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

[kemal]

Experimentation is generally a good thing in the end. This one turned out wrong and now they know.

I'm still stuck in the "Hub of your digital life" and want to see STORES pushing third party educational gadgets using iPhones/iPods.

 

[redpandadev]

How do they know you've paid then if you can do it that way?

They actually can tell from their handheld devices if someone has paid (I've asked them to print a receipt). They never look at it however, and don't care to. Just pay for it and leave - it's the honor system.

 

[johnyslats]

How do they know you've paid then if you can do it that way?

Pretty sure employees are able to pull up self checkout transactions via their devices if they have reason to suspect customer activity, but understand it’s done largely on trust. I once got what can only be described as ‘a look’ followed by that employee then checking their device after I’d checked out

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

As a former retail employee, I was trained on how Apple Customer Service was originally modeled off of the exceptional customer service of the Ritz Carlton hotels. However, since leaving the retail space, it seems Apple has abandoned that over the years too.
I resonate also with how the article points out that there is a lack of technical knowledge. I had heard there was a new mantra that: "technical skills can be taught, but people skills can't." Which is true, however, you need to take the time to TEACH those skills to your new technician/Genii. The past couple of years, the company went from investing in their technicians by sending them out to Cupertino/Austin for training, to now just merely giving them virtual training via a computer and saying "click where all the screws are on this Mac" like it was a big game of pretend. There's nothing like the hands-on training of years past, where the technicians knew the ins and outs of most, if not ALL models of Mac.
Now days, you have the likes of a Louis Rossman, who actually FIXES the boards and known issues of Macs on his YouTube channel. From the sounds of it, he used to be a Genius for Apple, too.

 

[guzhogi]

Apple Coffee, coming soon

Where you have to use proprietary Apple mugs that cost several hundred dollars, if not thousand. And when they bring out a new type of coffee, you either have to pay several hundreds of dollars for an adaptor, or need to get the newest version of iMug™ in order to drink it. You can get the same specs of coffee from several other places for a third of the cost, but they don't offer the same support as Apple Coffee

 

[pweicks]

Ah ha. Now we know why she left. Didn’t want to offend her when they revert everything back to the way it was before she was there.

I agree with Apple employees. Glad to say I’ve lucked out and never had major issues at one of their stores, but I have witnessed plenty of negative experiences while I was in their stores.

That’s why I’ll never work retail again. While the highest paid employees of the company are dickin around at corporate with insufficient urgency to resolve customer service issues, you and your coworkers (the lowest paid employees of the company) take the full brunt and effects of poorly structured customer service.

 

[johnnygee]

How about just allowing more retailers to sell and service their products. It would be more convenient for many of us than driving 100+ miles to an Apple store.

 

[nt5672]

The old store format was way better than todays mess.
. . . . .

Take out the words "store format" and that seems to be the theme under Cook. It applies to product line, branding, connectors, etc. Today's Apple is a mess because it is now all about money. The soul is gone, may he rest in peace.

 

[Tivoli_]

Some may have busy personal family lives and things happening, so those things take priority. It happens to all of us. Try focusing or giving your A game at work when your spouse or child is hospitalized or gets in trouble at school or whatever, life.

This is a lame excuse for people getting paid to do a job but not putting the effort to earn it. And as if the customers' lives are trouble free. With this hypothetical logic I can add to it and say that maybe the person who needs his phone fixed pronto is because his child is hospitalized and needs to have a constant contact with his wife who is with the child. So the customer's need trumps the employee's who is getting paid to do a job.

 

[bg1419]

I haven't had any problems when making an appointment ahead of time. Walk in, get in seen in a few minutes and walk out.

When I randomly walk in to buy a cable or something it takes way too long. The first person who looks like they can check me out usually can't so someone else gets called over. They really should just let me scan the accessory with my phone and pay right there.

You can already pay for accessories in store using the Apple Store app

 

[mattopotamus]

The problem is that when most people have issues with their phones, they go that same day. Appointments are booked so far in advanced that it ends up being a waiting nightmare.

 

[SR 7]

Our organization has a business account with Apple. My experience in the past few years is that I see Apple shifting the blame for hardware failures unto us the customers, and sometimes outright refusing to repair the devices.
Although we always get Apple Care with our purchases, they are acting like insurance companies trying to wiggle out of the repair costs. Nowadays I avoid going to the store if all possible.

Also, why are there so many people waiting for the devices to be repaired? I thought Apple products just worked!

I’ve seen this myself.

I’ve been an Apple fanatic since the first iPhone. I’ve upgraded only 1 time since this new Cook Apple.

I remember under jobs people would go with water damage phones and Apple would replace it without questions. Customers left ecstatic, shared their story and more people bought iPhones.

Now? I took a phone with battery issues once, the employee and manager blamed it on things like old VM, lmao. I never got a new iPhone since.

1 year later, Apple admit they had faulty batteries and sent out the battery replacement program for that exact model phone.

 

[Kabeyun]

Then when a Genius is free, he or she must find the customer wherever they happen to be in the store.

So, please play with our stuff while you wait instead of standing in a line. Isn’t this pretty customer-centric?

 

[SR 7]

So, please play with our stuff while you wait instead of standing in a line. Isn’t this pretty customer-centric?

When u make an apt there shouldn’t be a wait time. Not our fault they downsized in staffing.

 

[mattopotamus]

I said this since the day Cook took over but it was early and people would say get over it it’s Post Jobs era.

Genius Bar appointments used to be 1 on 1 interactions with ZERO wait time. Jobs said he wanted customers to feel like family.

Immediately when Cook took over it became 1 employee for a table of 4 customers, all waiting while the employee ran around helping each at the same time.

I had a wait time of 20-30 min past my apt time. BUT they canceled my original appt once because I was late a couple min.

So I guess we aren’t allowed to be late but Apple is allowed to be 20-30 min late.

Cook downsized employees to save $$ on labor. This is what we got. Everything with him is monetary.

isn't that how most appointments work (Doctor, Dentist, etc.)? They are never on time, but if you are late be prepared to not been seen or wait an eternity. From personal experience 10-15 minutes is an acceptable wait time for an appointment.

 

[nt5672]

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.

They treat their products as fashion statement, why would they treat their stores as anything else but fashion statements?

 

[SR 7]

isn't that how most appointments work (Doctor, Dentist, etc.)? They are never on time, but if you are late be prepared to not been seen or wait an eternity.

Does that make it okay to do it too now? So according to your logic why should we do things better let’s all run into a wall because the others are doing it too.

And for the record, Apple WAS NOT like this. They staffed accordingly unlike ur example.

Cook CHANGED that. That’s the difference.

When Doctors get busier because of over staffing people tend to stop making appts and find new Doctors.

 

[jtdxn]

I began working in an Apple Store in August of 2011 - just a few short months before Steve Jobs died. I stayed with the company for 4 years in total and the difference between that first year (when Steve's influence was still felt) and the following three, was staggering. Slowly but surely, it lost the things that made it exciting and satisfying, and it became another big-box retailer. We always had sales metrics (specifically Apple Care and One-To-One), but those metrics suddenly carried more weight. Instead of offering these solutions because we believed in them, we were annoying our customers with them and having to be pushy to increase our numbers. When it came to One-To-One specifically, we were pushing it onto customers that we knew wouldn't use it, and then had narrow available windows to utilize it.

Working at Apple for me started as the best job I have ever had, and quickly devolved into one of the worst. It was disheartening and seems to only have gotten worse in the 4 years since I left.

 

[mattopotamus]

Does that make it okay to do it too now? So according to your logic why should we do things better let’s all run into a wall because the others are doing it too.

And for the record, Apple WAS NOT like this. They staffed accordingly unlike ur example.

Cook CHANGED that. That’s the difference.

When Doctors get busier because of over staffing people tend to stop making appts and find new Doctors.

Ever hear the phrase Sh*t happens? I think 10-15 minutes is perfectly acceptable no matter the location. We are humans, and at the end of the day getting seen exactly on time rarely happens. With that said, there are multiple times where I have arrived early and been seen early.

 

[FS1819]

The stores used to be pretty logically laid out. But lately, it seemed that everything was everywhere. I like the pay anywhere idea, but not necessarily the products everywhere idea. Products need to be organised by the group!

Apple was all about function over form under Jobs. Now it's form over function, for what?

 

[Bruce Patterson]

YES, I hate walking in now - just tell me where to go instead of trying to find an Apple employee in a sea of people and then having them try to find me. I would think that more clearly defined areas and then a traffic flow strategy in busier areas would be a better approach. In theory, having them come to you may work but for me, it always felt like I was not sure where to go in the store.
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I’ve never had an issue at an Apple store. Just a couple weeks ago I was there because I dropped my phone and needed the screen replaced. They took my phone and within an hour I was back at the store with a completely replaced screen. Seems to me the biggest issues with the stores are how crowded they can be. I’m not sure there’s much Apple can do outside of building more stores. Bringing back a Genius Bar sign isn’t going to make the stores less crowded.

If Jason Snell’s contacts are right the new head of retail will be pushing employees to sell more product. One example he gave is using Today at Apple sessions to sell product. People complain about the stores now but will hate them even more when they become just another Best Buy.

Having designated areas and then addressing those areas specifically in terms of flow I believe would help. To me it just seems like staff and customers are all lemmings wandering aimlessly and bumping in to each other. I would also rather line up to where to pay vs wonder if anyone (ANYONE) can help me!

 

[57004]

Yes indeed, I just noticed that.. I visited an Apple store after a couple of years, and was looking for the genius bar, which was nowhere to be found. I had an appointment already (mandatory here in Spain). And all the employees had green shirts whereas previously the colour would identify what kind of rep they were.

It went like the article said, eventually I spoke to someone who said I was in the wrong place and he asked me to wait somewhere. Which I did and eventually someone turned up and gave me my replacement plugs (I was there for the recall).

The genius rep was really nice. But it was an overall clunky and confusing experience.

 

[guzhogi]

I by no means intend to defend the current state of Apple stores, as I believe they have gone significantly downhill in just about every area. One question I do have though - it seems to be the most common complaint is that of someone wanting to buy a cable off the wall and not being able to find someone to check them out. Is there a reason you don't just scan it with the Apple Store app, pay with Apple Pay, and walk out? This experience takes under a minute and doesn't require you to talk to an employee AT ALL. You can do this with nearly every product on the wall in an Apple Store. Technically you can even do this with ANY product - you can order for in-store pickup, walk in to the store, use the app to notify them that you are here, and someone comes out from the back, places the product in your hands and you leave. Is there a reason people aren't using this more?

Probably lack of knowledge of that feature.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

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.

I've walked in and had my pick up in less than 5 minutes, multiple times.

 

[az431]

I agree with you. I went into a San Francisco Apple store. Both the iPhone and MacBook tables had 6 devices quietly running demos, and nothing was marked. With the removal of the identifier on the back of the iPhone, I had no clue whatsoever what was in my hand. Same with the MacBook -- no specs anywhere thus making comparison between models useless.

And there was an entire wall full of metal posts with iPhone cases mounted on them -- at least 3 dozen. Great for decoration but a total waste of space.

The information is on the screen of the device that you're holding. Doesn't get simpler than that.

https://9to5mac.com/2015/08/26/apple-store-smart-signs-pricing-apps/

Lots of problems with Apple Stores, but that's not one of them.