Apple Introduces Major Retail Changes, Including New Pro-Level Positions and Credo

[alexgowers]

apple accused of lack of job progression = creates loads of fake levels and job roles that still go nowhere outside retail.

I love apple but they stink as a company and their business practices are like any other big company, they just **** anyone they can and don't give a crap about people in their way of a buck. Apple products in general are fantastic though.

 

[eww7633]

Ridiculous. Your argument is a very interesting way to skew the issues here.

If Apple wants to pay some one a higher wage, or do repairs, then promote the employee to Genius level so that they can do the repairs at the correct Genius wage, not introduce a new position lower than Genius along with a lower wage but with higher duties of the Genius level. In the end, Apple employees are getting a poorer deal.

If Apple needs more Genius employees doing repairs, then they should promote more staff at the Genius level, not introduce a lower wage and lower position to do higher work.

These new positions only help Apple shareholders. Employees might be better buying Apple shares and kicking back at the beach than bothering to turn up to work for lesser pay.

Apple employees should unionize and protest this new changed working arrangement. In some countries this new work arrangement won't fly.

A Genius does Mac repair, which can be quite involved, believe it or not. This introduces a new level between specialist and Genius that can do mobile repairs, which is what the majority of customers need in store. Mac repairs will stay with Geniuses.

 

[smacrumon]

A Genius does Mac repair, which can be quite involved, believe it or not. This introduces a new level between specialist and Genius that can do mobile repairs, which is what the majority of customers need in store. Mac repairs will stay with Geniuses.

Therefore pay them the Genius rate for doing repairs. Repairs of Mac vs repairs of mobile devices are just as involved, but in different ways.

 

[TEG]

Apple really needs to add more stores, or more authorized centers. I live near Seattle, and 4 Apple Stores is not enough to meet demand. It is typically several days lead time needed for a Genius Bar appointment, and for many the drive takes a lot of time an money, given ferries and other traffic factors.

 

[S.B.G]

It sounds like some relatively standard retail re-org that occurs from time to time. If the re-org translates to better customer service and reduced waiting times, I'm all for it.

 

[alvindarkness]

Right, because Apple's overhaul on an antiquated retail structure is the equivalent of subjecting people to negative reinforcement and torture in order to control society. Wtf is wrong with people? Has society become so jaded and negative that people are making associations that don't exist? Jesus.

That persons post clearly only refers to the newspeak aspect of the 1984 universe, nothing else. Hopefully that clears things up, and everything is now doubleplusgood.

 

[kdarling]

Typical management handwaving to make it look like they're "doing something".

But hey, its all okay as long as it doesn't include group employee Kumbaya singalongs

 

[winston1236]

"
Technical Expert: An all-new customer support position in between Technical Specialist and Genius. These employees will be able to provide mobile repairs, previously limited to Geniuses, and troubleshooting for software and products like the Apple Watch and Apple TV.

"​

Does this mean mobile repairs will be done by staff on lower pay rates under the role titled Technical Experts? Pay rates please!! Penny pinching on staff wages, Apple?

I expect this of the rubbish companies out there, but Apple? Is it true, is Apple really a rubbish employer? Send in the lawyers to challenge this kind of unfair change to working arrangements and test it in the courts.

Then add in the whole lame chants thing... employees are taught to really hate themselves at work. Unionize, people.

Yep, I thought it wasn't, but simplicity is dead at Apple.​

Agreed but in the US at least, retail is retail no matter who you are working for. It's a low pay, typically unappreciated field of work.

 

[tampageek]

I have seen and felt the Apple store changes since Angela has had her hands in them. All I can say is it's too bad Tim thinks she's the greatest thing since sliced bread. She is destroying a huge part of what made Apple successful.

Angela doesn't understand Apple customers.

I don't want to go to the 'genius grove' only to be told that there is no longer anyone there who can fix my machine - so it will have to be sent out.

I don't want to go to the Apple store to 'socialize.'

I don't want all the packaging in the store to look indistinguishable. It's boring, too limited and looks like whoever put that 'ensemble' together was both tech and fashion challenged.

Some changes are good and could boost sales. What this fashionista is doing is stupid. Tim should get a refund on her.
[doublepost=1471877368][/doublepost]

Well, congrats on your sexism, but in reality most successful ventures have a mission and vision statement so the people working there have a clear idea of what the goals are in working with the organization. When I studied Library Science we learned to craft them. We have them in Retail too. I like this one from Apple, it's very dynamic.

It's NOT sexism to call out someone who's doing a terrible job. It's sexism to claim that her incompetence is because she's female. I see none of that in the original comment.

Angela Ahrendts = empty skirt/empty suit. Sex has nothing to do with her horrible 'vision' of what an Apple STORE is supposed to be.

 

[phairphan]

In my case, it was for Airports. Perhaps they've discontinued the discount and/or moved the product, but Airports used to have an educational discount and were on the floor.

What?

The only Apple products subject to an EDU discount are limited to very few high-value Apple products such as laptops and desktops. An employee is always required for those transactions since they are inventoried in back room storage and brought out to the front when your order is complete. You cannot simply walk in and then out with a laptop/desktop without an employee involved - there are none out in front for purchase. It has always been that way.

 

[Admiral]

I'm curious. Was it the same store? Is that the store all your visits are to. Cause I'm in LA and go to several stores there and no one acts like that. Although I imagine that liquid could cause damage to the logic board that might make it short out during a restore so that one is at least a little logical. But the rest, nope. Heck I've had my sim tray sensor pink and they said it was only an issue if they found liquid or rust etc while doing the repair.

I just went to an Apple Store (sorry, Apple) and had my socks knocked off by the service attitude. Methinks you guys may be a little bit spoiled in your expectations. Try living somewhere remote where you always deal with an Apple Authorised Service Provider or Reseller.

 

[aristobrat]

Therefore pay them the Genius rate for doing repairs. Repairs of Mac vs repairs of mobile devices are just as involved, but in different ways.

I don't follow your logic.

If the new Technical Expert position only requires being responsible for mobile repairs, and the Genius position requires being responsible for mobile and Mac repairs, ... if they're paid the same, ... why the heck would anyone want the additional responsibly of being a Genius if they could earn the same money doing the easier Technical Expert job?

Regardless of how you want to spin this in your head, this new Technical Expert position creates a new opportunity for Apple Store employees to advance their salary and skill set.

 

[Born Again]

This new Apple is scary guys.

This Apple is no Steve Job's Apple.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Creed is absolute cringe.

 

[Evildonkey]

Why not have them all wear yellow shirts (Minions), have a large screen dedicated to Cupertino (1984), and when Dear Leader(fill in the blank) pops up, all the minions stop and salute or grovel or whatever.....That would be..um..err..ahhh....Magical!

 

[kingtj]

No worries. The direction Apple has been headed as of late, they won't be selling much of anything requiring true I.T. skills.

Already, it makes far more sense for me to just pay the "flat rate repair" charge and have a Mac notebook shipped off to a depot for servicing than paying the "per item swapped out" pricing to get it serviced in-store, in most cases.

And just because you know how to properly use an Apple watch or Apple TV, or an iPod doesn't mean you're even remotely qualified to take a real I.T. support position for higher pay elsewhere.

I agree completely; Geniuses are underpaid for what they're expected to do. Traditionally, Apple got away with this because there was no shortage of people eager to say they worked for such a popular company. But that luster is fading, and now I think everyone is starting to ask, "What real value is there for me?" -- from customers to employees.

As a former apple employee this is just stupid.

They already make their employees jump through hoops to get promoted and now they added another one to get to Genius. WOW. Getting cheap on us huh? Genius' are already underpaid and leave on the regular for IT jobs but now who even wants to work for you knowing that is how you treat your employees?

 

[lolkthxbai]

No, sorry, not confused here. Please reread the article, you are confused or spinning: "Technical Expert: ... employees will be able to provide mobile repairs, a task previously limited to Geniuses"
Technical Experts will be performing duties Geniuses have previously completed, but Technical Experts will be paid lesser.
Have you considered maybe employees would prefer to be paid the higher rate considering they are doing duties of a Genius?

Yes, a task. A single task. But they still don't work on Macs. That's still exclusively for Geniuses. And seeing as how they're taken on a new duty and the position is between the entry level position Tech Specialist and the higher level position Genius, they would get paid more than a specialist but not as much as a genius.

 

[kingtj]

Yeah, THIS.

I didn't think Ahrendts was ever anything but poisonous to Apple's future success and I'm continually shown I was correct. The problem with her "take" on things is she's focused on increasing Apple's fashion/style quotient. In reality, I think those things are the polar opposite of what people care about who are serious about computing and high-tech gadgets. (I mean, look... You want to talk about high-tech watches? The grand-daddy of them all was that Casio calculator watch that was ANYTHING but stylish or trendy. Yet it sold like hotcakes, proudly worn by all the nerds/geeks/dorks/whatever label you'd like to slap on them, who saw the value in a calculator right on one's wrist, easily accessible any time.) That's how high tech is. If anything? Pop-culture has finally started embracing the attitudes of the tech-savvy crowd that they couldn't shame into going away for two decades or so.

It's true that Apple's success has a lot to do with a fusion of style + substance. But the emphasis HAS to remain on the substance, or else you're reduced to building expensive, shiny things that don't really DO anything better than the competition. When I look back at the various things Steve Jobs had Apple create, the only times I'd say he really failed were the times it seemed he was more obsessed with the looks of the product than the functionality. (EG. Mac G4 Cube, which everyone agreed looked really cool -- but was overpriced and kind of impractical as a Mac.)

It's NOT sexism to call out someone who's doing a terrible job. It's sexism to claim that her incompetence is because she's female. I see none of that in the original comment.

Angela Ahrendts = empty skirt/empty suit. Sex has nothing to do with her horrible 'vision' of what an Apple STORE is supposed to be.

 

[truthertech]

I enjoyed my time as an Apple Store Genius, but they're truly lousy to their retail employees. The moment I left Apple I doubled my salary (and got 9-5 weekday hours) as an IT engineer... two years later I'm a team lead managing a small group. None of this would have happened at Apple retail, they rarely recognize their talent or promote for the right reasons.

You're right. How lousy of Apple to not pay its retail store customer service folks the same as an IT engineer. Maybe after reading your post, they will realize why their strategy to recruit IT engineers to work at the Genius Bar is failing so miserably.

 

[Harmonious Zen]

Yeah, THIS.

I didn't think Ahrendts was ever anything but poisonous to Apple's future success and I'm continually shown I was correct. The problem with her "take" on things is she's focused on increasing Apple's fashion/style quotient. In reality, I think those things are the polar opposite of what people care about who are serious about computing and high-tech gadgets. (I mean, look... You want to talk about high-tech watches? The grand-daddy of them all was that Casio calculator watch that was ANYTHING but stylish or trendy. Yet it sold like hotcakes, proudly worn by all the nerds/geeks/dorks/whatever label you'd like to slap on them, who saw the value in a calculator right on one's wrist, easily accessible any time.) That's how high tech is. If anything? Pop-culture has finally started embracing the attitudes of the tech-savvy crowd that they couldn't shame into going away for two decades or so.

It's true that Apple's success has a lot to do with a fusion of style + substance. But the emphasis HAS to remain on the substance, or else you're reduced to building expensive, shiny things that don't really DO anything better than the competition. When I look back at the various things Steve Jobs had Apple create, the only times I'd say he really failed were the times it seemed he was more obsessed with the looks of the product than the functionality. (EG. Mac G4 Cube, which everyone agreed looked really cool -- but was overpriced and kind of impractical as a Mac.)

Wait, wait, wait. Angela Ahrendt has nothing to do with product design. Her responsibility is the look and feel of the retail shops. These shops SHOULD be more focused on things like fashion/style. It may be difficult for some on here to understand, since your Macrumors participant is undeniably engineering focused, but Apple stores are the main point of contact for most of your Average Joes and Janes. I don't see any of what's being done in retail stores detracting from the underlying technology and innovation. In fact, it just creates a stronger brand image in my opinion.

 

[uwdude]

It's because Apple has created a culture of entitled customers. So when you provide world-class support, even when the store is jam-packed, they still bitch and moan. The more efficient they become the wilder the customer's expectations get. Because if I bought a Nexus 6P surely I could go to the Google Store and get my USB-C cable swapped out on the spot. Oh wait...
[doublepost=1471851081][/doublepost]
Why would it not make somewhat sense at an Apple Store? Backstage is where actors get ready to entertain and the behind-the-scenes crew supports them. In Apple's case, backstage the employees get ready to interact with customers while others manage product coming in or delivering it to the floor.

Well I have a problem with the whole thing where businesses who aren't entertainment are using the terms "backstage" for internal areas and "roles" for positions, like it's all some kind of show or something. It's not, it's the real world with a real business.

 

[smacrumon]

I don't follow your logic.

If the new Technical Expert position only requires being responsible for mobile repairs, and the Genius position requires being responsible for mobile and Mac repairs, ... if they're paid the same, ... why the heck would anyone want the additional responsibly of being a Genius if they could earn the same money doing the easier Technical Expert job?

Regardless of how you want to spin this in your head, this new Technical Expert position creates a new opportunity for Apple Store employees to advance their salary and skill set.

No spinning here. A true Genius position would create a new opportunity for Apple Store employees to advance their salary and skill set more than the Technical Expert position which is paid lesser.
[doublepost=1471881678][/doublepost]

Agreed but in the US at least, retail is retail no matter who you are working for. It's a low pay, typically unappreciated field of work.

These are technical roles though which are being passed off as retail positions.
[doublepost=1471881789][/doublepost]

Yes, a task. A single task. But they still don't work on Macs. That's still exclusively for Geniuses. And seeing as how they're taken on a new duty and the position is between the entry level position Tech Specialist and the higher level position Genius, they would get paid more than a specialist but not as much as a genius.

In the end this means there will be less need for Geniuses and less need for paying Genius pay rates from Apple's perspective.

 

[aristobrat]

No spinning here. A true Genius position would create a new opportunity for Apple Store employees to advance their salary and skill set more than the Technical Expert position which is paid lesser.

Why stop there? Why not give every technical person in the Apple Store the normally singular Lead Genius Position? Then they'd all get even more salary and experience. NO, WAIT! MAKE THEM ALL STORE LEADERS!!!! ... no, ... shoot, how about Market Leaders.. Well, no, crap ... GIVE THEM ALL CRAIG FEDERIGHI'S POSITION!!!! MORE SALARY AND SKILLS FOR EVERYONE!!!!

These are technical roles though which are being passed off as retail positions

Not exactly. Apple pays the employees in those technical (and creative) roles more than they pay the employees in the sales role (which is the "true" retail position). That acknowledges that they are not traditional retail positions nor are they traditional IT positions, IMO.

In the end this means there will be less need for Geniuses and less need for paying Genius pay rates from Apple's perspective.

In the end, this frees up the more technical folks (Geniuses) from doing the mundane mobile repairs, allowing them to focus more on Mac repairs, which means a quicker turn-around time for customers using the Genius Bar for their Mac.

 

[smacrumon]

Why stop there? Why not give every technical person in the Apple Store the normally singular Lead Genius Position? Then they'd all get even more salary and experience. NO, WAIT! MAKE THEM ALL STORE LEADERS!!!! ... no, ... shoot, how about Zone (regional market) Leaders.. Well, no, crap ... No, wait ... GIVE THEM ALL CRAIG FEDERIGHI'S POSITION!!!! MORE SALARY AND SKILLS FOR EVERYONE!!!!


Not exactly. Apple pays the employees in those technical (and creative) roles more than they pay the employees in the sales role (which is the "true" retail position). That acknowledges that they are not traditional retail positions nor are they traditional IT positions, IMO.


In the end, this frees up the more technical folks (Geniuses) from doing the mundane mobile repairs, allowing them to focus more on Mac repairs, which means a quicker turn-around time for customers using the Genius Bar for their Mac.

Extreme with emphasis using CAPS, while down playing the real issue at hand here.

 

[thermodynamic]

Their little poem is a bit too propaganda-ish. Not as bad as what you'd probably hear on North Korean TV but similar

Check out the "creepy anti-suicide rally" and related forced parades articles regarding Foxconn from a few years ago. And Huawei...