Apple Retail Store Employee on Product Launches, Store Culture, and Customers

[apple1990]

What?

I hate hard-sell.

Whoops, I meant employees.

I can honestly tell you I've never sold APP or onetoone to a customer who I don't think would use it. My metrics are good too, 62% APP and 48% onetoone.

They don't care about MobileMe, I usually just tell customers to try the free trial online to see if they like it.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

In mine and my colleagues experience, it is certainly the best retail job we've ever had.

My mates can't believe what I get paid!

Born in 1990? So your 21. I'd be curious, mind PMing me your pay.


Apple has been using the whole money made per sq/ft since I started. I was actually at Cafe Macs watching Steve saying were moving to Intel and after wards a developer walked up to us and said... This is the beginning of a new Apple and shook his head. Im glad you love your job but you have nothing to compare it too. I watched Apple move from PowerPC to Intel, from Computers to iPods, and from iPods to iPhones. I watched money become the most important thing not customer satisfaction. Metrics mean more than helping out the old Mac geek whos Clamshell G3 died (tell him to buy a new one is the new motto.) Apple has changed. Money wise (as a share holder with 190 shares from ESPP I love it) its great, culture wise... Apple is dead.

BTW: My Procare and APP metrics where in the 80's. Never got anything for it. At BestBuy I got a spiff for every warranty sold and at Compusa I got 10% of every TAP I sold.

 

[firewood]

There are no surprises in retail stores. The only surprise would be if management wasn't a bunch of a$$holes.

Or would you rather be working at one of the Borders bookstores which will soon be closed because it didn't generate enough revenue per square foot to pay the rent?

 

[apple1990]

Being a former Apple Employee myself I can tell you that Apple stores place a lot of time and energy into creating the best customer "experience", while those in charge close the doors and talk mostly about the store's sales. Selling Apple products is easy, but the add-ons are what they really want you to focus on. Each add-on is measured daily and running counts are posted for all employees to see. Although it would never hold up in court, those who didn't perform well in add-on sales were much more likely to lose their jobs when a "new batch" of employees came along.

The reason I attached aplqna's post to this is because he drives me crazy and annoys the crap out of me so I wanted him to see what a real post looks like.

In my time working at apple, I've only known a handful of employees to not leave by their own accord and that was last year when the recession hit and the christmas hires were let go.

Corporate actually don't like employees sales being put up everywhere, its the store management who do it.

There used to be a website where employees could track their sales during the day but that was taken down due to "employee morale issues"

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

One more for the old timers...

Remember when we got Bonuses? Then they took it away and gave us all small raises (mine was $.35 cents.)

In my time working at apple, I've only known a handful of employees to not leave by their own accord and that was last year when the recession hit and the christmas hires were let go.

Corporate actually don't like employees sales being put up everywhere, its the store management who do it.

There used to be a website where employees could track their sales during the day but that was taken down due to "employee morale issues"

BS, it was taken down because information was leaking and publicized. Same reason why if a customer and asked for Stock of an item you couldn't tell them "We have 3 in stock!"

 

[apple1990]

Born in 1990? So your 21. I'd be curious, mind PMing me your pay.


Apple has been using the whole money made per sq/ft since I started. I was actually at Cafe Macs watching Steve saying were moving to Intel and after wards a developer walked up to us and said... This is the beginning of a new Apple and shook his head. Im glad you love your job but you have nothing to compare it too. I watched Apple move from PowerPC to Intel, from Computers to iPods, and from iPods to iPhones. I watched money become the most important thing not customer satisfaction. Metrics mean more than helping out the old Mac geek whos Clamshell G3 died (tell him to buy a new one is the new motto.) Apple has changed. Money wise (as a share holder with 190 shares from ESPP I love it) its great, culture wise... Apple is dead.

BTW: My Procare and APP metrics where in the 80's. Never got anything for it. At BestBuy I got a spiff for every warranty sold and at Compusa I got 10% of every TAP I sold.

I don't mind posting it here, its £10.09 an hour after multiple pay rises.

I've been at the company since 2006, I haven't seen it change its philosophy. It may have for you, but times change. They are a massive company now and had to adapt.

 

[ciTiger]

Wouldn t really wanna work in one.. lol

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

I don't mind posting it here, its £10.09 an hour after multiple pay rises.

I've been at the company since 2006, I haven't seen it change its philosophy. It may have for you, but times change. They are a massive company now and had to adapt.

16 bucks an hour? What was your starting pay?

BTW: Your British. What store do you work for? I trained Genii from Regent Street.

Things did change for me. I left Apple and now work as an Apple Infrastructure Designer making 3 times what I made at Apple for doing essentially the same thing.

 

[Piggie]

Am I totally alone in "Not Getting" an Apple store.

I don't know how to describe it, but it just does not work for me. Perhaps I'm an older more cynical generation that cannot "suspend my belief" of what I'm being presented with.

Calling anyone in a shop a "Genius" is cringingly embarrassing to start with. Some other word, please but not "Genius"

To me it's all false, it's like a show at the theatre with actors saying lines, and you are looking at fake scenery that's painted to look nice from your side where you sit, but behind it's all ropes, wires, and switches, but you are not allowed to see that.

I just can't shake this feeling, I'm like a person going to see a show and it's all fake and just made up to look pretty for my "shopping experience"

I would much rather go to a warehouse and honestly buy the item I want in a brown box off a metal shelf, yes, ok, a display model is nice, but more than that I don't need or want.

I suppose simple and honest goes a long way with me, not this act that's put on.

I feel the same when I walked into a Levis store. Rather than a normal shop, which just sold many jeans, the levis store had giant logo's and all neat and tidy shelves, each shelf had like 3 pairs of each model of jeans on it.

Again it's all staged.

I have only been into two official Apple stores, only out of curiosity, but I could not help but raise a smile at the "show" that's being put on, and I could not accept it, and get into it, as it just felt a false and made up event.

Does anyone else feel this way, or is it just me?
I realise I am over thinking things, but I can't just turn my brain of and go along with it all.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Am I totally alone in "Not Getting" an Apple store.

I don't know how to describe it, but it just does not work for me. Perhaps I'm an older more cynical generation that cannot "suspend my belief" of what I'm being presented with.

Calling anyone in a shop a "Genius" is cringingly embarrassing to start with. Some other word, please but not "Genius"

To me it's all false, it's like a show at the theatre with actors saying lines, and you are looking at fake scenery that's painted to look nice from your side where you sit, but behind it's all ropes, wires, and switches, but you are not allowed to see that.

I just can't shake this feeling, I'm like a person going to see a show and it's all fake and just made up to look pretty for my "shopping experience"

I would much rather go to a warehouse and honestly buy the item I want in a brown box off a metal shelf, yes, ok, a display model is nice, but more than that I don't need or want.

I suppose simple and honest goes a long way with me, not this act that's put on.

I feel the same when I walked into a Levis store. Rather than a normal shop, which just sold many jeans, the levis store had giant logo's and all neat and tidy shelves, each shelf had like 3 pairs of each model of jeans on it.

Again it's all staged.

I have only been into two official Apple stores, only out of curiosity, but I could not help but raise a smile at the "show" that's being put on, and I could not accept it, and get into it, as it just felt a false and made up event.

Does anyone else feel this way, or is it just me?
I realise I am over thinking things, but I can't just turn my brain of and go along with it all.

I haven't walked into a store since I left Apple. No need to to goto a glass box backed full of people using facebook and photobooth.

 

[Stevesbodyguard]

In my time working at apple, I've only known a handful of employees to not leave by their own accord and that was last year when the recession hit and the christmas hires were let go.

Corporate actually don't like employees sales being put up everywhere, its the store management who do it.

There used to be a website where employees could track their sales during the day but that was taken down due to "employee morale issues"

We clearly worked in different Apple environments. My store was trying very hard to become a training store when I worked there so they were continually turning people over to find people better at sales. When I left I think my overall metrics were about 80% Applecare 65% onetoone and 35% mobileme, but I declined being a mentor because I believe you can't train someone to be better at sales.

 

[apple1990]

16 bucks an hour? What was your starting pay?

BTW: Your British. What store do you work for? I trained Genii from Regent Street.

Things did change for me. I left Apple and now work as an Apple Infrastructure Designer making 3 times what I made at Apple for doing essentially the same thing.

Im english.

Im not saying the store but starting pay was £7.70. Most of my mates get £6.

At the end of the day, it doesn't get much better than working at Apple in retail but if you don't like that go to Uni and get a proper job.

It does vary massively from store to store, the first store I worked at felt like home and everyone (bar the management) were very friendly and we would go out to clubs and have social events a lot.

 

[3282868]

I've been at the company since 2006, I haven't seen it change its philosophy. It may have for you, but times change. They are a massive company now and had to adapt.

I was with them well before your time, and have used Apple products for well over a decade. It has changed a lot. You came aboard when Apple switched away from the PowerPC processor to Intel chips and right when the iPhone was released after Apple acquired "Fingerworks" who helped pioneer multi-touch systems for Apple.

It certainly has changed a lot. Your experience does not negate the experiences of those who have been with Apple longer. I'm THRILLED you are happy, truly, but don't degrade others because you haven't had the same experiences.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

We clearly worked in different Apple environments. My store was trying very hard to become a training store when I worked there so they were continually turning people over to find people better at sales. When I left I think my overall metrics were about 80% Applecare 65% onetoone and 35% mobileme, but I declined being a mentor because I believe you can't train someone to be better at sales.

We were a training store. We had genii coming in from all over the place. We piloted the GYO program (fail!)

 

[apple1990]

I haven't walked into a store since I left Apple. No need to to goto a glass box backed full of people using facebook and photobooth.

The stores I have worked in have always banned facebook and kids just messing about. Believe or not a lot of customers love the experience.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

The stores I have worked in have always banned facebook and kids just messing about. Believe or not a lot of customers love the experience.

If we had banned Myspace, we would have had no clients except people at the Genius Bar with broken iPhones, iMacs shutting off/bulging capacitors, and Powerbooks/Macbook Pros with scrambled video.

 

[Dr Kevorkian94]

i would still want to work there lol

 

[3282868]

If we had banned Myspace, we would have had no clients except people at the Genius Bar with broken iPhones, iMacs shutting off/bulging capacitors, and Powerbooks/Macbook Pros with scrambled video.

Exactly. We worked when Friendster then MySpace were the "it" social networks. I love that someone claims Apple hasn't changed since they have been working there since 2006. LOL WOW

 

[apple1990]

With the iPhone release. I love how they are new to Apple yet claim to know everything about the company, and slam anyone who has a different opinion or experience. Most are exactly what Apple caters to now: entitled iDevice users who care little for quality and more for image.



I was with them well before your time, and have used Apple products for well over a decade. It has changed a lot. You came aboard when Apple switched away from the PowerPC processor to Intel chips and right when the iPhone was released after Apple acquired "Fingerworks" who helped pioneer multi-touch systems for Apple.

It certainly has changed a lot. Your experience does not negate the experiences of those who have been with Apple longer. I'm THRILLED you are happy, truly, but don't degrade others because you haven't had the same experiences.

I agree, maybe you should heed your own advice.

 

[Glideslope]

LOL. Nothing new in this thread. You should see some of the exit interviews from the "Professionals" we let go.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the oven.

 

[apple1990]

If we had banned Myspace, we would have had no clients except people at the Genius Bar with broken iPhones, iMacs shutting off/bulging capacitors, and Powerbooks/Macbook Pros with scrambled video.

My store earned £10m last year.

 

[3282868]

My store earned £10m last year.

Your store? I had no idea you owned it. So you made minimum wage to make Apple executives richer.

I agree, maybe you should heed your own advice.

Ok. Will do… but remember, you're making me a "detractor" and not a "promoter", I don't think your managers would approve.

EDIT: I hope you do know that I mean no personal offense, I do not know you and it is not in my nature to be impolite, online or otherwise, so don't take my comments as slams, merely light hearted discussion

And you do have good points, it is just that we are on opposite spectrums.

PS I grew up in London, miss it!

 

[apple1990]

Your store? I had no idea you owned it. So you made minimum wage to make Apple executives richer.



Ok. Will do… but remember, you're making me a "detractor" and not a "promoter", I don't think your managers would approve.

Minimum wage in the Uk is £5.93, Im earning nearly double that and add into that the 82 shares I've accumulated through the employee stock purchase programme.

I consider it my store because I was part of the team who opened it. Most of us are still here.

 

[Bubba Satori]

There are no surprises in retail stores. The only surprise would be if management wasn't a bunch of a$$holes.

+1

So the Apple Store doesn't sound any different than the BB I worked at.
What a surprise.

 

[Hrududu]

How about an article on what it is like to be a customer at an Apple store... I think it might be worse than being an employee most of the time.

The store here in OKC is about the size of a shoebox and is usually stuffed to the rafters with people - going in there reminds me of being in the locker room in junior high. There are way too many people in way too small a space, and someone ALWAYS smells of body odor.

When you FINALLY get the attention of an employee, you have a 1 in 4 chance of getting someone who can help you without patronizing you. The other 75% of the time, you have to deal with someone who is "super nice" and wants to shake your hand and tell you the reason your iPhone doesn't make calls is because you need to close multitasking apps every single time you use them, or some other total BS answer that the average iPhone user would believe. (This is a really common answer these days at my local store. I have been told this is the issue on my phone when I took it in -- of course, it wasn't. Then my boss got fed the same line for a problem on their phone -- but they didn't know any better and left. Yay, going back to the store is so fun! Even worse... I was recently with a friend with a 3GS running OS 3.2 who was having issues with their touchscreen no longer working, and the "helpful" employee immediately told them it was from the multitasking apps that they needed to close. Really? When I jumped in and said that A) it didn't have multitasking apps and B) that wouldn't be the issue anyway with something like this, the super "helpful" employee gave me a disgusting look and smiled and said she would do us a favor and swap out the phone, but for us to know that they were only doing it because I clearly wanted that. Really? Thank you so much.)

Oh - did you want to buy something? Good luck. The greasy haired people are really busy answering stupid questions for the gaggle of 12 year olds "considering" purchasing an iPad or the 100 old people who are there for One to One with their Tangerine iMac and iMovie 2.0.

Need a Genius Bar appointment? Well, OK, I can't complain too much about that. The staff at the bar have always done a good job of actually fixing what is broken. But some of them are real greasy and annoying as well, or will argue that they're doing you a favor when the fact of the matter is the item failed under warranty. One of the guys at our local store has so many Apple icons tatoo'd on his arms that I would NOT be surprised if he told me his water bottle was full of Steve Jobs' piss. I'm all for liking Apple products, but there is more to life folks.

So yeah, I don't have a lot of pity for the guy who wrote this article about his super fun experiences as an Apple employee.

I was in that store about 5 years ago, and you're right, its a joke. Even before iPhone, it was an iPod driven madhouse full of people who just had to come in to make noise. Good times