Apple Prepping to Launch New iPhone Incentive Programs, Has an 'Army' of Products in the Works

[fivedots]

What? iWatch was released?

I think the training about products IS the key for using other retailers. Another point to this is, the employee happiness and quality. If the retail store employees are not happy, up to par with the technology, etc. that increases chances of having bad representation, which will kill the sales. Comes down to controlling whole experience and it is less likely if Apple starts dealing with more and more retailers.

Also forbid other retailers from using plastic mock-ups of devices on display instead of the real thing. The iPhone is the only phone you can consistently demo.

I can't count the number of times I've walked up to a display excited to demo a new device only to discover it's fake, and worse, a cheap plastic approximation.

 

[JAT]

or they could try inventing amazing new product categories and then dominating them. You know; like they used to do.

They've done that something like 4 times in nearly 40 years of existence. There are gaps between all that, you know.

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What I can attest to is the very false fronts that many employees wear. The reason you find the stores to be welcoming is because they intentionally put the people with the biggest smiles or fewest brain cells at the front, ready to answer basic questions.

I assume that when entering ANY retail store. As long as they can answer my questions (whether complex or banal), I'm ok with it.

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I can't count the number of times I've walked up to a display excited to demo a new device only to discover it's fake, and worse, a cheap plastic approximation.

Even worse is when it's a photo.

Of last year's model.

 

[Codyak]

What they need to do is open more stores. It's about an hour drive for me because they somehow managed not having a store in the wealthiest county in the US...

 

[Jlag63]

As a former Apple employee, I'll say this:

While Cook's vision is of making Apple Retail a destination for consumers, the numbers they show here indicates that it serves only as a destination for service and support. Until Apple can find a way to raise the standard of Retail and make it a uniformly pleasant experience for customers (by increasing hiring standards for the employees and raising compensation to draw desirable candidates), the stores will continue to be only visited out of necessity. Apple Retail has come a long way since it started, but has in the past five years since iOS was released, they have shown that they still have plenty to learn.

I'm starting to see a pattern here. In conclusion I'm thinking your posing as a pro apple, then claiming constructive criticism. When really you in scamscums boiler room posting this line of "constructive crap". I hope lee Kun-hee and his slimy group of felon board members to, not make it so obvious. The quality of his troll slanderers equates to the quality of the plastic crap he pushes on his customers.

 

[Millah]

As a former Apple employee, I'll say this:

While Cook's vision is of making Apple Retail a destination for consumers, the numbers they show here indicates that it serves only as a destination for service and support. Until Apple can find a way to raise the standard of Retail and make it a uniformly pleasant experience for customers (by increasing hiring standards for the employees and raising compensation to draw desirable candidates), the stores will continue to be only visited out of necessity. Apple Retail has come a long way since it started, but has in the past five years since iOS was released, they have shown that they still have plenty to learn.

Not so sure your observation is indicative of the rest of the country. Every Apple store I've been to (which is practically every one in my state), I see seas of people just hanging out playing around with products in the front half, and much less people hanging around the back for support. So I think it's a but of an exaggeration to say people only go out of "necessity" for service. And still, even if that were the case, it's a huge competitive advantage being able to go to a single place for any questions or service needed on your product. None of Apples competitors can say that. And if you've ever dealt with the carriers for service or replacement, it's more of a headache than its worth.

 

[carl0sian]

I started out by telling a friend's kid to shut up about it or show me that silly Apple toy (iPod Touch).

Three days later I had an iPhone. Three months later, my first Mac. First customer in Europe to have an iPad, then iPad 2, later 4, three years later another Mac and iPhone 5, just to round out the circle of addition.

It's true about the "gateway".

Agreed!
My first apple device was the iPod Video. Amazing product at the time. Took me a long time to switch to a smartphone. First smartphone was Droid Incredible. Was good intro to smart phone but Android was so unstable. Then I purchased an iPhone 4 and the rest is history! Now I have a mbp, Apple TV and iPad

 

[hamiltonDSi]

My join date on this site was purely due to having bought the original iPhone. Five days later, I was the owner of a 15"MBP all because of that iPhone.

Same here.
Bought the Original iPhone in August 2007, a couple of months later I was the proud owner of a Macbook.

 

[Kranchammer]

Instilling happiness in employees is much more than a matter of monetary compensation.

Well, yeah, it may not be a sufficient condition, but it's a necessary one.
In retail, the rest of Maslow's hierarchy may be difficult to achieve.

 

[LaDirection]

"Apple has an "army of new products" in the works"

Yeah, just like Steve Jobs had left 4 years of new products in the pipeline, of which we have yet to see any sign.

 

[manu chao]

Not sure if it works for all markets and/or carriers, but from my experience (Rogers in Canada) you can do this. I can purchase a subsidized phone, upgrade early, change my contract, and so on directly at the Apple Store.

Same in Switzerland, you can get the subsidy, extend your contract, change the plan all in an Apple store but also in other electronic retailers.

 

[ValSalva]

I can't wait to see this "army of new products" even if most of them are updates to existing products, particularly Macs

 

[FreeState]

"Apple has an "army of new products" in the works"

Yeah, just like Steve Jobs had left 4 years of new products in the pipeline, of which we have yet to see any sign.

iPad Mini, Maverics, iOS7

 

[smoledman]

iPad Mini, Maverics, iOS7

Those are not new product categories.

 

[SockRolid]

Even though 80% of iPhones are not sold at Apple Stores ...

Apple: 407 Apple Stores worldwide
AT&T: Thousands of AT&T Mobility stores

I'd say that it's not the Apple Store experience that is keeping the non-Apple Store sales percentage so high. It's the sheer number of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Best Buy, and other iPhone-carrying retail stores around the world. Not to mention Apple's online store, which I imagine is doing quite a brisk business.

 

[UnfetteredMind]

I can't wait to see this "army of new products" even if most of them are updates to existing products, particularly Macs

Me too. Waiting on updates to rMBP and Mac Mini Oh yeah, and iPhone. I wonder if the cheaper iPhone will be released in the US and, if so, at the same time as the 5S.

 

[SockRolid]

"Apple has an "army of new products" in the works"

Yeah, just like Steve Jobs had left 4 years of new products in the pipeline, of which we have yet to see any sign.

Do the words "doubling down on secrecy" trigger any neurons for you?

 

[nikaru]

20% of all iphones are sold in Apple retail store? Thats a huge number considering that there are maybe 5 000 stores in my town where i can purchase iPhone and only 3 of them are Apple retail store.

And army of new products? Hmm.... iWant iT NOW

 

[DanielSw]

As a former Apple employee, I'll say this:

While Cook's vision is of making Apple Retail a destination for consumers, the numbers they show here indicates that it serves only as a destination for service and support. Until Apple can find a way to raise the standard of Retail and make it a uniformly pleasant experience for customers (by increasing hiring standards for the employees and raising compensation to draw desirable candidates), the stores will continue to be only visited out of necessity. Apple Retail has come a long way since it started, but has in the past five years since iOS was released, they have shown that they still have plenty to learn.

Why should anyone listen to the words of a FORMER Apple employee? I LOVE my Apple store (#9) and have shopped there for over a decade out of preference. "Plenty to learn," you say. Is that why they're crowded EVERY time I visit?

 

[thaifood]

Those are not new product categories.

It was never stated to be new product categories. It was simply a roadmap of the next 4 years of product cycles. Whether that includes new categories or not, time will tell.

 

[charlituna]

80% of iPhones are purchased outside the Apple Store, yet 50 or 60% of Genius Bar requests are from iPhones not purchased at the store? I sense a policy change that will screw customers.

Don't be so sure it will screw them. Some of that 60% could be from stunts like AT&T stores not swapping a week old iPhone that is clearly defective. They do it all the time here in LA.

So the policy change could be that third parties have to do exchanges etc within X time of purchase or lose their right to carry the product

 

[apolloa]

I want to know about the 'army of products' we DON'T know about, not the ones we can all predict

Like what's an iWatch going to be like?

 

[dec.]

Haha, I agree on the crappy plastic fake phones on display. It's annoying.

The Apple stores so far have been good and with very helpful staff, cannot comment on their knowledge as it wasn't really required. The only thing I cannot imagine doing is taking part in one of the workshops, at least the Apple Store in Newmarket/Ontario has a very unfortunate setup for this - the workshop stations are right in front of the genius bar which means lineups to the left and right of the workshop stations and lots of noise going on.

While I had an iPod Shuffle, then Nano and Classic, the iPhone really was what made me switch computers as well.

 

[TypeMRT]

One of the main reasons that 80% of iPhones are sold out of Apple stores is that there aren't enough Apple Stores. I live in Iowa City, Iowa, a town with a Big Ten University, and the nearest Apple Store is 100 miles away in Des Moines (the only one in Iowa).

That's why I really appreciate living in Southern California: there are 6 within a 30-minute drive of my house. But the Genius Bar is ALWAYS busy even with an appointment. Now that iPhones & iPads are stocked quickly after launch I don't see much of a need for me to go to an Apple Store except for repairs.

 

[lpoulain]

Perhaps I'm alone in this sentiment but I've always found Apple Stores to be welcoming, friendly, and helpful. Plus it gives me a chance to try out products I could never hope to afford; so it's definitely not out of necessity!

That's been my experience as well. I was over to the nearest Apple Store on Wednesday last to pick up an adapter for my new monitor. It was, as always, very pleasant. The blue shirted guy gave me complete attention, made sure I had exactly what I wanted, and helped me manage the purchase over my iPhone. The store was mobbed with people looking at iPads and MacBooks. Lots of traffic at the table with the Airs, and a good energetic buzz in the room.

 

[iMikeT]

It would seem that the real magic doesn't happen at 1 Infinite Loop after all.