Apple Stores Won't See 'Major Shift' in Operations After Reopening Worldwide

[citysnaps]

Or just do it all yourself—pay for accessories right through the Store app or purchase serialized products like iPhones, Macs, iPads, etc using express pickup from the store. Show an employee your pickup barcode and an ID and you’re out the door. Way easier than waiting for employee assistance. IIRC, prior to the pandemic, when you entered the Apple Store, if you were picking up a purchase, you could request the store bring your items right in the app—no wait to find an employee to finalize your pickup.

Yes! I've done that as well. Works great!

 

[subi257]

Beautiful store the one from the picture.

Yes, it is beautiful....somehow my first impression would be somewhere in Europe.....maybe France.

 

[subi257]

@Maconplasma I am not clear on what you disagreed with. The need for a couple of cashiers, Apple being full of itself or both?

I would disagree with the "apple being full of itself" personally

 

[jimbobb24]

That would never work. There’s no way Apple can slow down traffic because that would result in profiling customers to filter out the buyers from the ones lurking about. That could result in a big lawsuit because the ones “lurking about” could be picking out their next Mac or just end up buying one the same day but if they get profiled they could feel discriminated against.

Lots of ways to achieve that goal without lawsuits which would be ridiculous anyway. None of those ways align with apples goals so the best solution is to go when you know it will be least crowded if that is a problem.

 

[maldahleh]

Like none of the Ontario Apple stores are open to in person shopping, unless they consider curbside pickup “open”.

 

[PDubNYC]

I would disagree with the "apple being full of itself" personally

Yes, it is beautiful....somehow my first impression would be somewhere in Europe.....maybe France.

I believe that is the new store in Los Angeles at the Tower Theater https://www.apple.com/retail/towertheatre/

edit: realizing now that you already knew that it's been a long week

 

[SSDGUY]

I like the Apple brand/aesthetic and I'm okay with eclectic solutions, but to me, stuffing the clinically-clean Apple store into that beautiful old theater is pretty bleh … almost architectural blasphemy. But, I hope folks who chose to venture downtown enjoy it.

 

[MacTwick]

Apple is so full of itself. Hire a couple of cashiers and have customer focused service like a real store.

Stores have employees zoned as express who are there to only ring up accessories or do quick product pickups. This is a thing. There is signage pointing to the express lane.

 

[smirking]

I hope Apple does something about the Apple stores always being too crowded.

Yeah, I was hoping that they'd at least pull back on in-store classes and seminars for a while longer. The Apple Store is one of the places I would never want to be when there's anything infectious going around. Even before the pandemic, I avoided the Apple Store if at all possible during the winter months. It was just too much of a petri dish.

I did make a visit to a local Apple Store to get some long delayed service this past Monday and it was the quietest I've ever seen that Apple Store. There were as many employees in there as there were customers.

 

[smirking]

That would never work. There’s no way Apple can slow down traffic because that would result in profiling customers to filter out the buyers from the ones lurking about.

Well, they could suspend all the classes and other events that they hold inside the store that are done to liven up the stores. I've been there while they had "summer camps" in session too. Nothing like trying to get your laptop serviced while 50 kids drift off from their scheduled activities and wander around the store playing with things.

 

[Maconplasma]

Well, they could suspend all the classes and other events that they hold inside the store that are done to liven up the stores. I've been there while they had "summer camps" in session too. Nothing like trying to get your laptop serviced while 50 kids drift off from their scheduled activities and wander around the store playing with things.

Okay but here's the thing, put yourself in their position as well as the position of customers making purchases as they are looking at you saying that you are in their way taking up valuable space getting your Mac serviced. Remember Apple is a retail store first that offers service as a courtesy to their customers, just like Best Buy does with their Geek Squad. They are not a Mac/iPhone/iPad repair shop only so customers that want to make legitimate purchases will say, "I'm sick of coming here because so many people are here dominating space with repair needs and I have no breathing room to shop for Apple products!"

 

[smirking]

Remember Apple is a retail store first that offers service as a courtesy to their customers, just like Best Buy does with their Geek Squad.

Apple Stores are only offering service as a courtesy?

Yikes, man. Allowing you to go wherever you want to get service is so not their business model.

Anyway, I don't think my point was received. I'm not booing them for trying to make other people happy. I was just saying that if they wanted to lighten the traffic until things are fully normal again, all they have to do is suspend the events that pack their stores with people who aren't there to shop, but were encouraged to come to create the vibe of an exciting place.

 

[SFjohn]

I hope Apple does something about the Apple stores always being too crowded.

I get that’s what makes Apple stores a special place to hangout but it’s so hard to find a specialist to check out.

I personally think that is the one failing of Apple Stores. They are crowded and finding someone to help you in a sea of people, only to finally find one and to be told: sit somewhere by the trees and someone will call you. It’s very frustrating.