Apple Retail Employees Vent Frustrations About Stores Becoming Less 'Shopper-Friendly' in Recent Years

[MacLawyer]

I agree with this. I hope the new lady in charge puts things right.

 

[EdwardC]

I’m fortunate enough to have a Micro Center close by for my Apple and PC purchasing needs. Micro Center has great employees and almost always offers Apple products at a discount. Base Mini for example is only $699.00 vs. Apple $799.00. The local Apple store is a joke with the same experiences as described by other posts. I had to take my iMac in for an issue, made an appointment online, went to the store, which is Avalon in Alpharetta, GA. (no close parking) and lugged my Mac in only to get the stand over at that random table treatment. About 2 hours later I was finally seen and the problem was resolved but I would never ever willingly go to this store or any Apple store for any other reason.

 

[code-m]

However, the overpowering rancid body odor so strong that it almost created a solid barrier to entering the stores in times past seems to have been greatly reduced in most stores. It took a fashion guru to make that happen.

Employees cannot show up for their shift smelling of BO or perfumes. If their smell over he course of the shift, it is strange as the store has an AC, report it to a Store manager who will address it with the employee. If it is another patron who smells, that is not on Apples part. The staff is not going to evacuate a store if there was a customer with a BO problem that walked in and their smell lingered. As a customer if you think a fellow customer BO is bad you have the choice to walk out, employees do not have the benefit unless it is toxic to health.

 

[truthertech]

Such silliness. Of course Apple should be constantly evaluating and experimenting with its retail outlets, but to suggest that Apple Stores under AA has been anything but a smashing success is silly. Under her, Apple stores achieved the status of having the highest per square foot sales in the ENTIRE WORLD. They are the envy of the entire retail world and everyone is copying their approach. The biggest problem is that they are too popular and Apple has the enviable problem of huge traffic, and ever increasing, in their stores.

The bashers are tripping over themselves to identify such "difficult" issues as someone greeting them and having their names called when their appointment is ready. LOL. There is nothing even close in the Tech or any product world even close to what Apple offers in their stores. You can take in any Apple product and have them examine it for free, and usually get it fixed or swapped out, etc. Try that with your Android or Google tablet, or your Roku, etc. LOL.

 

[Rogifan]

I would have to agree with what a lot of people are saying about how the stores are looking and running. Could I be wrong when I say I liked it better when Ron Johnson was running the stores?

Could it also be that Apple didn’t have near the number of customers it has now when Ron Jonson was running the show? He left just as the iPhone was really taking off. Whose to say people wouldn’t have complained about his leadership too once the stores got more and more crowded.

 

[barmann]

Apple stores, a social gathering place ?

I know Apple has been using the phrase for a while, but do even they believe it now ?

 

[magicschoolbus]

The stores really need a refresh to. The whole vibe is just cold and I feel like I am at a car dealership. It looks like a showroom floor with the vibe of a hospital room. The bright white and open concept.. it all feels sterile and off putting. They really need some interior design.

 

[truthertech]

Employees cannot show up for their shift smelling of BO or perfumes. If their smell over he course of the shift, it is strange as the store has an AC, report it to a Store manager who will address it with the employee. If it is another patron who smells, that is not on Apples part. The staff is not going to evacuate a store if there was a customer with a BO problem that walked in and their smell lingered. As a customer if you think a fellow customer BO is bad you have the choice to walk out, employees do not have the benefit unless it is toxic to health.

OMG. The inhumanity of Apple. Next you're going to tell us Apple makes its employees wear shoes and not wear Apple shirts with holes and food plastered all over them. Time for a boycott till they stop this sweatshop approach????

 

[MacLoveMacHate]

My top 3 Apple employee moments
3. Informing a Genius that Apple delayed USB2 adoption in their past machines because Apple was pushing Firewire
2. An employee on the floor telling me unsolicited that to replace an iMac's hd it needs to be brought for the entire screen to be first removed and that I should skip the expensive Apple memory and replace it myself
1. Waiting in line to have my iPod replaced and a Genius behind the counter looking at the line and saying "Ugh, do I really have to take care of this today?"

 

[marcushe]

The Apple Stores are no longer stores but repair centers. Their environment has been ruined by the space being completely filled with standing room only frustrated customers in for service, and not the excitement of buying a new product. Apple Stores were so exciting when they were first opened and still product centers. NYC SoHo opening was a big deal, and so was even the smaller store in NC near me.

 

[decypher44]

Finally! I get anxiety every time I go into an Apple store. That, and claustrophobia.

 

[barmann]

Such silliness. Of course Apple should be constantly evaluating and experimenting with its retail outlets, but to suggest that Apple Stores under AA has been anything but a smashing success is silly. Under her, Apple stores achieved the status of having the highest per square foot sales in the ENTIRE WORLD. They are the envy of the entire retail world and everyone is copying their approach. The biggest problem is that they are too popular and Apple has the enviable problem of huge traffic, and ever increasing, in their stores.

A bold statement, especially considering the lack of sales figures made public by Apple .

( If you have been forced to make this posting against your will, reply with a wink . Apple don't do funny, so it will be safe . Same if you are a Chinese or Russian bot . )

 

[bruinsrme]

The open air store layout is chaotic, cold and dysfunctional. Employee knowledge of products has dropped significantly in recent years.

You have no idea. Having worked in a store with a Genius Bar is was better than the open floor stores.

Employees knowledge is lacking and the ones that have it seem to be pushed more to close the sale and take the next person in que.

I honestly didn’t care who was next. I cared about the person understand and balancing needs and dollars.

I felt many of the employees were excellent. I never figured out the culture whether they wanted hip jive people or people that were knowledgeable and professional.

At least Best Buy presents there employees in a polo and not a t shirt

 

[femike]

I totally agree that Apple Store experience have gotten worse (not in the US). There is no doubt that the experience is worse after Angela took over. For Apple's sake it good that she has gone. And to know she got tens of millions for it... very wrong. Angela was absolutely useless, a total waste.

Agree with all the criticisms here, and also addition now I get asked in quick succession by different employees do I want help with that, very annoying. It feels like the employees are standing around waiting to pounce on me like they have a sales quota to meet or something. I no longer go into the store. Other things include being told to wait somewhere and hoping they haven't forgotten about you, staff definitely less knowledgable about the products, features, and technology in general, etc.

 

[guzhogi]

I'd like to see Apple stores go back to if you need help, hang out at the Genius Bar. If you want to buy something, hang out near the product you want. That way, it would be much easier for staff to know what you need.

However, I do like stores like the flagship Chicago store. Have space for trainings, work shops, presenters, etc. and have the store in a slightly different area.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

I haven't gotten to experience one of these large, fancy remodeled stores. All Pittsburgh has are small spots.

 

[euvnairb]

When it takes me an hour to go in and buy something I reserved online, then the buying experience is broken and ridiculous. Just let me pick-up what I want and leave. I hate going to apple stores.

 

[ElectricPotato]

"Customers looking for technical advice or repairs must now check in with an employee, who types their request into an iPad."

That was my last store experience: a long line, nearly out the entrance, waiting to be checked in by the gatekeeper with the iPad. There was zero signage saying to stand in that particular line to register for a long wait in a disorganized crowd milling around tables to actually get service.

Lines, crowds and confusion. What's not to like?

 

[Lone Deranger]

That’s what happens when you hire Bozo’s. They fk up good things.
Good riddance to Ahrendts. You’ll be missed like a sore tooth. All you did was turn Apple into something it should never have been.

 

[ipponrg]

Apple stores, a social gathering place ?

I know Apple has been using the phrase for a while, but do even they believe it now ?

I think they believe what they want to believe.

My biggest problem with Apple stores is simply it's a cluster to navigate through. I went to the 5th Ave NYC flagship a few times, and I was annoyed by how many of the employees just stand around and congregate like high school groupies.

Maybe it's a social gathering for the employees?

 

[dljames9]

My biggest gripe, is I go in for service, and the wait is always several hours long. When you look around, there are plenty of Apple employees standing around waiting to sell something, but they are not qualified for service. This doesn't make any sense to me. They should be staffing heavier for service, and less for sales since 80% of the customers are at the store looking for service.

 

[code-m]

Apple needs to realize that this is a STORE and not a "gathering place." People come to Apple stores to buy products, get repairs, or see what's new. They don't come to hang out. If they want to make it a gathering place, add beer or a coffee bar, but otherwise, just make it the best shopping experience they can. Going to the Apple store used to be a great experience, now it's just a pain in the ass.

Apple Coffee, coming soon

 

[ksec]

I wish they open more stores as well, under Ahrendts, Apple had close to zero stores opened*. Apple needs another ~500 Stores around the world. And to put that in perspective, even if there were 1 new Apple Store open every week it will take nearly 10 years to accomplish that. It is a bit like having rising population but you stopped building more housing, when you realise you have to do something you are already 3 years behind and another 2 years building lead time making the whole thing a giant pile of mess.

*Note: There was may be around 60 stores opened under her tenure, but most of those were well planned years before her arrival. And during that time Apple had nearly 600M Active Devices increase. That is 10M Active Devices per Store opened during her time.

 

[code-m]

My biggest gripe, is I go in for service, and the wait is always several hours long. When you look around, there are plenty of Apple employees standing around waiting to sell something, but they are not qualified for service. This doesn't make any sense to me. They should be staffing heavier for service, and less for sales since 80% of the customers are at the store looking for service.

I like your ratio, most Apple products sell themselves, this was the original idea to interact with the hardware and software in-store plus the 14 day return window if not happy. I say it should be 90 service 10 sale.

 

[MoreRumors?]

I concur and agree. If you are there other than to buy, they take your name and then told to stand somewhere. When someone is ready to take you, the staff goes to the general area where you were told to stand and they call out your name. There is nothing wrong with making an appointment then show up and go to a specific area and stand on line to have my issue addressed. I also have to say, there are specific information I asked about a product and the Apple staff does not know regardless whether I asked at the store, called on the phone or did Live Chat.

This is why I no longer work in Apple retail. I loved it when I started, which was just before Steve died. While Apple stores have always been known as "legendary gathering places," times have changed, and I know of no geek who meets other geeks at the Apple Store to "hang out." The notion of making all the employees appear the same to the customer is good in theory, because being able to ask any employee for help is awesome, but this usually only works if the store is not busy. But unfortunately, the employees are either too busy with the impossible demand or they are not qualified to help the customer because that's not their role (how does the customer know??).

Having both a dedicated POS area for checkout AND being able to use iPhones on the floor to ring people out would probably make more sense. Also, clearly separating the sales and Genius Bar area may make it easier for people know where they are. I hope they can finally crack the problem.

I was a Creative that trained customers in the One to One program. While it no doubt cost Apple a lot of money, it truly set the customer experience above the rest, which, in returns, drives loyalty for life. It was sad when they did away with the program. Before I left, it seemed anyone could get a job at the Apple Store. I would cringe when fellow employees didn't even know basic things about Apple products.

While this sounds arrogant, you only bring other Apple loyalists into the club if you know what you're talking about and clearly love the products. Still, Apple Stores are still better than the alternative. Long live the fruit stand.

Thank you for your feedback on your experience as a former Apple employee. I agree they should separate sales and Genius Bar especially if the person is not familiar or not a regular at a specific location. I try to go when I think it is not busy but I understand when it is busy and you can expect to wait so no big deal. Training a new staff is a must but I know it is really up to he individual to make an effort to learn all about the products so all and any questions can be answered