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I hate the new Apple store setups

A

atMac

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 20, 2011
328
0
This took place at the Walnut Street Store in Philadelphia.

Last week I went to buy an iPad for my father for Fathersday. I went to the iPad table and used the new iPad setups to ask for a "Specialist." It said i was 6th in line so I waited, after saying that I was next it suddenly reset and I had to press it again. I waited this time 8th in line and finally got someone to help me.

Today I went in to see about getting a loaded 13in Air for myself and I again went to the proper table and selected Specialist I was (oddly) 6th inline. I waited from 5:50 till 6:30 before I was was finally next. During the wait I saw another "Specialist" helping a person at another Air table, the 11in table, and she couldn't answer the simple question of the pros/cons of HDD vs SSD. During my wait a "Specialist" came up to help another person at the table I was waiting at. For all I know they asked for a specialist before I did, I wasn't really paying attention. Then he walked away and then I looked down and saw AGAIN that my wait was canceled.

After that I gave up and left the store.

This new system is terrible. The Specialists never know who actually pressed the button, they don't check any of the screens they just remotely using their iphone things cancel the wait because they talked to someone but never figured to find out if it was the CORRECT person. I have even seen kids walking around triggering all the specialist calls at one. and they just remotely reset them all forcing anyone that needed help to re-submit.

I have never spent over an hour waiting for help when there is specifically a call button for the place where I am standing, and I NEVER plan to try and buy a machine in the Apple store again. I can reason to myself having to wait 6th or 8th inline, its only fair, but to have your call constantly cancelled on you because the Specialist are incompetent is just a waist of my time.
 
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Sounds like one of my previous experience PRIOR to these new lay outs. I had to flag down 3 employees to help me with my purchase until the third finally helped me. In the midst of helping me, the employee was also working on an exchange/return. I shortly thanked her for her assistance and decided to go across the street to Best Buy. I guess they're failing on what they're trying to improve. Going to the Apple store is always a nightmare.
 
When you use the new system to call a specialist it shows them specifically which device you used so as long as you stay in the same place they know exactly where to go to.
 
anjinha said:
When you use the new system to call a specialist it shows them specifically which device you used so as long as you stay in the same place they know exactly where to go to.
Click to expand...

Well I never moved, so either that's not true or the store in Philly is just that terrible.
 
Maybe it's just your store I've never had a problem with the apple store here. Every time I've went in I've gotten fast service.
 
I'm not a fan of the apple store but partly because I've gone there in the past to buy software and apple is moving away from selling boxed software.
 
Sounds to me like they need to use a system like at a Deli. One of those red reels where you pick a number. Then they have a counter on the wall saying what number they are serving. While the available employee yells out now serving number so and so.

Or a system like the DMV where it is announced by computer voice. Then a screen above the available rep lights up with your number. Have each specialist sitting at a desk.
 
atMac said:
Well I never moved, so either that's not true or the store in Philly is just that terrible.
Click to expand...

I must have misunderstood. I thought the problem was that the specialists took way too long to get to you and that your place in line was reset. Did the specialists also have trouble knowing which customers to go to?
 
anjinha said:
I must have misunderstood. I thought the problem was that the specialists took way too long to get to you and that your place in line was reset. Did the specialists also have trouble knowing which customers to go to?
Click to expand...

Yes they seem to just walk up to any person standing around the general area, walk away, then remotely cancel your request.
 
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I went to the Apple Store today on my lunch break with a few questions about my iPhone and had a positive experience. I was greeted at the door by an employee or maybe a manager (black shirt) who asked some basic questions about how he could help me. I explained my questions and he pulled in another employee (blue shirt) to help him troubleshoot my basic questions. After talking about it for a minute they agreed I should talk to a "genius" and signed me into the cue. The employee asked me to stand in a general area, but said I could freely browse around if I truly wanted to look at something and that someone would be with me shortly. I played with an iPad for about 10 - 15 minutes and a triage tech of sort who was checking off the list approached me with another tech in tow (both blue genius shirts). They confirmed who I was, marked me off the list, and the tech began to work with me to addres my questions. The triage tech moved on to help the next customer on the list get paired with a different tech.

The genius assisting me didn't rush me and took the time to answer all of my questions, even when I asked ones that weren't technical in nature or were beyond his expertise (carrier questions). He politely asked to see my phone before he did any troubleshooting on it and asked permission before opening programs to ensure that my privacy was respected.

All of this occurred in a very busy Apple Store during a fairly large lunch rush. I'm sorry your experience was negative, but I just thought I would share mine from today. In any retail experience it can be hit or miss depending on multiple factors. I wouldn't let one bad moment ruin your view of the entire store or keep you from going back. However, if you have multiple negative experiences then that's a different matter and you could ask to speak with management if you feel taking the time to do so would be beneficial. Otherwise, like you mentioned, just use a different avenue to make your product purchases.
 
atMac said:
This new system is terrible.
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Well, you know what they say about Apple and first versions/major changes, right? RUN. lol

Seriously, hope they get all of the bugs worked out.

If this system worked as designed, it sounds a lot better than anything they've had in the past. The "battle other customers to flag down an employee" method definitely doesn't work, and nobody appears to have liked the "check in with the Concierge employee wearing the orange t-shirt" system.
 
velocityg4 said:
Sounds to me like they need to use a system like at a Deli. One of those red reels where you pick a number. Then they have a counter on the wall saying what number they are serving. While the available employee yells out now serving number so and so.
Click to expand...

Whenever I go to confession, I think they need one of those at the church, too. :D

Seriously, though, if this is the way the Apple store is handling things, that's insane. I don't shop there much -- nearest one is an hour away -- but how irritating!
 
atMac said:
Yes they seem to just walk up to any person standing around the general area, walk away, then remotely cancel your request.
Click to expand...

They might "seem" to, but they have their own app telling them where to go. As for canceling the requests it could be a bug on the system or an issue with people/kids pressing the call specialist button for fun.

If they indeed are going up to any person randomly that's not a problem with the setup, it's a problem with them not using the system like they're supposed to.

And yes, being a new system there might be a few kinks with it. Best solution is to give feedback to management.
 
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Today I went to the Christiana store in Deleware and the help is SO much better. The help actively walks around and offers help, I got a person to help me in under 5 minutes! And no tax in Deleware. I coming here from now on.

The Store in Philly sucks in general. I work a few blocks from it so we send our repairs there and the people there never really seem to know whats going on so we are moving our Apple support back to Springboard media.
 
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