and use the iPad next to it).
Sure, the specialist won't turn up immediately when it's really busy but I've never been let down by the service.
It is funny that you said this, because this is also my impression of the general attitude at most Apple Retail Stores. I remember a few years ago, walking in to one, waiting my turn patiently (no attitude), when someone eventually showed up to wait on me I told her the exact make and model of the laptop I was looking to purchase. I was polite but I had definitely made my decision.
Her response was, "Well what are you looking to do with it?" I basically refused to even acknowledge the question and replied with, "This is the computer that I have chosen to purchase." At which point she slowly began to engage in an open debate with me as to whether or not I actually needed the model that I was trying to buy.
Now look I am all for trying to help the customer out, and the customer shouldn't be disrespectful (which I wasn't), but I don't need a lecture and a power downsell when I am trying to purchase a computer. If the goal is to make it more of a hassle to purchase merchandise at the local Apple Retail Store than it is to buy online, then IMO the goal is being achieved at my local Apple Retail Store.
In some cases, you don't even need to talk to any retail person. If you have the Apple Store app on your iPhone/iPod, you could scan the barcode, put in your credit card info and walk out the door with your new product. However, that's probably just for the stuff in the actual store part. For computers & iPhones/iPads, I think someone will need to get it from the back area.
you sound like Treebeard in the first part of the Two Towers....The world is collapsing, but its not the problem of the Ents.....to which Pip replies..."But you are a part of this world..."
...think about it.
That's the trained response for specialists, taken straight from the Apple Steps of Service (A, P, P, L, E). They've created an "express" employee to help facilitate quick purchases like yours and online purchasing with in-store pickup.
Employees are encouraged to slow down every interaction to make sure that customers leave with what they need, not only the things they think they need. Sometimes this is great, sometimes not. Apple retail has never, and will never be, the place to go for quick, cheap Apple products. There's online purchasing and the self-checkout app for that. Apple retail caters to the suburban PC converts and luddites, not fanboys or techies.
Jeez, that's pretty bad. Whenever I have a customer who knows what they want I simply ask "While I'm here is there anything I can help you with before you make the purchase?" Sometimes they'll want a bit of assurance over their choice so I can then ask what they'll use it for etc, but if they say "No thank you" I'll move on with the sale.
Aw, that's about the first rule in sales: "never cast any doubt on a decision a customer already has made".
I work 16 to 18hrs a week but my hrs are in divided into 3 or 4 days, not two days like yours so it can be daunting at times for me.
Even though I didn't feel like answering it, I have no problem with the initial question. But when it becomes obvious that the customer has made up his/her mind and is not seeking advice, continuing to debate whether or not they actually need a specific computer becomes a negative experience for a customer. Past experience has made me realize that the Retail venue is not best suited for my needs and I now make all my purchases online, but I do think that if they enabled all retail employees to complete a purchase for a customer and utilized 1 or 2 designated employees to manage whether or not a customer needed the full retail experience or simply needed someone to check them out, customers like myself would have a much higher opinion of Apple Retail Stores and customers needing more attention would still be able to wait slightly longer for the more in-depth service that they need.
Admittedly I have never tried the order online/pick up at the store method.
You want to stop thinking about america being the center of the universe..
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Sorry, guys, but this was bound to happen with the appointment of, John Browett from Dixons UK.
Dixons is awful for customer service, awful for staff who are bullied into selling rip-off warrantees, a McJob hell-hole. This man has nothing to offer but how to dumb down retails stores until they are a Tesco, a Walmart.
Prepare to see Apple led by clueless bean counters from here on in. Jobs was the only brake on this process.
Dixons is awful for customer service, awful for staff who are bullied into selling rip-off warrantees, a McJob hell-hole. This man has nothing to offer but how to dumb down retails stores until they are a Tesco, a Walmart.
Prepare to see Apple led by clueless bean counters from here on in. Jobs was the only brake on this process.
Am I wrong in thinking that Friday isn't really a weekend day? I mean, Friday night is the start of the weekend so-to-speak but i always considered it a week day.
Or am I the only one?...
Or am I the only one?...
Wow, every single employee is like that? Tell us more about your visit to every single Apple store in the entire country, during which you met every single employee.
Apple used to be a good company, these days little more than a corporate beast who really doesn't care about much except money.
The shine went a few years ago but these days they are quite tarnished.
The shine went a few years ago but these days they are quite tarnished.
i feel like there is way more then enough staff
I go into the stores just to browse and usually get harassed by 5-8 workers in like 10 minutes
I go into the stores just to browse and usually get harassed by 5-8 workers in like 10 minutes
More staff won't help them. Look at Best Buy. Best Buy has a ton of people working there. A ton of dummies that know less than you do about half the items on sale in the store.
Apple needs to step up its salary to its retail staff. If they want attentive multitaskers that can help dozens of people in a day and are willing to work weekends then they need to spend the $$$ on that kind of talent.
Apple needs to step up its salary to its retail staff. If they want attentive multitaskers that can help dozens of people in a day and are willing to work weekends then they need to spend the $$$ on that kind of talent.
That's not how the 'market' works, is it, especially with highly educated people unemployed or underemployed.
If everyone was a rocket scientist, some rocket scientists would be employed flipping burgers.
Just read a good amount of comments people posted. Some complain that there aren't enough people on the floor to help customers. Others complain that there are too many on the floor available to help customers and the employees are just taking up space? I know you can't make everyone happy, but jeez. From my experience, each and every Apple Store employee offers something different.. some more than others. But if you had a bad experience at a certain store or with a certain person, don't assume that they're all that way.
It is a term used for a very select group of folks. The very group that I said before has other responsibilities than selling. And it is no more or less a joke than calling someone a Guru, a Geek or whatever. It's basically a marketing term.
Perhaps your real issue is that you think that Apple should cut their in store tech support either completely out or say one guy to fix computers and one to fix the 'toys' and try to make them handle the horde that comes in every day screaming cause they didn't know they need an appointment, plus the ones that did know and did make one. That way the other 50 folks working can be there to sell you your stuff the moment you walk in. Maybe you should sound an alarm as you walk in so they can drop what they are doing and line up for your inspection so you can pick the person you think is worthy of the honor of helping you.
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I highly doubt that anyone was hired just to put your name on the list. But if there wasn't someone doing that task you'd be griping cause you didn't know that you needed to be put on a list or that you have been waiting 2 whole minutes for help but that jerk just walked right in and busted in front of you.
Same as the other day when I was picking up some more iPads for the office and I heard a guy screaming about how he'd been waiting for half an hour for his appointment to get his phone fixed and it was cancelled because he didn't know he had to check in. Had they given someone the list and told them to walk around and see who needs help buying something and who was there for an appointment the guy wouldn't have been overlooked.
Your Deli chooses to have you pull a piece of paper with a number and yell them out to keep you in line. Apple chooses another system. It's not the one that you would like but it is better than nothing. Perhaps they should make folks line up outside and bring them in one at a time and give them 30 seconds to figure out what they want and get out so that you don't have to wait too long. Or maybe since you hate the stores you could admit this and just freaking order online.
Personally, I preferred the old days when I walked into the store, told a helpful person what I needed or wanted to see, got the assistance with the product, and then was directed towards a specific place to pay (the registers). That process freed up the sales person to assist someone else and it made it very clear where the POS (point-of-sale) location was. In the old days I used to be able to walk into the store, quickly find something that I knew I specifically wanted (say, an external HD) and go right to the registers area, pay for the thing and be out the door in short order. Those days are gone forever. The other day I walked into the store, which was pretty crowded and busy, found the external HD that I wanted on the shelf, picked up the box and then tried to figure out which of the blue-shirted employees working the floor would be able to ring up my purchase. Its not always possible to know whether or not someone is free to help, they may actually be working with another customer. I finally caught someone's eye and we did the transaction but it was still a slower process than if I could've simply picked up the box and gone right to a specific registers area to make the purchase.
That said, I DO like the way they have the iPads positioned beside each demo product now so that one can look at the machine and then look at the iPad, learn a bit about the product and make comparisons by reading what's on the iPad while playing with the new product.....and then when one is ready to go further, being able to press the button to summon a sales floor person is very nice. Saves running all around the store trying to find someone to show me or tell more about the newest Mac or doohickey.....
That said, I DO like the way they have the iPads positioned beside each demo product now so that one can look at the machine and then look at the iPad, learn a bit about the product and make comparisons by reading what's on the iPad while playing with the new product.....and then when one is ready to go further, being able to press the button to summon a sales floor person is very nice. Saves running all around the store trying to find someone to show me or tell more about the newest Mac or doohickey.....