Not if the company goes into bankruptcy; a few ultra-powerful investors / investment firms aren't shareholders, they are partners in crime. They make money, the board makes money and the rest of the shareholders and employees + other stakeholders get screwed.
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Apple's New SVP of Retail Went Undercover as Regular Salesperson
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Not if the company goes into bankruptcy; a few ultra-powerful investors / investment firms aren't shareholders, they are partners in crime. They make money, the board makes money and the rest of the shareholders and employees + other stakeholders get screwed.
I'm in Switzerland too and get great service. I've had fantastic service in fnac, Apple Stores, and in Media Markt - far better than in Dixons or PC World. In the 1970s as a camera shop it was great, it used to fill the niche now taken by Jessops, but at some point it started treating customers as if they were idiots and the staff got very pushy.
Browett never had a hand in that of course, but in his five years there Dixons Stores remains at the bottom of the customer service tables.
As for Dixons/PC World being the biggest Apple seller in the UK, that would be because of their monopoly - it's got nothing to do with any of their staff caring about it. In the stores I've been in if you've asked for a Mac the staff try very very hard to sell you a PC instead. The Macs are usually uncleaned, dusty, and non-working. Those that are on have a screen showing a frozen state, or a password screen. Compare that with the typical MediaMarkt store where the Macs are always clean, working, and the staff (even the non-Apple staff) always helpful in trying to get you what you want. Even if they don't know the answer, they will go and look it up for you, lead you to the correct part of the shop to see it, and give you good technical knowledge.
Dixons does patronising well; MediaMarkt does service well.
Strange, when I read your lack of humor in your non existent signature, your post suddenly seemed a bit bland. Humor is one of the keys to human thought. Without it, a persons mind, their very existence is two dimensional at best. If you can't express your ideas with humor, you can't express your ideas, thus your words are meaningless.
Have a nice day.
It's not funny, Ralf.
At least, not nearly as funny as the concept of a dog named Ralf typing away at a keyboard in a frothing rage at anonymous visim91's impudence.
Your "clever" use of physics terminology for "location" isn't helping either.
See what I'm doing here, Ralf? You upset me, and so, I try and upset you. Vicious cycle. Let's not perpetuate. Nice day, indeed.
No - he wasn't. The 'big cheese' at Tesco is the CEO, at the time Sir Terry Leahy who was brilliant at his job and responsible for the massive expansion Tescos went through in building stores in the UK and new outlets in new countries.
Browett ran Tesco's home delivery service, Tesco Online, a tiny, tiny part of their overall business.
Implementing a process is just management school speak for "looking busy, achieving nothing". Process is the preserve of those that don't really 'get' the problem.
In my case that would be decades of living in the UK. As the only large 'specialist' electrical retailer in the UK, Dixons was a National name. It was in every High Street, every mall, every out of town retail park - often more than one of their brands being in the same location. As for why go back, maybe you were hoping you just caught someone on a bad day, or perhaps it was a different store, or different brand. Everyone knew about Dixons, there was nowhere else to go. Sometimes you just HAD to go in - although more often to PCWorld than Dixons to be honest.
At least the PCWorld website worked I suppose.
John Lewis for one. Next best thing to an Apple store. As for Argos, they weren't a store, they were a mail order pick up point, while Comet really didn't do computers, they were more HiFi and white goods based.
No, the trick is having a brain. I met one good employee in a PC World and he was a student working part time. Even he disliked his colleagues and thought they were lazy tossers who stood around chatting while customers were looking for help.
No, the point is knowing the difference between those with academic minds (who usually don't work in bottom rank jobs) who find learning from manuals OK, and those cast onto the shop floor who probably failed at school because they didn't like reading but who would do fine from one to one and group role play learning techniques.
Ball locks. Just read the comments here.
There you go being a recruitment consultant / PR merchant.
I don't dislike the guy, Browett, I don't wish to spoil his chances of a career with Apple, but I just want to get rid of this BS that claims he's the next Ron Johnson/King of UK Retail/Steve Jobs kind of character. Especially when it's packed full of barefaced lies.
As I've heard from some of the people, Dixons went up twice its shares under this guy.
Also, this guy is responsible for Tesco.com which is probably one of the best online shopping experiences in the world.
It appears, that he really pushed the limited whereas the others screwed up as soon as he left.
Cheers.
John Lewis Partnership. Brilliant shops, staff and products at good prices. They own Waitrose supermarkets and the department stores known as John Lewis. John Lewis restricts the chief executive's pay to 75 times the average of non-management staff. THat's a lot less than the up to 400 times in other large companies.
John Lewis
Aah! The penny drops!!! Dixons PLC have attained the Holy Grail of awfulness, poor Customer relations, everything about them is terrible, this is not JB's fault, it's the way the company is, and will always be.I still maintain that Browletts appointment will be good for Apple!
Most of the European locations they opened up in had no previous experience of electrical superstores, so anything was better than what they had before, which was nothing. Note they are not present in Germany. That's because they know German competitors offer great service and prices and have low low margins.
Instead they followed the Tesco model of going to undeveloped retailing areas. That I'm prepared to accept owes something to Browett. It's not a bad strategy, but please, give up on the 'great customer service' angle, with that background it's just unbelievable and your undermining any qualities the man has, Apple.
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In the UK you can't be sacked on the spot. It's a long and complicated process to get rid of someone involving three verbal warnings three written warnings - or theft perhaps. If anyone bullied them or called them names before they left they sue for constructive dismissal and get compensation.
On top of that, the last Labour govt introduced this quaint idea of aiming for 50% of kids going to University, even if they were non-academic. Schools pushed their rights as individuals, nobody pushed their responsibilities. The end result is loads of kids with attitude that think the world owes them a living, and that work is for chatting to each other or playing on the internet.
Of course there are good kids too, but sadly the typical staff at a PCWorld/Dixons/Currys are badly led, poorly managed, and get away with all sorts of things.
I've been served by American sales staff in the UK and found them to be so much better, more polished, easier to talk to, and altogether all around really really good at what they do; I've never met a Brit in a Dixons quite like that.
I confess that I don't think I've ever been to shop at a Currys or PC World or whatever it's called, but if these shops are as awful as everyone says they are, I can't help but wonder how they are still in business.
You are either clearly struggling with logical thinking and the idea that consumers have a lot more power and influence than you give them credit for. It multiplies with each consumer who takes the time to make their voice heard. You can do so in numerous ways including: talking customer satisfaction surveys, sending feedback to companies with feedback forms (paper or electronic) and contacting consumer advocacy groups and/or regulatory bodies.
In North America, you can file a report with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Reports and in the UK, you can contact WHICH.
I cannot figure out if you are generally confused or you are being paid by someone to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt in the power of the consumer.
Consumers have a voice which is heard even louder when a bunch of them band together for a cause. YOu need to either stop being on the take or just start believing in yourself a little.
I maintain that so many Apple faithful are upset about the selection of Browett that it is already bad for Apple.
Mark
Nope, still not convinced
I'm sorry, I still don't get it..... He goes to a store, and shows off his product knowledge to a customer. I would be more impressed if he went under cover as a customer, and used that experience to improve the service that 99.999999% of customers get.
I also worry that a CEO has got that much time on his hands to understand in detail one of the products his company is selling. Different for Apple, as they're creating the product
I'm sorry, I still don't get it..... He goes to a store, and shows off his product knowledge to a customer. I would be more impressed if he went under cover as a customer, and used that experience to improve the service that 99.999999% of customers get.
I also worry that a CEO has got that much time on his hands to understand in detail one of the products his company is selling. Different for Apple, as they're creating the product
I can vouch for this and much of what @SwissMac2 is saying. But Tesco online was a success so I don't think we should be critical of Browett on this. Like I have said on other threads, I am yet to be convinced that a leopard can change his spots. If his operating treated customers with such disdain under his stewardship, then clearly he is not a customer focussed person. Or the people in his roladex are not. That being said, HE was responsible for taking Dixon's off the high street and relaunched as an online electricals retailer. Don't know how successful it was BUT I can't imagine it would have worried Amazon too much. Changed the model towards Currys superstores/megastores, in destination shopping centres. Which clearly worked better as people buy their TVs / fridges / stereos from such places rather than the high street.
Browett had an unfortunate reputation of over-predicting. As in, being too optimistic with his forecasts to the public capital markets.
But, he did keep the business alive when much of the electrical and electronic retailers on the high street disappearing or shrinking (cf. Best Buy, Comet, Carphone warehouse etc) so perhaps some credit is due. There is promise there and with a better product line-up, perhaps he can show his full skill-set. Besides, perhaps he learned from the Dixons/PC World lack of customer focus experience. It's not that easy to turn to John Lewis overnight
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oooh, I wouldn't say that! When Tesco online (the initial incarnation of tesco.com) was launched it was as good as we had in the UK! And took advantage of tesco's really innovative tesco loyalty scheme. But since Browett left, it has gone downhill! Ocado is where it's at currently in the UK.
Well, Well, Well!!! It may turn out that we are all wrong about ole John boy!
I hold my hands up to pre judging him based on the shower of crap that the DSG is and still remains.
This is nothing more than spin. So gullible...
Well as it wouldn't cost them anything, and made them more profit what do you expect. The manufacturer would be the one footing the bill.
Yes John Lewis has a better experience but its a whole different ball game. Its a much more expensive shop. (yes they price match) but they can use a very good profit margin to help the electronic sales side of things.
Dixons could never compete in the same way without a HUGE financial investment from the board. You can have all the good ideas in the world but if others don't support you there is only so much you can do.
Its amazing to see how many people think the guy is rubbish based off Dixons not being great. In companies as big as Dixons its a very complex net of people that need to be on board to get major changes.
Personally I have never found Dixons to be that bad, they had the drier I recently wanted in stock at the cheapest price in the country and they carried it to my car. Couldn't have asked much more really.
Dixons could never compete in the same way without a HUGE financial investment from the board. You can have all the good ideas in the world but if others don't support you there is only so much you can do.
Its amazing to see how many people think the guy is rubbish based off Dixons not being great. In companies as big as Dixons its a very complex net of people that need to be on board to get major changes.
Personally I have never found Dixons to be that bad, they had the drier I recently wanted in stock at the cheapest price in the country and they carried it to my car. Couldn't have asked much more really.
I think that's about right. For all the crap heaped on PCWorld, they are better than they used to be. They've still a way to go but there is a noticeable improvement.
For those the other side of the pond you need to distinguish between Dixons (few if any of which remain) and DSG - Dixons Service Group, which is the holding company for Currys/PCWorld. Currys were a box shifter for white goods/televisions and a small amount of computing whilst PCWorld were computers and, increasingly flat panel TVs. Neither had a good reputation.
Under Browett they amalgamated and became more like BestBuy, whose attempt at cracking the UK market failed dismally, losing shed loads of money in the process.
Actually for managerial ineptitude BB took the prize. Announcing exactly what you intend to do two years in advance - industry rumours were around 6 months before that - thus giving your opponents ample time to plan and execute, must be some sort of record.
Dixon's was is and may well continue to be an unpleasant customer experience. My last experience in an airport concession I found myself being approached by assistants every 5 minutes to ask if they could help. I felt like a criminal under observation.
As for this 'inspiring' story about him going undercover as a salesperson this is a regular activity for executives in large companies. And why any surprise he was a 'really charming and knowledgable assistant' - i'm sure he only had to work there for about half a day maximum, isn't earning something close to a minimum wage and commuting through the UK's awful transport system.
As for this 'inspiring' story about him going undercover as a salesperson this is a regular activity for executives in large companies. And why any surprise he was a 'really charming and knowledgable assistant' - i'm sure he only had to work there for about half a day maximum, isn't earning something close to a minimum wage and commuting through the UK's awful transport system.
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Call me foolish and sentimental my first interview questions for new svp would run like this.
Do you actually own and use any apple products ?
How many ? For how long ?
What feeling do they evoke in you ?
( All the while he would be wearing an ihat running iscanner on an iPad. Neuro-imaging tech that shows lighted up areas, especially affectivity in this case.)
Do you actually own and use any apple products ?
How many ? For how long ?
What feeling do they evoke in you ?
( All the while he would be wearing an ihat running iscanner on an iPad. Neuro-imaging tech that shows lighted up areas, especially affectivity in this case.)
I don't think many Brits suffer from delusions of grandeur these days - at least not one that stems from being British! If anything we suffer from the lack of the sort of strong, positive national identity that places like Canada or Switzerland enjoy.
Edit: Fine, London is cool...I even visited Viktor Wynd's Little Shop of Horrors a while ago in Hackney
If you think Hackney is anything like the worst neighbourhoods in the US or Brazil then you haven't seen a lot of bad neighbourhoods. These days it isn't even the worst neighbourhood in London, not by a long shot!