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Apple 'Messed Up' with Retail Store Cutbacks, Denies Mass Layoffs
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More employees?!
Do Apple stores really need more employees?? It's already hard to even get to the products because there are so many employees standing around (many of them not doing anything.) Way too many of them in the way.
Do Apple stores really need more employees?? It's already hard to even get to the products because there are so many employees standing around (many of them not doing anything.) Way too many of them in the way.
Not that having too much help is a bad thing but I do agree,and for how insanly busy my local apple store is there are waaay too many blue shirts just hanging around just standing at all 4 corners of the display tables. Payroll must be through the roof
We have two Apple stores about 10 miles apart and both are always swamped with customers.
He won't rein longWith a cockup like this. To me, it looks totally unprofessional, if the Apple VP team went into any Currys, PCWorld or Comet they could see his god awful retail experience first hand.
Don't get me started on them! I was in Currys with my dad a few weeks ago as he wanted to look at PC laptops and I decided to go along as I had nothing else to do. He wanted to check the Windows Experience index on a laptop he was looking at. Then a salesman approached us and asked if we needed any help. Dad asked him about the Windows Experience index and Mr Salesman said "oh don't rely on that, you should rely on the spec" or something along these lines. He seemed shocked that dad actually knew something! The salesman wanted to show us the Windows Experience index on one of the worst computers in the store. I watched intently as I needed a bit of light entertainment
It took him a while to find one with a really crappy Experience rating. He gave up after a little while. I left the store laughing my head off and I was still laughing later that day when I was sitting in my living room with my MacBook Air in my lap and reading the 'net on it while watching the Olympics
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I think it will be a learning experience for Tim Cook, who is still trying to find his legs as big dog. He's bound to make mistakes. He's only human.
However, out of all the things he can do, bringing in the corporate middle management warts that have wrecked every company on the planet is a mistake he can't afford to make too often.
Apple has every right to hire and fire as they please. They are their own company and shouldn't have to answer to the media or customers when they make their business decisions. If they made an internal mistake, then they made a mistake and the only person that should get an apology are the shareholders and corporate heads.
Yeah, it's called a business model. Why would you bring up a fault of your company that nobody is aware of or paying attention to.
They'd better smarten up
At some point, the whole "Ooooooo...I work for Apple!!!!" won't be enough of a thumb to keep employees at bay. It's a ruthless place to work, and the training is nowhere near correlated to the actual work environment. The training is all about 'A-P-P-L-E' steps of service, but the work environment is all about, "Did you add Mobile Me to that Mac? if not, why not?" and "What's your ISP?"
In the end, there will be all sorts of talk about whether the magic of Apple Retail left when Cook did.
At some point, the whole "Ooooooo...I work for Apple!!!!" won't be enough of a thumb to keep employees at bay. It's a ruthless place to work, and the training is nowhere near correlated to the actual work environment. The training is all about 'A-P-P-L-E' steps of service, but the work environment is all about, "Did you add Mobile Me to that Mac? if not, why not?" and "What's your ISP?"
In the end, there will be all sorts of talk about whether the magic of Apple Retail left when Cook did.
Lets get one thing straight, Do you really think Store leaders, managers and staff who have spent a lot of years building this retail experience into what it is, Are just gonna sit back and let the new guy bring ideas (that they know to be not great idea's) to what is a highly efficient retail eco system And cause damage? Give these people some credit, most people who work at apple retail actually give a **** about Apple.
Having read this story, a couple of thoughts come to mind.
1. Are Apple retail stores overstaffed? Has anyone had the experience at an Apple store of too many employees with nothing to do?.. Or, is the experience one of not enough staff to handle the customer load? My experience has been the latter.
2. What are they trying to accomplish with this ill-advised move? Save a few pennies? At what cost in terms of customer perception?
I'm detecting a resurgence of really bad corporate ideas at Apple with this move.
1. Are Apple retail stores overstaffed? Has anyone had the experience at an Apple store of too many employees with nothing to do?.. Or, is the experience one of not enough staff to handle the customer load? My experience has been the latter.
2. What are they trying to accomplish with this ill-advised move? Save a few pennies? At what cost in terms of customer perception?
I'm detecting a resurgence of really bad corporate ideas at Apple with this move.
I know people are saying that the company won't change or go downhill after Steve Jobs... But I think its hard to believe that given the events that have happened only within a few months of his passing. First the EPEAT, then the terrible Genius commercials during the Olympics, and now this huge screw up. It just looks completely unprofessional and it doesn't seem like a coincidence.
If you ask me it seems like people in high places at Apple are getting nervous and trying to "change things up" so that the company will improve after Steve Jobs, but I look at it as warning signs for the exact opposite occurring.
Apple just needs to sit back for a little, settle into a natural groove and stop trying to re-invent the wheel.
If you ask me it seems like people in high places at Apple are getting nervous and trying to "change things up" so that the company will improve after Steve Jobs, but I look at it as warning signs for the exact opposite occurring.
Apple just needs to sit back for a little, settle into a natural groove and stop trying to re-invent the wheel.
Why on earth would they want to do this? Good thing you're just some random on the internet and don't actually have any responsibility...
I became an Apple customer because of my excellent experiences in their retail stores. Those continued experiences, in addition to high quality products have made me a loyal Apple customer.
I've introduced others to Apple products by taking them to an Apple store, and they have subsequently become loyal Apple customers.
The value in Apple's retail operation isn't in retail sales--it's as a tool to help people switch and build brand loyalty. Even if the stores had no margins at all, they would still be facilitating growth for Apple.
Anyone who would seek to undermine that is a short-sighted fool who has no business leading the most successful retail operation in the world.
I've introduced others to Apple products by taking them to an Apple store, and they have subsequently become loyal Apple customers.
The value in Apple's retail operation isn't in retail sales--it's as a tool to help people switch and build brand loyalty. Even if the stores had no margins at all, they would still be facilitating growth for Apple.
Anyone who would seek to undermine that is a short-sighted fool who has no business leading the most successful retail operation in the world.
I figured they had some reason for their choice as opposed to it being whimsical. This is very silly behavior on multiple levels though. If they hired a lot recently, it shows poor planning. The solution is not to hire in the first place if you won't need it. Beyond that with a retail operation as successful as that, if they're testing staffing levels, the change could be enacted easily enough by simply not hiring and allowing things to even themselves out without a PR hit. You will have somewhat of a back to school rush coming up and an iphone launch with the potential to lose some employee availability due to people going back to school. Enacting massive layoffs just looks like he couldn't do anything else to make his numbers look better, thus the resort to targeting labor costs. Even if we're just looking at an isolated view of their retail operation, it's extremely successful. This is just a ploy because his other projects probably ended in failure.
When the cat's away (dead) the mice will play.
THIS is the reason why a firm single point in charge of most things is VITAL!
I'm sure that people don't miss Steve. Hell, if his biography is close to the mark, he was an insufferable ******* of universe proportions, HOWEVER he rode Apple like it was a purebred stallion and Apple turned on a dime. It was a well behaved, and well heeled, show dog that did the impossible. Sure, there were some small missteps, but nothing like these that happened to run between 90 and 180 degrees from their existing dogma. Just the EPEAT mess alone should result in the perpetrator being forced to walk the plank. After the beatings that Apple got from GreenPeace, et al, they go an do what they did? Bad career move. (Didn't he quit prior to this, or just after?)
Tim has to reign in his minions to keep them from making him look like a John Sculley (or worse)... But then, Steve could pick them, couldn't he. (Tim, don't be afraid of coming across 'like Steve'. I don't think you could be that mean and callous, but Apple needs more control or it may fly apart)
THIS is the reason why a firm single point in charge of most things is VITAL!
I'm sure that people don't miss Steve. Hell, if his biography is close to the mark, he was an insufferable ******* of universe proportions, HOWEVER he rode Apple like it was a purebred stallion and Apple turned on a dime. It was a well behaved, and well heeled, show dog that did the impossible. Sure, there were some small missteps, but nothing like these that happened to run between 90 and 180 degrees from their existing dogma. Just the EPEAT mess alone should result in the perpetrator being forced to walk the plank. After the beatings that Apple got from GreenPeace, et al, they go an do what they did? Bad career move. (Didn't he quit prior to this, or just after?)
Tim has to reign in his minions to keep them from making him look like a John Sculley (or worse)... But then, Steve could pick them, couldn't he. (Tim, don't be afraid of coming across 'like Steve'. I don't think you could be that mean and callous, but Apple needs more control or it may fly apart)
Pinky - you appear to really have it in for Steve. Go back and look at some of the tapes of Bill Gates - ranting at some of his staff - berating them for not having an understanding of the concepts. Guess what - he was probably right.
That does not make him an "AH" - or does it?
Was Steve a saint - I'm sure he wasn't - but he was an incredible visionary, innovator, business strategist and, yes, a leader.
I believe I agree fully with the tenant of your post. I believe the new retail guy was a bad hire - needs to be replaced - seen too many spread sheet jockeys like him. He will rapidly destroy what Ron built.
That does not make him an "AH" - or does it?
Was Steve a saint - I'm sure he wasn't - but he was an incredible visionary, innovator, business strategist and, yes, a leader.
I believe I agree fully with the tenant of your post. I believe the new retail guy was a bad hire - needs to be replaced - seen too many spread sheet jockeys like him. He will rapidly destroy what Ron built.
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agree with the others that cutting staff heading into iphone 5/ipad mini/imac/etc was a stupid idea.
but, i do think going to apple stores is like going to a club now...it's packed, loud, there's customers and blue shirted folks all over the place. while perhaps not over-staffed (i love how i can get help immediately, so unlikely any big box store anywhere), the stores do need more space.
or they need open more of them?
but, i do think going to apple stores is like going to a club now...it's packed, loud, there's customers and blue shirted folks all over the place. while perhaps not over-staffed (i love how i can get help immediately, so unlikely any big box store anywhere), the stores do need more space.
or they need open more of them?
It's amusing that you think your anecdotal experience means anything
. I've been to quite a few of their stores in different cities. Staffing definitely varies, and some of them are truly packed with customers at times. I've never seen employees obstruct the items on display. They move around quite a bit. Some of them are are more helpful than others. I've usually had problems if it's a technical question as to whether something will work. Sometimes the genius bar can help. Otherwise I have to research my own answer. Anyway you're still missing the point that this looks like mismanaged hiring bringing on a lot of people then having to conduct layoffs. It creates issues with morale, and it cost them money to hire these people in the first place. Ideally Apple would want someone who controls their staffing levels by managing their hiring patterns rather than via significant layoffs.