Inside Apple's Retail Store Operation

[jmorrison0722]

Attachments

I tell you this because I know. I've worked at an Apple Retail Store.

Employees who do not meet the attachment goals are not trained, nor are they moved to other positions in the store. In most cases, they are spoken to by management to work harder on it, then if they don't improve their hours are cut. There is an undeniable direct connection between hours and attachments, unless of course the employee was hired as a Genius or Creative, who aren't subject to attachment Quotas.

 

[mdelvecchio]

They should work on how annoying it is to have employees blocking the entrances, and asking you if they can help you with anything all the time as soon as you put a foot in the door. It causes tension more than anything on the customer. They should just do what other stores do... If the customer needs help, let them ask for it.

er, no. it means you have social anxiety.

if they did as Best Buy does, id never be able to find anyone to help me when i need it. fail.

 

[BMcCoy]

Interesting that Apple seems to self-indulge in such extreme retail strategy, and yet seemingly fails at the coal face.

My short story:

I went into the London Covent Garden branch of Apple, about 6 months ago, planning to buy an iMac.
I knew roughly what I wanted, but having never owned a Mac before, I had some questions, and I wanted to be shown a few things with one, before actually buying. (And that's why I went to a store, rather than buying online.)

On entering the store, there are no signs to show me where to go, and where to find the products. I saw one iMac sitting on a table, but I still don't know if that is the only one in the store, as there was no-one available for me to ask where the iMacs are. I wandered about for a while, and went up some shiny glass stairs to the second floor, but thr second floor seemed to be groups huddled around tables, rather than general retail.. and again, no-one to ask for help.

Returned to the ground floor, and found what I think was an employee, and asked for help. Their immediate reply before I even finished the word "help" was "do you have an appointment?". I said no, and without even making eye contact, he dashed off to a nearby table where another customer was using an iPad, I think, and had the employee's full attention.

So, about 15 minutes in the store... no signs to show me where to go to look at things.. and no employees to help me. And that was just to FIND the iMacs, let alone my questions about using them, and a demonstration. So I left empty handed.

Do I actually need an appointment in an Apple shop to get service? And why aren't there signs on the ceiling, or wall.. such as "iMacs -> this way.." ?!

So I'll carry on with my Windows 7 PC.

 

[mdelvecchio]

ultimately i got pissed and asked the guy if there was some reason why i wasnt allowed to just buy the one i was asking for and if i needed to fill some sort of requirement in order for him to allow me to pay him for the computer? then the guy got angry

sure you did. then you turned into a pirate w/ a dagger in your mouth and ripped down a canvas sail!

 

[NAG]

I figured you wouldn't have any substance, considering you've confused my opinion every chance you were given.



MAC instead of Mac, I must be an 3vil PC user!

Image

Two chances eh? I think you're mistaking me with a collection of other people. Such as claiming I'm calling you an "3vil PC user" and never addressing anything I say. Thats okay. You can be exactly what you claim I am. Not silly at all. After all, if you actually decided to have a conversation and explain your points with evidence and talk directly to points the other person makes that may or may not be intended to address everything you're saying that would make this all far too boring. You're right, best keep it interesting for yourself.

 

[un.titled]

Two chances eh? I think you're mistaking me with a collection of other people. Such as claiming I'm calling you an "3vil PC user" and never addressing anything I say. Thats okay. You can be exactly what you claim I am. Not silly at all. After all, if you actually decided to have a conversation and explain your points with evidence and talk directly to points the other person makes that may or may not be intended to address everything you're saying that would make this all far too boring. You're right, best keep it interesting for yourself.

Considering you're the only individual in this thread having a hard time understanding what I'm saying, I'm chalking you up as an isolate case. Good day.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Hmm, Memories! CRUing a computer was just about the only way to appease a business customer that was out of a laptop for two weeks because of misc. junk repairs.

I remembering telling the bar that my top case was broken (trackpad) and that it'd be nice if I could just quick drop it and get it back in a few days.

NOPE!

I saw the guy NOT listen to me and not put in the concierge system that it was a trackpad issue. 10 days later they call me up and tell me what I already knew, not that they fixed it or anything. They called to verify that is was a top case issue.

6 days later I had to call them and chew them out about a two week long repair that should've only been 10 minutes.


It's hard to keep track of EVERYTHING that EVERYONE says. Especially when 6 or 7 people want to take a stab at someone.

I usually try to keep my head down.

Reminds me of when we were switching out Macbook top cases and Fans like crazy. We'd quick drop them because they were coming in like crazy and just let them rot so we could CRU em.

 

[ratzzo]

When they say that employees should know the customer's needs, because they often don't even know them themselves... I guess they mean how they surround you like flies trying to sell you everything they can, when you already know what you came in for. Many times, it gets to the point when I feel harassed and would just like them to leave me alone to browse.

 

[jive turkey]

Since when is it "an unusual sales philosophy" to "not to sell, but rather to help customers solve problems"? The most successful companies have been doing that for over a century and it is a common philosophy/method in sales agent training. While it might not be the way an average business is run, I'm surprised the WSJ would write that about a company as successful as Apple.

 

[NAG]

Considering you're the only individual in this thread having a hard time understanding what I'm saying, I'm chalking you up as an isolate case. Good day.

Sigh. This is the third time you've said this exact point. In fact, you've said this more than anything else, including where you think I'm misunderstanding you. In fact, I think you never actually addressed where that is. Maybe you're misunderstanding me. Ever think of that?

I made a point. My point is that most customers do not understand what computer they need. I gave some evidence of this including the Windows switcher ad, the netbook market declining after a tablets entered the market, and I also relied on metaphors like people not knowing how to build cars vs computers. If my points are tangential to your favorite argument, I'm sorry. I guess I should work harder to care more about you.

 

[Bubba Satori]

sure you did. then you turned into a pirate w/ a dagger in your mouth and ripped down a canvas sail!

I love this place.

 

[Kadin]

Have no sales quotas? Yeah right. When I was there, it was a constant push to sell as much AppleCare, MobileMe and One-to-One as you could. Every daily download was focused on these measures and we never seemed to be good enough. I understand that it's a retail business and that's always going to be a focus. But to say there are no 'quotas' is an exaggeration of the truth. There is a lot of pressure and when they (managers) saw systems going out, there was always the look and sometimes a huddle amongst them if it was going out 'naked'.

 

[afireintonto]

Interesting that Apple seems to self-indulge in such extreme retail strategy, and yet seemingly fails at the coal face.

My short story:

I went into the London Covent Garden branch of Apple, about 6 months ago, planning to buy an iMac.
I knew roughly what I wanted, but having never owned a Mac before, I had some questions, and I wanted to be shown a few things with one, before actually buying. (And that's why I went to a store, rather than buying online.)

On entering the store, there are no signs to show me where to go, and where to find the products. I saw one iMac sitting on a table, but I still don't know if that is the only one in the store, as there was no-one available for me to ask where the iMacs are. I wandered about for a while, and went up some shiny glass stairs to the second floor, but thr second floor seemed to be groups huddled around tables, rather than general retail.. and again, no-one to ask for help.

Returned to the ground floor, and found what I think was an employee, and asked for help. Their immediate reply before I even finished the word "help" was "do you have an appointment?". I said no, and without even making eye contact, he dashed off to a nearby table where another customer was using an iPad, I think, and had the employee's full attention.

So, about 15 minutes in the store... no signs to show me where to go to look at things.. and no employees to help me. And that was just to FIND the iMacs, let alone my questions about using them, and a demonstration. So I left empty handed.

Do I actually need an appointment in an Apple shop to get service? And why aren't there signs on the ceiling, or wall.. such as "iMacs -> this way.." ?!

So I'll carry on with my Windows 7 PC.

What a ****ing joke man.
Apple sells like 10 different computers, was it really that hard to look around for a few seconds? Jesus dude.

 

[gnasher729]

I didn't realize the scope and depth of indoctrination Apple employees go through.

What do you mean by "indoctrination"? Do you have a job where everyone just runs around and does whatever they like? If that is "indoctrination" then I like going to a hairdresser where the employees are indoctrinated to give people a nice haircut, take my car to a garage where the mechanics are indoctrinated to fix problems without messing anything up, go to a hotel where the employees are indoctrinated to treat customers well, and of course a computer store where employees are indoctrinated to help customers get what they need first, and selling stuff second.

 

[grayskies]

A couple of friends who work retail have expressed close the same thing to me.

If they don't make there goals ( whatever the measure ) they risk having hours cut.

I tell you this because I know. I've worked at an Apple Retail Store.

Employees who do not meet the attachment goals are not trained, nor are they moved to other positions in the store. In most cases, they are spoken to by management to work harder on it, then if they don't improve their hours are cut. There is an undeniable direct connection between hours and attachments, unless of course the employee was hired as a Genius or Creative, who aren't subject to attachment Quotas.

 

[dba7dba]

They should work on how annoying it is to have employees blocking the entrances, and asking you if they can help you with anything all the time as soon as you put a foot in the door. It causes tension more than anything on the customer. They should just do what other stores do... If the customer needs help, let them ask for it.

I just walk past them without giving them a chance to stop me...

Now I don't enjoy going to apple stores. It's always so crowded and feels claustrophobic.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Have no sales quotas? Yeah right. When I was there, it was a constant push to sell as much AppleCare, MobileMe and One-to-One as you could. Every daily download was focused on these measures and we never seemed to be good enough. I understand that it's a retail business and that's always going to be a focus. But to say there are no 'quotas' is an exaggeration of the truth. There is a lot of pressure and when they (managers) saw systems going out, there was always the look and sometimes a huddle amongst them if it was going out 'naked'.

Give this guy negatives all you want this is the truth. A few of us here worked Apple retail for years and years. I was fortunate to work at Apple Retail during the "glory days" (also know as Before the iPhone.) Things at Apple changed once the customer base and company vision changed.

Naked sales were bad. I used to be "The Closer". Hey dude go and get APP on that Naked Powerbook hurry!!!

 

[KiraDouji]

... My short story:...

That person at the door that everyone complains about or ignores? They could have solved all your problems if you just asked them where the imacs were or if there was a salesman (specialist) available.

 

[acies909]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8J2)

Im actually kinda of sad for all those that have had bad experiences in the Apple Store. You need to come to the Detroit Area, we have 4 Apple Stores and I have had the consistent service at all 4. I'm greeted with a Welcome to the Apple Store, they always say thanks for coming give me a handshake and introduce themselves to me. I love the Apple Store and the only reason I would buy online is if I was doing some crazy upgrades, but I would still buy AppleCare and One-to-One on every machine I buy

 

[azurehi]

Employees won't give me privacy so I can see if my favorite porn sites are available on the iPad

 

[jeejeebu]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8J2)

Im actually kinda of sad for all those that have had bad experiences in the Apple Store. You need to come to the Detroit Area, we have 4 Apple Stores and I have had the consistent service at all 4. I'm greeted with a Welcome to the Apple Store, they always say thanks for coming give me a handshake and introduce themselves to me. I love the Apple Store and the only reason I would buy online is if I was doing some crazy upgrades, but I would still buy AppleCare and One-to-One on every machine I buy

Post-iPhone, my favorite Apple Store experience was at a store in Ann Arbor. A repair that a store in Miami told me would require leaving my MB overnight took them 15 minutes. They did it while I waited. (Of course, before the iPhone, every store offered service like that.)

 

[gnasher729]

If they aren't ever going to boot into OSX, then why are they in an Apple store?

If the MBA 11" hardware is the kind of hardware you want, or a 12 core Mac Pro, or a 27" iMac, why not? I'd just be curious if they would sell you a Mac with Windows pre-installed if you ask.

 

[afireintonto]

Of course, before the iPhone, every store offered service like that.

So true man. Back when I had just a regular white book, I had the all too common palm rest cracks...all the time.
And it used to be a 30 minute thing, and then once the iPhone 3G came out (I admit I bought into the iPhone then too) getting those damn cracks fixed took days.
Lol, I loved that white book, but I was at the genus bar like every three months.

 

[MacTheSpoon]

I like the Apple employees, usually. But the attachment thing is kind of gross.

 

[LegacyMacUser]

Apple Retail Stores

I live in So. Cal. and have done business with five Apple Stores in this area since the Glendale opening in 2001, the most recent visit 2 weeks ago at the Westfield Topanga facility. Maybe my experiences are unusual, but I have nothing but positive things to say about these establishments. Friendly, knowledgeable and extemely helpful staff and a clean, orderly display of everything right down to the 3rd-party accessories.

If these stores are over-crowded as one of the contributors complained, there's a reason for it: an Apple Store is a good place to shop. As another local retailer says, "People will do business where business is being done."