Apple's Ron Johnson on the Retail Store Experience

[Mattie Num Nums]

Yeah, but I'd rather sell Macs than crappy cheap clonewear. Plus you don't have to stay 3 hours after close to fold jeans.

Id rather spend 3 hours folding clothes than 3 hours in a chaotic store with managers locked up in an office or missing. Retail is retail no matter where it is.

 

[Brian92610]

Hate to tell you they don't call it Gapple for nothing. Almost all of the management upper and middle are from Gap, Pottery Barn, or the likes.

Hah, funny that you say that because almost all of the management at the store I worked at came from these stores. And none of them knew anything about computers!

Before One-One selling ProCare was a must. If you didn't you heard about it. Also for those who were with the company during the Easy Pay transition remember easy pay was another metric!

Yup, things didn't change much. I remember being advised by management to undersell someone that was looking for an expensive computer so they would spend the same amount of money but also purchase metrics.And they still have metrics on easy pay (now iPod Touch). At least 80% of your transactions need to be done on mobile devices. If you helped too many cash customers you needed to get management to take over for you (or at least sign in for you so it didn't hurt your personal metrics).

 

[skeep5]

pretty much they nailed it, i don't know how many times i've actually said the words 'lets hang out at the apple store' but its a lot.

 

[milbournosphere]

The Apple store is great... unless you actually want to just walk in and buy something.

Then you search for 15 minutes trying to find an employee who is not busy helping someone else so you can check out.

I miss the dedicated checkout counter.

Say what you wanna say about the Apple Store, but in any store of their stores that I've been in, I've always been helped very promptly. I have my share of beefs with apple store policy (make an appointment to replace bum headphones? redonkulous!) but their employees have always been nice and prompt with me. That said, the bulk of this thread is probably going to be anecdotal, so take this (and all stories like this) with a grain of salt.

 

[lilo777]

Certainly a neat and original layout, bright and friendly. Still reminds me of a boutique clothing store though.

Oops, I must have accidentally walked into the wrong store...

Boutique clothing, boutique computers ... Apple innovation in action

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Hah, funny that you say that because almost all of the management at the store I worked at came from these stores. And none of them knew anything about computers!




Yup, things didn't change much. I remember being advised by management to undersell someone that was looking for an expensive computer so they would spend the same amount of money but also purchase metrics.And they still have metrics on easy pay (now iPod Touch). At least 80% of your transactions need to be done on mobile devices. If you helped too many cash customers you needed to get management to take over for you (or at least sign in for you so it didn't hurt your personal metrics).

Yeah the underselling for metrics was huge. If you felt the customer wasn't interested in any of the metrics sell them a lower end machine or just find a random school in the POS system to give them the ed discount so they will buy it.

pretty much they nailed it, i don't know how many times i've actually said the words 'lets hang out at the apple store' but its a lot.

weird

 

[iphone1105]

I used to work for an Apple Store, and I can tell you, this is very true. We were never encouraged to sell sell sell. We were taught to help customers find solutions, even if that solution was not to buy a Mac.

I have to say, I have to agree with how you speak of yourself and other employees/former ones. I went in one time intent to buy a MacBook Pro 13", I gave them my needs, and they suggested the White 13" MacBook would more than suit my needs. They lost money with me getting the 13" MacBook and they seemed to not care and were just really excited I was purchasing one to begin with.

 

[Pandora01]

Id rather spend 3 hours folding clothes than 3 hours in a chaotic store with managers locked up in an office or missing. Retail is retail no matter where it is.

Going home at midnight after folding jeans for three hours (and after working 5 hours before that) was totally depressing. I quit working there a week before the Christmas rush, just because I didn't want to deal with it. LOL

 

[LagunaSol]

Pfft, no Electric Slide, no buy. Wake up Apple.

 

[GamecockMac]

Boutique clothing, boutique computers ... Apple innovation in action

It was so innovative that Microsoft decided to copy it (of course) for their retail stores full of fail.

 

[Eidorian]

Elbow to elbow with gadget people, having more passion, and knowledge about the products than the employees isn't a good place to start.

Thankfully I don't have to go into that quagmire for support when I can take a break and drive down the street from work to hit the local AASP.

 

[Salacion]

I used to work for an Apple Store, and I can tell you, this is very true. We were never encouraged to sell sell sell. We were taught to help customers find solutions, even if that solution was not to buy a Mac.

"Hey, can I help you?"

"Uh, yes. I can't decide between which backpack to buy. I really want a cool one for my laptop."

"Well, you should just go to the surf/skate shop across the way. They have cool backpacks that house laptops, for half the price."

"Oh, cool. Thanks. But you just lost yourself a sale!"

"Oh, no. It doesn't matter. Right off the back, Apple told us that their products sell themselves."


At least that was my experience.

 

[unitysong]

Pure fluff

Ron is selling the past. Sure, the stores started as a pretty special and unique place to showcase Apple's products. Back in the day™ it didn't matter if a customer left with purchase or a recommendation to go to Best Buy and get a Dell. People with creative and technical savvy were the workforce.

Now anything unique or special about the Apple retail experience is incidental. As with any company, the experience in engineered to squeeze more labor from fewer workers and more money from the customer's wallet. The whole thing has been an accelerating downward spiral for job quality and dignity, and a wet dream for stockholders (like Ron Johnson).

They used to say the core and soul of Apple was people. I think they meant Ben Franklin and whoever is on the fifty.

 

[Brian92610]

I have to say, I have to agree with how you speak of yourself and other employees/former ones. I went in one time intent to buy a MacBook Pro 13", I gave them my needs, and they suggested the White 13" MacBook would more than suit my needs. They lost money with me getting the 13" MacBook and they seemed to not care and were just really excited I was purchasing one to begin with.

Did they get you to buy MobileMe, One to One or APP though? Because they don't care if they "lose" money on a sale as long as you purchase one or more metrics.

 

[Doctor Q]

How soon will we start to see speciality stores within the largest Apple stores? I don't mean a Starbucks and a McDonald's. I'm wondering if they would ever share floor space with a favored vendor, like a GPS device maker, a case vendor, a Mac software company, etc., rather than just having favored third-party products on the shelves. If I had to guess, I think they won't, in order to maintain simplicity and a consistent message. But with all that floor space, don't you think they are tempted to rent out some of it?

 

[Dr McKay]

It is indeed quite a hard store to just walk in and buy, Ive been in several times, knowing that all I wanted was a dock for my phone and such, couldn't find one, and took 20 minutes waiting to ask someone where they are. But if I stroll over to a Mac on a stand; with a semi-interested look, employees descend upon me. but this only seems to happen when I don't actually want anything, and I'm in there to kill time.

 

[LagunaSol]

It is indeed quite a hard store to just walk in and buy, Ive been in several times, knowing that all I wanted was a dock for my phone and such, couldn't find one, and took 20 minutes waiting to ask someone where they are. But if I stroll over to a Mac on a stand; with a semi-interested look, employees descend upon me. but this only seems to happen when I don't actually want anything, and I'm in there to kill time.

Opportunity has a distinct aroma, and good retail employees can smell it.

P.S. I already have a trademark on your sig.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Oops, I must have accidentally walked into the wrong store...

Nice... MS brings back the ol' 8th grade science class tables. Way to scar me.

 

[robvas]

I noticed Best Buy tries to make a mini Apple store inside their own store. All the Macs are on large, wooden tables, away from the PC laptops and desktops that are just crammed on the shelves.

At MicroCenter, the Mac stuff i just crammed on the shelves as well in a corner of the store.

 

[Dr McKay]

Opportunity has a distinct aroma, and good retail employees can smell it.

P.S. I already have a trademark on your sig.

Ahaha yes, it was so damn funny I had to use it, with your permission of course

 

[robvas]

Nice... MS brings back the ol' 8th grade science class tables. Way to scar me.

Our lab areas at work are the same way, complete with sinks and gas valves.

 

[johnsingh06]

Whatever!

i went to their store this morning for an appointment i made a week ago. it was at 1:30 and id arrived at 1:15. to cut a long story short, i waited for my name on the waiting list screen to get down to number one. by 1:50 i went to ask the girl at the bar how long i have to wait being number 3 on the list and she told me that i had not responded to a name call (however i was standing right infront of the bar waiting for my name, i think i would have heard! and even if i did somehow miss it it obvsly wasnt loud enough!). I was so ******** off to be blunt. They never once mention to go and talk to the lady at the desk but besides that, other apple stores ive been to have worked by the names on the screen. The worst part was that i was still on the list even if they cancel you off! it wasted so much of my time and money! im still pissed about it. the apple store in brent cross is absolutely Terrible! dont not go there! plenty more helpful once in london!

 

[GamecockMac]

It is indeed quite a hard store to just walk in and buy, Ive been in several times, knowing that all I wanted was a dock for my phone and such, couldn't find one, and took 20 minutes waiting to ask someone where they are. But if I stroll over to a Mac on a stand; with a semi-interested look, employees descend upon me. but this only seems to happen when I don't actually want anything, and I'm in there to kill time.

So you're actually complaining that when you display partial interest in an item for sale in a retail store, that it annoys you to have employees attempt to gauge your interest in buying it? Ooookay.

Strange, everytime I've ever ducked into an Apple store to "kill time" by checking my e-mail or doing some surfing, I very rarely have been bothered by a salesperson, maybe because I am intent on what I'm doing and don't affect a "semi-interested look". Try it sometime, you might be surprised.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

I have to say, I have to agree with how you speak of yourself and other employees/former ones. I went in one time intent to buy a MacBook Pro 13", I gave them my needs, and they suggested the White 13" MacBook would more than suit my needs. They lost money with me getting the 13" MacBook and they seemed to not care and were just really excited I was purchasing one to begin with.

Hes probably a former employee because he wasn't hitting his metrics

So you're actually complaining that when you display partial interest in an item for sale in a retail store, that it annoys you to have employees attempt to gauge your interest in buying it? Ooookay.

Strange, everytime I've ever ducked into an Apple store to "kill time" by checking my e-mail or doing some surfing, I very rarely have been bothered by a salesperson, maybe because I am intent on what I'm doing and don't affect a "semi-interested look". Try it sometime, you might be surprised.

In the Apple Store they usually have staff members placed in the "family room" that basically are there to make sure everyone is being helped.

 

[Dr McKay]

So you're actually complaining that when you display partial interest in an item for sale in a retail store, that it annoys you to have employees attempt to gauge your interest in buying it? Ooookay.

Strange, everytime I've ever ducked into an Apple store to "kill time" by checking my e-mail or doing some surfing, I very rarely have been bothered by a salesperson, maybe because I am intent on what I'm doing and don't affect a "semi-interested look". Try it sometime, you might be surprised.

I'm not annoyed at Apple no, it happens in nearly every store I visit, salesmen descending on me when I don't actually want them, but no-one being there when I need them.

(When I need help, I could be stood there in the store with a look that screams 'Help me!' but no-one comes, this is Sod's law and happens in every store )