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Apple Names John Browett as New Senior Vice President of Retail

iOrlando said:
I know its easy to look at a store and just go well this CEO must be stupid, but there are many factors that go into the situation. I am sure that Dixon is set up in such a way that it would be difficult to copy Apple's retail strategy.
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He could have improved the stores and retrained staff under new morals to improve customer satisfaction but he never did any of that. He wanted his sales staff to push insurance policies and other crap to the point where customers would either cave in or walk away and to go John Lewis.

Yes, time will tell if his appointment was worthy, but judging by the state of his retail channel and the British public opinion of their stores, I am still puzzled by his appointment.
 
I don't know much about Dixon's, but I've read through the posts here and get the gist of it. Still, one man doesn't make an entire company. Just as great companies have multiple people with major input, crappy companies do, too. Is Browett to blame for all the problems with Dixon's? I doubt any of us can say for sure. But I honestly think the guy at least deserves a chance. None of us know him personally or have ever spoken to him; maybe he has great ideas that he just wasn't able to implement at Dixon's. Or, as others have said, maybe he just has a lot of connections in the UK that Apple knows will be useful for expansion.

Either way, I'm sure Apple knows all about people's opinions of Dixon's. And yet they thought hiring him was a good idea. Apple isn't infallible, so yes, it could be a mistake. But I'm at least willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm curious to see how all of this will pan out. I understand people's negative reactions, but still think Browett deserves a chance.
 
We're all doomed.

The future of Apple stores:

Tacky uniforms
Staff that don't know jack
4 Years free credit on iPads - Or pay your iPad and monthly installments
Advanced warranties that are shoved down out throats
Shops filled with useless accessories like Angry Birds docks.
Horrible interior.

As a PC World / Curry's customer, I hate it.
 
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Sheza said:
We're all doomed.

The future of Apple stores:

Tacky uniforms
Staff that don't know jack
4 Years free credit on iPads - Or pay your iPad and monthly installments
Advanced warranties that are shoved down out throats
Shops filled with useless accessories like Angry Birds docks.
Horrible interior.

As a PC World / Curry's customer, I hate it.
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Guess well just use apple stores to look at the product and then go buy else where. Or maybe android under Woz is the new apple.
 
We're all doomed!

A while back someone suggested aroma-therapy tricks for retails, like coconut oil for travel agents, new leather for car dealers etc.

The question was asked, "What about electronics retailers?" - Answer: "I've got a good one for Dixons – Hopeless farts"

Sums them up really.
I don't understand this appointment. With luck he won't do too much damage before he's moved along.
 
Thing is, Apple (at the senior level, and certainly throughout the company) is (or was) about holding people to ultimate accountability. If someone messes up, it's their responsibility to get it fixed, or leave before the company chases you out the door. So if the new guy doesn't do things right, there's a good chance they'll throw him to the dogs.

My instinct is that this guy is a clown-- he just rubs me the wrong way somehow-- but I'm willing to give 'em (Apple) the benefit of the doubt. He might just not have his **** together the way RJ did, but might thrive in an environment with more (competent) people under him. And Apple Retail is without doubt one of the most competent (sub)companies out there. One idiot at the top can't-- or shouldn't-- screw around with that too badly.

It sounds like his store chain sucks, and that does make this seem like a bad appointment, but hey-- sometimes you just need a guy to run the "big picture". As others have said, he probably has a fantastic Rolodex. With the Stores making money hand over fist, all Apple really needs is someone to manage the stores' locations, inventory, and financials. Not to downplay RJ, but that can probably be done by several other qualified execs.
 
I can't think of any UK High Street consumer products chain that I would trust to produce a quality Apple SVP of Retail, let alone Dixons!! :eek:

Then again, because Apple Retail stores are so refreshingly different from most other stores anywhere, it's hard to imagine anybody else doing this job apart from Ron Johnson.

So let's see what this guy can bring to the party.
 
Zxxv said:
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Are you this guys friend or something. Duh. It means he comes in a ****s it all up by bringing what he did to the uk stores. Are you so ignorant to ignore all the uk posters? How many have a good word to say about DSG group.

This position is a joke. Screw people over, give
shoddy service, employ unscrupulous people, make the shopping experince horrid. And for it all get a job at apple. Who'd have thought it ;)
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What evidence do you have he's going to turn Apple retail stores in to Dixons? I'm willing to give people (especially Tim Cook) the benefit of the doubt. Tim Cook (and the Board) are not idiots. Doesn't mean they can't make mistakes, but geez the guy hasn't even started and people are pissing on his grave. Sheesh.
 
If you've read Steve Jobs, the book by Walter Isaacson, you'll be in no doubt how much of a controller Jobs was, he decided everything. He even forced us all to have grey iTunes, grey Finder etc but he decided and the rest of the crew more often than not went along with his decision.

Therefore, expect a series of major and not so major drop offs over the next few years because the dudes back at Apple have never had to make a decision for themselves before, Jobs always decided for them. Now they're on their own - good luck with that one!!
 
Macman45 said:
If he's as good with Apple as he was at Dixons, they should be in good shape....The guy knows retail inside out.
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How did you post that without bursting into laughter? Dixons have always been seen as a very, very poorly run company in every aspect, and rightly so. Cant wait until they finally go under and stop conning people.

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Bluefusion said:
It sounds like his store chain sucks
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The only way I can describe the stores to you is that they are effectively what CompUSA was, except with staff that really were just utterly thick (obviously not all of them, just a majority).

Most of the time you'd be hounded when you walked in, and lied to to try and get a sale. On top of that they had a HUGE bias towards a select few companies, and always push for Win 7 - in most cases if someone goes in there to buy a mac, they will probably walk out with a Win 7 Advent computer (Advent is DSG's own brand).

They have been making a loss (or on occasion, a very low profit) for years now, and will inevitably (hopefully) go under at some point.
 
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While I'm in no way standing up for it, the Dixons Retail Group's attitude to customer service survives simply because those who know better than the staff will not shop at their stores. Those of us who know what we want will buy it online and if we want to see a product in the flesh before buying, we might go to the store, have the rep annoy us while we look, and leave, ordering off Amazon later.

What I'm saying is, Dixons and PC World aren't there to cater to us, the readers of a blog on Apple. While they do push useless, overpriced products to shoppers, I don't see anything wrong with this. Either get informed or be prepared to be scammed (within the law of course).

As an aside, I actually know this guy's brother and if they're at all alike (which I can't vouch for, since I've never met John) he's a top bloke, who will prove to everyone that he has a great knack not only for getting the job done, but also being human about it.

Best of luck to him! Apple stores will not turn into Dixons.
 
Is this guy the next Mark Papermaster or Puppetmaster? He was gone in a year. When was the last time Apple had a successful outside hire at an SVP level?

Would others have considered a homegrown candidate?
 
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Wait till your grand parents come home happy with a piece of crap they don't need that they've just been sold and your fuming someone would rip them off like that.

Well welcome to DSG customer practice.

Is that what he's bringing to Apple?
 
Short-sighted knee-jerk of an appointment.

This guy's CV screams "DISASTER" and I'm shocked he even made it past the headhunter's shortlist to be frank.

They could have cherry-picked any one of numerous European retail chiefs for this role if they so wanted. Instead, they have scraped the very bottom of the barrel.

Speaks of a very cursory vetting process if you ask me, and you can't see it ending in anything but tears. You'd think that of all companies, given it's history, Apple would be mindful of the pitfalls of appointing totally unsuitable senior execs to oversee key areas of their business.
 
Zxxv said:

Wait till your grand parents come home happy with a piece of crap they've just been sold and your fuming someone would rip them off like that.
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As it's fair to say that my grandparents would find it difficult to 'get informed' as I said earlier about electronics, I have told them that they've always got my number if they want my advice on purchasing electronics (or even washing machines, though I'm no expert!). If they don't call me and they end up buying some crap, very little sympathy.
 
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News just in....

Gerald Ratner offered job at apple
 
fabian9 said:
I can't think of any UK High Street consumer products chain that I would trust to produce a quality Apple SVP of Retail, let alone Dixons!! :eek:

So let's see what this guy can bring to the party.
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In the UK, John Lewis/Waitrose are a good example of customer service and a pleasant retail experience. In France (not exactly pro-customer service anyway), FNAC is very decent too. There are others.

As for waiting, we already know what he can "bring to the party". It's right there in black and white, on his CV/resume. Horrific doesn't even begin to describe it.
 
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hughcanbefound said:
Zxxv said:

Wait till your grand parents come home happy with a piece of crap they've just been sold and your fuming someone would rip them off like that.
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As it's fair to say that my grandparents would find it difficult to 'get informed' as I said earlier about electronics, I have told them that they've always got my number if they want my advice on purchasing electronics (or even washing machines, though I'm no expert!). If they don't call me and they end up buying some crap, very little sympathy.
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My point was - you wouldn't expect it to happen in an apple store. You wouldn't expect staff to sell something to someone who didn't need it, as once they got home and found out they'd been ripped off your business reputation would suffer. That's the rep of DSG in the uk. That's part of the business model this guy ran. That's what apple head hunted. And as you can see by all the uk posters we are all in disbelief.
 
Zxxv said:
My point was - you wouldn't expect it to happen in an apple store. You wouldn't expect staff to sell something to someone who didn't need it, as once they got home and found out they'd been ripped off your business reputation would suffer. That's the rep of DSG in the uk. That's part of the business model this guy ran. That's what apple head hunted. And as you can see by all the uk posters we are all in disbelief.
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Fair point, though I'm pretty sure although they are indeed less pushy, Apple sales reps are encouraged to push AppleCare, which is, as we've discovered, unnecessary in some jurisdictions.

I'm bemused that the UK readers are so short-sighted that they believe that because Browett has been running one type of business with its own game plan that is so incapable of managing another style of retail operation like Apple's! He's not a Dixons drone, he's clearly a very wise businessman!

Also, on another note, and someone please chip in if they can think of an example, but can anyone think of a reseller retailer (like DSGi or MediaMarkt) that has a reputation that its sales reps are knowledgable? Best Buy certainly doesn't in the US...

EDIT: Oops, someone already answered that question! I've been to FNAC a few times and yeah I guess the reps there are better than most, but nowhere near as knowledgable as Apple retail employees. It must be difficult to know about so many products where Apple reps need only know about one line of each product type. John Lewis/Waitrose are as such because of their business structure, and I can safely say that while John Lewis' business is great, their reps (at least in the technology/TV sections) are no better than Comet or DSGi.
 
I heard they wanted the MD of Lidl, but he wouldn't budge... so they've gone for the next best thing.

(not Aldi!)
 
AAPLaday said:
I wouldn't be surprised if someone on here has worked there and can offer more of an insight into the slimey tactics and things they were forced to do
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We have had to sign a "social networking" policy to say we wont discuss the operations or customer experience online.
 
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