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John Browett Reflects on Lessons From Brief Stint as Apple Retail Chief
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Wealthy executives aren't exactly in huge numbers out there compared to the average worker. Maybe they should lower the barrier to entry to find higher quality human beings.
Typical employee mind set.
I run a couple of companies and I have done the grunt work in them as well at one time or another. I am sure my employees see things the same way as you because its a different view from up top than from down below.
He seemed like a competent business person just pursuing a different philosophy than Apple's. That is all.
What you mention about people getting fired is true though to an extent. But the difference between someone who is at an executive level and at the line level (meaning entry to mid level where there is no glory) is the ability to get things done and handle a lot of responsibility.
Executives often make their work look easy but the reality is that not many people can handle those jobs. If you were installed in a VP position of a big company you'd probably get the runs everyday from stress and lose all your hair in a few weeks. It's not for everyone, that is why those who are able to do it are rewarded handsomely.
The other thing is what it is they do. Executives jobs are often not scripted, and no two executives even in the same position will do the same things. Where as with line level positions, they are easily replaced and their jobs often perform tasks anyone can be trained on fairly easily. They are just not as valuable as a result.
The thing is many line level workers think they are indispensable but in reality when it comes to taking intiative to create some real value they often don't step up to the plate.
My background in case anyone is wondering is being currently the CEO of an international company (US based) and a managing consultant for another business abroad, I also possess two business degrees (Bachelors and Masters).
:-D probably true. It's the successful sociopaths that keep their positions for a long time. Or they're the most insulated by other, more alpha/dominant "better self-controlled" sociopaths. Kinda like the rumors about the situation with Jobs and Forestall.
The unsuccessful sociopaths are the ones constantly changing jobs, as each place of employment gets sick of their crap.
My former boss is one of that kind. I watched him move from job to job, making enemies at each place with his domineering, sexist, age elite, intolerant, antipathetic attitudes, and then "chosing to move on to other opportunities" after he realizes everyone is his "enemy" (not that it's occurred to him that he's created that enemy status all on his own and that it's his behavior, not "people everywhere" that fails to match up to standards of human society). I personally observed this twice at two places. He bluffs his way in with fabricated or conveniently acquired qualifications, plays the butt snorkeling game like a pro for the probationary period, and then lets loose as soon as he feels comfortable and secure in his position. People start to feel pushed around and manipulated by him, or he outright offends them in unprofessional outbursts, they catch his pathological lying and bullying, and then they all have a barely suppressed hatred of him while still tolerating his presence. Once he finds that others are no longer pliant to his will, he grows discontent and becomes hateful of those around him. He eventually declares "this place just doesn't have the same vision/ideals/goals as me"... in other words... The place sucks and is inferior to him because it didn't allow him to be the lying, manipulative, micromanaging, sexist, racist, arrogant jerk he tends to be everywhere he goes.
Corporate America is filled with both types and their in-betweeners. It actively rewards such behavior, for the "successful sociopaths" and fails to filter out most of any of them. That's why they're so common in management. You can find plenty of exceptions, but the dominant force in corporate America is this kind of pathology. The system punishes those with strong ethical programming and blocks their ascent in the ranks, where unethical people win with underhanded (or illegal) tactics.
I don't really like the Apple retail store model.
If you're going there to browse, it's great. If you're going there to buy, it's a mess. There's no defined place to go. You have to track someone down who will then track someone down to help you. The stores are crowded and I feel like I'm in the way.
It would be nice if there was a dedicated place for "buyers" to go straight to and be helped as close to immediately as possible.
The blue shirts crowding the entrances are also less than inviting. I feel like I'm intruding on their party.
If you're going there to browse, it's great. If you're going there to buy, it's a mess. There's no defined place to go. You have to track someone down who will then track someone down to help you. The stores are crowded and I feel like I'm in the way.
It would be nice if there was a dedicated place for "buyers" to go straight to and be helped as close to immediately as possible.
The blue shirts crowding the entrances are also less than inviting. I feel like I'm intruding on their party.
I suspect he was hired by Tim Cook to do what Tim Cook knows how to do: Reduce Costs.
Humans are insanely expensive as a "resource" in any business, and the easiest way to cut costs is to reduce headcount. That was this guy's specialty, and I bet that was why he was hired. They had to know full well what he did in the UK and specifically wanted that type of executive.
Tim Cook probably did not expect the backlash to be as harsh as it was (typical for most high level executives who deal with spreadsheets and inventories instead of people). Seeing the high wait times already for Genius bar services and whatnot, seeing the negative reaction and crowded stores, Apple cut its losses and threw the retail guy under the bus.
Apple has to realize that part of the overall Apple experience is the stores, now. You don't skimp on the hardware or software (I would hope) so why skimp on the retail presence which is where all your customers interact with your company face-to-face?
Humans are insanely expensive as a "resource" in any business, and the easiest way to cut costs is to reduce headcount. That was this guy's specialty, and I bet that was why he was hired. They had to know full well what he did in the UK and specifically wanted that type of executive.
Tim Cook probably did not expect the backlash to be as harsh as it was (typical for most high level executives who deal with spreadsheets and inventories instead of people). Seeing the high wait times already for Genius bar services and whatnot, seeing the negative reaction and crowded stores, Apple cut its losses and threw the retail guy under the bus.
Apple has to realize that part of the overall Apple experience is the stores, now. You don't skimp on the hardware or software (I would hope) so why skimp on the retail presence which is where all your customers interact with your company face-to-face?
Typical executive mindset.
I'm sure that's working out just fine for you and you don't need to speak up here to defend capitalism. A similarity between us is that neither of us have any real need to comment here that goes beyond personal ego.
Maybe you're an ethical and hard worker who got his just reward and treats his employees well. The statistics are not in favor of that being the majority of cases any more.
Also, the stresses and responsibilities in the executive position you make claim to may be appropriate for a risky venture where you could lose it all. That's not what is involved here with Browett and executives in this business. Unless you yourself are wealthy and making nothing but lateral moves, I'm not talking about you. I even wish you continued good fortune.
The fact is, this is just as likely a correct explanation as the idea that Cook didn't grasp what he was getting with hiring Browett. The problem here is then doubled: the ethics of capitalism are non-existent. Employees are both an inevitability and a necessity of doing business beyond the scale of one individual. HR propaganda is that employees are assets. But you're using the language they think and make decisions in: employees are liabilities and expenses.
In NEITHER case are they considered human beings or people. This mentality works well in short term ventures where people can be burned through and there's an inexhaustible supply of "the next willing wage slave." But it's unsustainable over the course of time of actual successful societies. Societies are made up of people. The more devalued the people are, the unhealthier the society.
In UK retail, the general assumption of management is that employees are worthless **** and need to be treated as such. I myself think this is totally counterproductive, but then I'm not a manager in retail (typically a clueless dolt in his twenties with a Napoleon complex).
I can imagine that he started with this attitude and figured out that it doesn't actually work. Not for him anyway
It's not just "part of the experience", it's one of the most important parts. When someone has a problem related to a Mac, I know I can send them to the nearest Apple Store and someone will actually try to help them. That's one thing you pay for when you buy a Mac or iPhone.
Me too.
The Dixons group (Dixons, Currys & PC World) is one of the shining examples of how not to run a customer service based business.
They are a classic example (IMO) of the "pay peanuts/get monkeys" business model and it actually never ceases to amaze me that they are still in business and I actually think they will be one of the next companies to go under in the UK.
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I love "McRetailer"!
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The business model he would have run at Dixons Group businesses is almost 180 degrees opposite to that which the Apple stores are founded on.
To me, as a UK resident, the Dixons Group stores are businesses I avoid like the plague.
Why?
Easy - their customer service is frankly appalling; they pay very low salaries and thus, attract workers who aren't really interested in the job, it's just "a job". As a business, their prices are often uncompetitive, and they have a terrible reputation for trying to sell overpriced warranties with almost anything you buy from them. They are renowned for frequent downsizing and headcount reductions, and try and operate on the minimum number of staff, all in the name of cost reduction, as they are purely a reseller (they don't actually make anything).
The stores are rarely full, they run on a very low headcount and the staff are often unfortunately poorly trained and don't have sufficient product knowledge of the products they sell. If you do buy something from them, and need telephone assistance, good luck; their telephone helplines are frequently outsourced and off-shored to the lowest bidder, and that shows with the quality of the help on offer.
Compare that to the Apple Store experience - to me, Apple Stores are supposed to be a physical advertisement of the Apple ecosystem, staffed by enthusiastic workers who know their products, and - crucially - know their customers. The money Apple makes on its hardware can, in effect, subsidise the Apple Stores.
It's unsurprising to me that he lasted so little time, his previous work experience just doesn't match Apple's customer-oriented approach.
To me, as a UK resident, the Dixons Group stores are businesses I avoid like the plague.
Why?
Easy - their customer service is frankly appalling; they pay very low salaries and thus, attract workers who aren't really interested in the job, it's just "a job". As a business, their prices are often uncompetitive, and they have a terrible reputation for trying to sell overpriced warranties with almost anything you buy from them. They are renowned for frequent downsizing and headcount reductions, and try and operate on the minimum number of staff, all in the name of cost reduction, as they are purely a reseller (they don't actually make anything).
The stores are rarely full, they run on a very low headcount and the staff are often unfortunately poorly trained and don't have sufficient product knowledge of the products they sell. If you do buy something from them, and need telephone assistance, good luck; their telephone helplines are frequently outsourced and off-shored to the lowest bidder, and that shows with the quality of the help on offer.
Compare that to the Apple Store experience - to me, Apple Stores are supposed to be a physical advertisement of the Apple ecosystem, staffed by enthusiastic workers who know their products, and - crucially - know their customers. The money Apple makes on its hardware can, in effect, subsidise the Apple Stores.
It's unsurprising to me that he lasted so little time, his previous work experience just doesn't match Apple's customer-oriented approach.
Swell. We get this guy back in the UK. My kids love the Monsoon/Accesorise stores he's now in charge of. Let us hope that Browett has learned that retailers cannot treat consumers as a fixed income stream that keeps coming no matter how poorly they are treated (which admittedly is the prevailing model in many businesses in the UK). Otherwise it will simply be more of 'rip-off Britain.'
We get this guy back in the UK. My kids love the Monsoon/Accesorise stores he's now in charge of. Let us hope that Browett has learned that retailers cannot treat consumers as a fixed income stream that keeps coming no matter how poorly they are treated (which admittedly is the prevailing model in many businesses in the UK). Otherwise it will simply be more of 'rip-off Britain.'
A fact that every UK based Mac Rumors reader knew all along and yet somehow Tim Cook managed to miss.
Sounds like Browett needs to share some of his new found humility with you.
Getting fired from the most successful tech company in the world will make you think about your own business practices all right.
The stores that Browett managed in the UK were renown for having a very poor consumer experience - Lone Dranger was not exaggerating with respect to UK MR readers.
"Apple is a truly fantastic business. The people are great, they've got great products, it's got a great culture and I loved working there, it's a fantastic business. The issue there was that I just didn't fit within the way they run the business. It was one of those things where you're rejected for fit rather than competency."
Run this through the Steve Jobs translator and the output is:
"He was a *****head! We fired this bozo before he totally ruined Apple's retail reputation!"
Run this through the Steve Jobs translator and the output is:
"He was a *****head! We fired this bozo before he totally ruined Apple's retail reputation!"
Ahh, but it works...
I was at the Manhattan store before christmas, and was literally wading through the people looking for a cable and a backpack style bag. Not only did I get a lot of solicited and unsolicited advice, I also found several Apple shirts that offered to 'ring me up' on the spot, and one showed me how the Apple Store app works for ringing up my own stuff. I was in and out, with the overpopulation being stratospheric, in a very short time.
Thinking outside-the-box means doing things a different way. You can hunt for someone to 'ring you out' and put your goodies in a bag the old fashioned way, or you can 'think different' and exploit the advantages... Seeing Rudy Gulliani was an interesting part of that chaotic trip, but being armed with their technology saved me big time... I find the 'blue shirts at the door' odd, but helpful. Usually I am in for some advice, and product or gadget, and one of them has experience in what I seek enlightenment, and I find that honestly refreshing when compared to the idiots at the other (yellow) stores... One mans savior is another mans executioner?
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Before the second JC Penny type thrust into the jugular?
I would still say the board knew who they were hiring and merely changed their minds after the fact on what they really wanted. He was likely hired to cut costs.
Jonny Ive did a few fancy drawings, let someone else do all the hard work and actually design and make the thing (!!), then sat back for the last 2/3 years and take all the glory. It's no wonder Apple have problems, they're all too busy with their heads in the sand patting each others backs!