Apple to Eliminate Several Business and Event-Related Retail Positions

[Sheza]

Apple Stores are just getting worse. Don't want to sound like I am beating a dead horse but with Steve gone, the company lost focus on what matters: customer experience.

From moving all pre-orders and launches to online-only except for a few special circumstances, to eliminating several retail positions earlier this year. From the complaints we have heard from recent employees about the 'daily download' and how they feel it's cult-like, to having to play a game of cat & mouse to find the 'book a genius appointment' button online because they want to push other service options more.

Why can't Apple find the right person for retail? John Browett was obviously going to be crap - one could tell that straight away based on his previous position. But Angela, Angela was supposed to be good. If you buy a several thousand pound bag from Burberry you expect good customer service, and I don't doubt that they provide it in their stores. So why not Apple?

You know what really pisses me off about the Apple Store though? They have a Mac Pro plugged in to the LG 5K display. Naturally, through a Thunderbolt 2 adaptor and thus only displaying at 4K. In every single store they have it like this, whilst the 21.5 inch 4K screen *is* plugged in to the 2016 MBP that can run it. Insane.

 

[5105973]

Does anyone have a first hand experience as an Apple store Business Manager? I'd love to hear the take on this from someone with experience in this position

No, but such managers were very important connections to Apple for my husband...back when they still were making products that meshed well with his business needs. They did work hard to connect him with some products that were in short supply like certain laptops at certain times when there were shortages.

We did notice a bit of a falloff in communications fairly recently from people he knew for a long time. Some managers might have seen the writing in the wall and made for greener pastures. I'll have to wade through these posts and see what others are saying.

 

[Deuce on the Clock]

The "Events" positions were created from the false sales the business were getting from re-sellers. Business teams inflated their sales figures by selling new or constrained hot product to re-sellers over consumers. Changes to Personal Pickup and product launches gave the business teams true real numbers. They weren't enough to justify keeping either business teams nor "Event" teams. Apple is changing their retail strategy and it isn't about going to the Apple store any longer. Its about online sales. It is the wave of the future so give Angela credit for something. There will always be Apple stores to showcase their products and do "minor" repairs or swaps for defective product, but they do not need the amount of employees they have or unnecessary positions they've created over the years. Traffic is too high now to handle or showcase what they want to do. More traffic will be driven to authorized repair centers or depot to store for pickup. You'll see repairs limited or non existent in the future. This was a smart move by Apple yet sucks for small business owners and Apple employees who had these irrelevant made up positions.

 

[AdonisSMU]

For the money she's making I hope this move was exhaustively studied to see long term effects (it sure should have been), and not just something done to prop up the bottom line in the short term. Apple doesn't need it being propped up.

This post is so presumptuous. Of course this has been reviewed probably several times.

 

[5105973]

HA!

I worked at Apple Retail for 2 years, including on the business team, and every business manager I met was deluding themselves. People shopping at Apple Retail stores for their business ARE NOT B2B customers, and every business manager I saw get promoted to corporate crashed and burned in no time at all.

There's A LITTLE extra expertise about taxes and such, but they were all vastly overpaid for what they actually did. They weren't doing cold calls, the business just walked in. You could train a specialist to do the majority of their work in an afternoon.

That wasn't my husband's experience of the business managers he worked with. They worked pretty diligently to maintain contact and communications, keep him apprised of new products that might be a good fit, and so forth. When our local store was closed for remodeling the manager kept in touch regularly with updates, opportunities for discounts, updates on product availability for anything he asked to be kept in the loop on. I suppose any specialist could be quickly trained to do all of this, but it takes some dedication to remain diligent about it.

 

[0098386]

I thought they were a little overbearing. I used to get frequent phonecalls from the business team managers at both our nearest Apple stores. The thing is, as I think many have already said, these types of customers know what they want already.

Ho hum!

 

[5hugknight]

That business comes in regardless. Business Managers at Apple Stores don't close sales, and they can only offer, at most, 5%o discount on some items (and you have to spend $30K per year for that IIRC).

You are incorrect with your percentages and dollar amounts. I suggest going into an Apple Store and asking a Business Expert directly.
[doublepost=1490908686][/doublepost]

When we buy Apple products for our business, we do one of two things, we either buy online or we go to an Apple Authorized Reseller. Why you ask? Well, first off they understand the business side of things, but also because if we are walking into a store it is because we have very little time, going to the Apple store is further away and is a lot more crowded, making it take substantially more time. With the authorized reseller, we are usually in and out in under 5 minutes.

This is a very real scenario. Fortunately Apple has a Business Team at almost every retail location that has a myriad of solutions to satisfy every procurement method. This includes direct phone numbers and email addresses, in-store pickup, direct ship, financing options, and even a free custom portal to order through (if you qualify). Apple has expanded its service set for businesses substantially over the last couple years.

 

[britabroad]

That business comes in regardless. Business Managers at Apple Stores don't close sales, and they can only offer, at most, 5%o discount on some items (and you have to spend $30K per year for that IIRC).

actually they do close sales. and it's 6% discount for a 5K spend. alt facts!

 

[Ericus Macabeus]

What a stupid move to kill off the Business Manager position.

Why? Maybe they want more people trained in the nuances of B2B and business. If they rotate the responsibilities more people will be proficient to help more businesses.

 

[rtomyj]

Not necessarily because Apple isn't likely losing 20% sales, just the people who accounted for them in the current staff structure. The unsold product will probably be sold to consumers at a higher profit. For example if a business manager sold 50 iPhones to XYZbiz at 10% discount they likely could have sold those same phones to individual customers at no discount. OR XYXbiz might still get a 10% discount but Apple won't be paying a specialized staff member to make the sale.

Now the question remains is whether the loss of having a personal rep and personal touch will change how or what businesses buy. This could be a smart money move or end up being TC knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

So they're cutting down on an uneeded position? Sounds like a good business plan to me.

The first secenario makes no sense to me. Let's say they sold 200 phones to businesses and 1000 to retail customers. If those 200 are gone they aren't going to materialize 200 retail customers. They do take a hit.

 

[AZ63]

Apple can do what ever it wants and how it wants! Always was the case! Just remember how Tough Steve was! You don't build an Empire being nice!!

I agree with you to a certain extent.
I would argue that building and maintaining an "empire" are different.
Either way though, both have to maintain/produce products and/or services people desire.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

So they're cutting down on an uneeded position? Sounds like a good business plan to me.

The first secenario makes no sense to me. Let's say they sold 200 phones to businesses and 1000 to retail customers. If those 200 are gone they aren't going to materialize 200 retail customers. They do take a hit.

Well sounds like you didn't read my post or only read the parts you wanted to read. Why do I say this? Because my concluding sentence said, and I quote: "This could be a smart money move or end up being TC knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing." No where in that post do I make a declaration on the effect of this move. Yes, it could be a good business decision - my point is we can't fairly judge it based on the information we have at hand.

Now to the second part of your post --

First in my scenario I said 50 phones. Yours is 200. Big difference there and you are changing the facts. Someone that wants 200 phones would likely not be coming into the store. They would dial up Cupertino as a medium or large business would. Remember small business is usually defined as 50 or fewer employees. That's is who would be going to an Apple Store, and likely someone who wanted a lot fewer than 50. I just went to the extreme.

Now those 50 phones. They are still being bought by the small business person. They are just not being sold by a dedicated business manager. They are being sold by the store manager or floor salesperson.

 

[mlrproducts]

Why? Maybe they want more people trained in the nuances of B2B and business. If they rotate the responsibilities more people will be proficient to help more businesses.

The Business Manager role was the role who trained these rotating people. Rotating and expanding knowledge was what their job was all about (while Business Specialists actually did the selling to businesses). No other manager in the store (across the board) is going to know these things.

 

[mi7chy]

Result of Tim Crook and cronies focusing too much on building the spaceship structure while neglecting products, business and employees. At this rate the new building may eventually be occupied by a different company.

 

[robbyx]

Kind of hard to do good business when you have 500+ day product refreshes.

Apple is too flakey which is why schools have replaced iPads with Chromebooks and Macs with
PC a long time ago.

This. Apple is flakey. The old Apple had an unwavering commitment to the education market. Today's Apple doesn't really know what it is. The old Apple had a very clear focus: computers. Today they are trying to be a lot of things to a lot of people. I think Apple still cares about education, but it's no longer a focus or priority. The next five years will be very telling for Apple. Competitors have largely caught up.

 

[britboyj]

You are incorrect with your percentages and dollar amounts. I suggest going into an Apple Store and asking a Business Expert directly.

It's been a while since I worked there. Blue level discount required a $30K spend to hit a (IIRC) 7% discount. Green was 5% at $10K per annum, and red was 3% at $5K. I'm not responsible for facts changing after I left for corporate, or facts from 6 years ago.

The fact remains, they're stingy discounts (and still are) compared to what a business could get from AAR, AOS SMB, or Enterprise directly at the same spend levels.

That wasn't my husband's experience of the business managers he worked with. They worked pretty diligently to maintain contact and communications, keep him apprised of new products that might be a good fit, and so forth. When our local store was closed for remodeling the manager kept in touch regularly with updates, opportunities for discounts, updates on product availability for anything he asked to be kept in the loop on. I suppose any specialist could be quickly trained to do all of this, but it takes some dedication to remain diligent about it.

There are always exceptions to the rule. An AOS SMB Specialist in CA or Austin would do the same thing for them.

Yeah I miss being told to "think bigger" and "sell bigger" and then having SSO reject large orders or have Enterprise take them away. I had the opportunity to sit in front of several Fortune 500 companies in their HQs with a small team of others wearing jeans and untucked polos, that was fun. At least that has served me well in another sales role/company where I'm actually paid what I'm worth.

I feel you man. True story - When the iPad first launched, the head coach for a local NFL team came in wanting to know how we could help them use iPads for playbooks. (Wealthy area Apple Store) They also wanted to replace basically every computer in their stadium that they could with Macs. A cool $250MM at our guesstimate. Enterprise stole it. Almost immediately. Zero store credit.

 

[2010mini]

Two months of severance?!?? Wow......

When my job was eliminated, I received 6 months Plus benefits.

Very stingy there Apple....

 

[konqerror]

Not even close. The point you seem to be missing is B2B sales isn't a static proposition. Organizations large and small approach B2B relationships on multiple levels; in store, online, on-site, remotely, etc. Every vendor isn't the same and all interactions aren't the same. Some vendors are only online. Some are only in store. Others are engaged in a variety of ways.

And Apple does it on-site, online and remotely. Just like Dell and HP and Lenovo does. Nobody has retail stores that have representatives which are being paid at a retail level.

Fair point, but business reps definitely exist for Dell and HP, but they visit businesses directly, something Apple has not replaced these positions with.

As I said, I worked for a company and Apple sent our sales rep down from Cupertino (and britboyj mentions there's an operation out of Austin). Apple also has an integrator/reseller network, smallest being local computer shops, the biggest being IBM.

 

[Williesleg]

That's what happens when Little Timmy Cook ignores the Trump Train.

Oh, and BTW hires more H1B visa workers and outsources to every country on the planet except the greatest of them all, insourcing to the USA.

Time to fire the cook, he's really bad for families and employees at Apple.

 

[5105973]

It's been a while since I worked there. Blue level discount required a $30K spend to hit a (IIRC) 7% discount. Green was 5% at $10K per annum, and red was 3% at $5K. I'm not responsible for facts changing after I left for corporate, or facts from 6 years ago.

The fact remains, they're stingy discounts (and still are) compared to what a business could get from AAR, AOS SMB, or Enterprise directly at the same spend levels.



There are always exceptions to the rule. An AOS SMB Specialist in CA or Austin would do the same thing for them.



I feel you man. True story - When the iPad first launched, the head coach for a local NFL team came in wanting to know how we could help them use iPads for playbooks. (Wealthy area Apple Store) They also wanted to replace basically every computer in their stadium that they could with Macs. A cool $250MM at our guesstimate. Enterprise stole it. Almost immediately. Zero store credit.

Yeah, reading through all of the posts in this thread I get the feeling everyone's experiences on both sides vary a bit. Since latter half of 2016 my husband uses the portal for the most part. Once in a while if one of the executives wants a laptop of a certain configuration quick for a business trip, my husband will check in with his business contact to see if one can be ready and waiting for him to pick up on his way home so he can set it up that night and have it ready next day for the person. They would sometimes pull one from another store if he had called in early enough and they didn't have it. That's a rarity now, though. Last favor they did him was get him AirPods.

The days of him supplying regular orders of MacBook Pros through his business contact to the rest of his coworkers are pretty much over. There was an acquisition awhile back and his new overlords want Windows machines, not Apples. Only a handful of powerful managers and executives can still request an Apple product, but fewer even want to now. Cheaper Iphones are still ordered in volume, though. That can definitely be done online.

 

[Wackery]

gotta save that headcount for more watchband specialists

 

[sirozha]

Nothing new here.

Profits come first. People second. Watch bands 3rd.

No, Gay rights come fiirst, profits come second, etc.

 

[nfl46]

Apple's greed is ridiculous! It was already bad, but goodness. At this point, its as if they don't even care that it is obvious.

2 months, though? Crazyyyy!

 

[Pixel8ed]

Yet, in the metric that matters most, she has led the Apple stores to continue to lead the world in sales per square foot by a huge margin. The sales and traffic in the stores just keeps growing. The biggest problem is the stores are so busy that they need to keep expanding the number and size of them. So when we will see these signs of the Apple stores demise??? When will the "Going out of business" sale" signs start appearing??

It amazes me that folks can read something on a blog and read so much into it. Yes, of course, some unknown person spouted that Apple HQ's "doesn't understand how business sales take place" and is mindlessly eliminate these positions, and we should take this as gospel. LOL. Apple has undertaken a major initiative starting two years ago to increase small and large business sales, e.g., is engaging in a major partnership with IBM and others to develop products and services for small and large business, but has no plan as to how to make those sales to businesses????

You can relax, there are almost 500 of these stores, rest assured that the most successful business in the history of the world has thought through the implications of changing job titles and positions and has people in place to take care of business sales. Indeed, it's likely that Apple decided the retail environment of the stores is booming so much that it was no longer the best place to have this position located.

I agree with this post more than many. I was a Manager in an Apple Retail store for 4+ years. They have plans that make sense for the store design and hierarchy while corresponding to their corporate initiatives. It will be interesting to see where this leads. Hope to visit the new headquarters one day!

 

[frankgrimes]

Hey Apple how about eliminating that useless Ahrendts position?

Sad to see what happens to that company under Cook and Ahrendts