True - but it also doesn't report how many people are a) testing locations to see just how good/bad maps are and b) if they are actually reaching their destinations
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Turning to Select Retail Store Employees to Help Improve Maps for iOS 6
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
True - but it also doesn't report how many people are a) testing locations to see just how good/bad maps are and b) if they are actually reaching their destinations
They don't have all employees working 24/7...an average day I'd guess about half are actually working. On a product launch you get closer to the full amount, but even then not everyone as many work an early shift to set up the store then get to leave when the store opens.
And my guess is that they will have a specialized app for "fixing" the maps, and won't just be driving around using "report location" like everyone else. And they won't be the ones actually fixing issues downstream, they are just going out and reporting what they see (With a higher priority than the normal report problem tickets.)
Unbelievable
Congratulations Apple,
You have just figured out that instead of paying a large amount of money for good engineers from Google to work on your maps, you can get your retail staff to do the work for free!!! Just make sure that you explain to them that corporate has a "special" mission for them and they will be showered with praise upon completion. Also, make sure they realize that this is for the "good of the company" and that this will earn them brownie points with their management for "possible promotions".
Unbelievable!!!
Congratulations Apple,
You have just figured out that instead of paying a large amount of money for good engineers from Google to work on your maps, you can get your retail staff to do the work for free!!! Just make sure that you explain to them that corporate has a "special" mission for them and they will be showered with praise upon completion. Also, make sure they realize that this is for the "good of the company" and that this will earn them brownie points with their management for "possible promotions".
Unbelievable!!!
Hopefully what this means is that the Retail Staff will be tasked with sifting through the various corrections already submitted by the public and businesses. My guess is that the staff at Yelp and other sources simply can't cope with the volume of error reports and Apple may be simply providing staff to help with this process.
I don't understand the negative responses from the forum, this is most certainly good news. I don't have many problems with Apple Maps but when I do see a problem I submit a report and my only frustration is that I have not seen any changes as a result of my reports.
Has anyone seen changes resulting from an error report made by them yet?
I don't understand the negative responses from the forum, this is most certainly good news. I don't have many problems with Apple Maps but when I do see a problem I submit a report and my only frustration is that I have not seen any changes as a result of my reports.
Has anyone seen changes resulting from an error report made by them yet?
Apple Store employee aka cartographer aka this isn't going to go well
Hurry up Nexus 10 tablet I miss google maps on my iPad.
Hurry up Nexus 10 tablet I miss google maps on my iPad.
What does that have to do with what I said, are you suggesting Apple asks their store employees to fix Maps... for free ? On their free time ?
If my employer asked me to do anything on my free time aside from relaxing and enjoying myself, he'd get the finger. If that wasn't enough, he'd get my resignation.
So those 40 hours/store/week is either time they're going to field as overtime to employees or 40 hours less of customer service.
This is no rocket science. Store employees live more or less close to their store and know the surrounding in different directions plus what is around.
They can usually instantly notice if some major business is at the wrong location or not at all any more plus adding their own favorite POIs that might be missing.
They can compare street positions with satellite picture and check back with google maps if in doubt.
And 60.000 x 4hrs a week (don't know if I read that all correctly) is a massive workforce, not to get up to date with Google in a month, but to make all the major corrections for stuff people complain most about.
Apple Store employees are going to be working on the maps?
Based on who I've seen working there, I'm guessing Apple Maps will be the #1 most-accurate source on where to shop for whole foods, second-hand clothing, herbal remedies, iced coffee, and bongs.
Based on who I've seen working there, I'm guessing Apple Maps will be the #1 most-accurate source on where to shop for whole foods, second-hand clothing, herbal remedies, iced coffee, and bongs.
Correct.
And the typical iPhone owner (age 25-49, college educated, gainfully employed, Amex cardholder) is perfectly capable of submitting map corrections.
After all, the POI databases of Google, Yelp, Citysearch, etc. are routinely updated by the average person walking down the street (closures, new businesses, retail hours, websites, phone numbers, etc.).
My guess is that Apple is using this retail store employee mapping initiative to possibly refine the map correction process, rather than try to fix POIs in the smallish vicinity of the bricks-and-mortar store.
Let's say Retail Employee A submits ten map corrections in a week. How quickly are they processed and verified? In what order were they processed (first in or prioritized somehow)?
Perhaps with their retail employees Apple could test out some sort of map correction tool with gamification features, sort of like how Waze awards points to users for traffic updates. X number of points could be reimbursed for an iTunes Card, etc.
maps from cities
people that I know are making hundreds of corrections to google maps with that tools, so why shouldn't do corrections by using the most acurate and up to date maps there is ?
people that I know are making hundreds of corrections to google maps with that tools, so why shouldn't do corrections by using the most acurate and up to date maps there is ?
I've been using the "report a problem" function within Apple's native Maps app since release and have yet to see any of my corrections take effect. I would think that the changes would occur without need for a release update, right? That would only make sense. Well, how long does it take, then? I'm doing their work for them here in the field; the least they could do is make the corrections.
Two more things I miss in Apple's Maps - exit numbers are not displayed on highway exits and house number divisions aren't displayed at block intersections anymore.
Turn by Turn can be useful, and I like the Yelp! integration, so I don't think Apple's Maps are "horrible," but they aren't nearly as good as Google's, at least as far as the data goes (which is really what people use maps for).
Two more things I miss in Apple's Maps - exit numbers are not displayed on highway exits and house number divisions aren't displayed at block intersections anymore.
Turn by Turn can be useful, and I like the Yelp! integration, so I don't think Apple's Maps are "horrible," but they aren't nearly as good as Google's, at least as far as the data goes (which is really what people use maps for).
That's not a downside. That's like saying that a downside of diet cola is that some people don't like diet cola! The existence of this activity in no way makes Apple Maps worse for those people who do not live near Apple Stores. For areas where there ARE Apple Stores this will be useful.
It won't just be the area directly around the store of course, it'll be the areas the employees live in, the places they visit and the areas they travel through. Since there are Apple Stores in many high population areas and, importantly, many of the places where lots of people buy iPhones and iPads, the impact of this activity on real users will be significant.
Most stupid comment ever. So you want them to hire expensive specialists to change and add POIs or drive around the world checking stuff?
Those specialists are of course hired too, but sure not for traveling around the world or for copying Google data.
Yeah I know, in the US Google is pretty good with POIs, but here in my suburb in germany I could in a week bring Apple maps up to standard that's much higher than that of google maps right now. Both have some POIs here and there but are even missing the most important supermarkets and stuff.
Which Google basher are you pointing to exactly ? People just like to make stuff up on this site. *sigh*.
My feelings now:
Alternative subtitles:
- So who's going to fix the maps?
- The retail store employees.
- We are going to die!
Alternative subtitles:
- So who's going to fix the maps?
- The retail store employees.
- We are going to die!
Don't know why there's so much hatred. This is a good idea.
Managers will pick staff to do it, so they will pick the best most dependable staff so their suggestions will be helpful and trustworthy. Then apple's maps department can implement these suggestions much quicker than Joe Public's which is less dependable.
Managers will pick staff to do it, so they will pick the best most dependable staff so their suggestions will be helpful and trustworthy. Then apple's maps department can implement these suggestions much quicker than Joe Public's which is less dependable.
True - but it also doesn't report how many people are a) testing locations to see just how good/bad maps are and b) if they are actually reaching their destinations
Granted.
I think, in fact, the lack of mainstream press coverage of this post the initial launch pantomime suggests the maps aren't nearly as bad as people are making out. I, like many on here, have found them perfectly decent. I know of people who have found them less useful but then no system is perfect.
If you compare this to "Antennagate" when the story just grew and grew you can see this is a far smaller issue - something only those very engaged with tech news will be aware about in most cases. I suspect in a few weeks this will be a non-issue. People will continue to use their maps and will barely notice as they are improved. At some point in the near future Apple will do a big event of some kind to announce how brilliant their maps now are with some kind of impressive stats vs Google, Nokia and Bing. Suffice to say, they are unlikely to let this rest.
And meanwhile, that staff won't be helping customers coming in to pad Apple's revenues with product purchases. It's already hard enough to get service at a Apple store.
Unless some of you are suggesting that Apple Stores are overstaffed or something ?