Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Just left Apple as a Mac Genius...

F

FireArse

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 29, 2004
900
110
Hello all,

Having spent a great deal of time on these boards upto around 3 years ago, I decided to apply for a Genius position in London.

I got the job and significantly reduced my input - however, I have decided to leave and I'm back :)

Does anybody have any questions while its all fresh in my head?

The tech stuff can be found at Apple.com/support - ask something interesting!

FireArse
 
Answers

miles01110 said:
Why'd you leave?
Click to expand...

The job I signed up to do 3 years ago wasn't what I was doing last week. Things have gone from a customer focus to a strong drive to deliver figures. It dissappointed me - I was there to help people and give great service (like how I'd expect to be treated when going to an Apple Retail Store). I wasn't there to reach 25 customers per day or rush repairs. Other geniuses agreed, but weren't in a poisition to leave.

There is great dissatisfaction in this particular team. Last I heard, we had 700 machines in for repair and a turn-around time (for repairs) of greater than 15 days. It was truley embarrassing explaining this to customers.

Other retail stores would internally complain because our customers went to nearby retail stores for service & couldn't handle the load. I couldn't be a part of that.

FireArse
 
FireArse said:
The job I signed up to do 3 years ago wasn't what I was doing last week. Things have gone from a customer focus to a strong drive to deliver figures. It dissappointed me - I was there to help people and give great service (like how I'd expect to be treated when going to an Apple Retail Store). I wasn't there to reach 25 customers per day or rush repairs. Other geniuses agreed, but weren't in a poisition to leave.

There is great dissatisfaction in this particular team. Last I heard, we had 700 machines in for repair and a turn-around time (for repairs) of greater than 15 days. It was truley embarrassing explaining this to customers.

Other retail stores would internally complain because our customers went to nearby retail stores for service & couldn't handle the load. I couldn't be a part of that.

F
Click to expand...

Shame to hear your store was headed that route. There are two stores within about 20 miles of where I live (call them A and B). I took my MBP to store A for repair and not only was the "genius" who looked at my machine incredibly rude, he acted like he was some sort of gift to all Apple users. I was told they had my part in stock but wouldn't get to my machine for two weeks. No thanks. I told them, respectfully, that I was going to try the other Apple store and went on my way. Went to store B, talked to a manager about store A, and he told me that they hear that all the time about store A and that they'd get me taken care of. They replaced my optical drive that morning and I went home with a repaired computer later that afternoon. Talk about a 180 from the first store.

It's disappointing that the quality and service from store to store isn't more consistent.
 
You do seem disgruntled, I hope you get over that soon.
Here's a question. 2008 MacPro, I need to replace that plastic fan housing. How does one get their hands on this part? I assume that the "crack" I personally caused would void my warranty, correct?
 
hhmmm

jessica. said:
You do seem disgruntled
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong - it was a very hard decision to make. I loved the team. It was managers making decisions that were simply not working - but they weren't listening to our feedback. Morale sank quicker than the Titanic.

I love the brand. I love the product. I became unhappy at the conditions there as an employee.

Jessica: Normally parts have to be fitted by the AASP or a Retail Store unless they are user servicable parts (like an Optical Drive on a Mac Pro). Its quite hard to break the plastic fan housing - how did you do it? A Retail Genius would be a cock if he'd void the warranty for that...Where are you based? There are one or two AASP's in the UK that'll sell you parts direct. I have used VIS limited and have been very happy...

The ArchAngel: I think I worked at Store A. Retail has an idea of how the service should be. It was reaching this level of service far more frequently when I started. Nowadays its all just numbers. Shame.
 
Thanks for the responses. Can I ask how much price haggiling (sp?!) can be done at a retail store? I only ask because I recently used my student discount to purchase a new iMac in store and they were amazed that the school was offering a better discount then the typical $50 that they offer. They had to find a manager and in the end they said that as long as that EXACT model was in stock they would match whatever discount my school was offering. Seems a bit weird, and made me think that maybe there is a bit of wiggle room on pricing?

thanks
 
Dr. Honeydew said:
Thanks for the responses. Can I ask how much price haggiling (sp?!) can be done at a retail store? I only ask because I recently used my student discount to purchase a new iMac in store and they were amazed that the school was offering a better discount then the typical $50 that they offer. They had to find a manager and in the end they said that as long as that EXACT model was in stock they would match whatever discount my school was offering. Seems a bit weird, and made me think that maybe there is a bit of wiggle room on pricing?

thanks
Click to expand...

None...at least not in my 3 years of Apple Retail employment...
 
I've never been able to get a discount off of Apple products, but have found that if you try hard enough they can give you some free non Apple products like cases, bags and so on.

Always worth pushing for something free if they wont give you money off. :p
 
FireArse said:
Jessica: Normally parts have to be fitted by the AASP or a Retail Store unless they are user servicable parts (like an Optical Drive on a Mac Pro). Its quite hard to break the plastic fan housing - how did you do it? A Retail Genius would be a cock if he'd void the warranty for that...Where are you based? There are one or two AASP's in the UK that'll sell you parts direct. I have used VIS limited and have been very happy...

The ArchAngel: I think I worked at Store A. Retail has an idea of how the service should be. It was reaching this level of service far more frequently when I started. Nowadays its all just numbers. Shame.
Click to expand...

I do understand user replaceable parts, don't get all Genius on me. ;) :p However it happened it happened. I'm not really going to get into the how. It is not a user replaceable part but it is a part I can replace without consequence I believe. I was just asking how or if one could get their hands on such part, whatever the fee. :D
 
Haggling at Retail Stores

Dr. Honeydew said:
Thanks for the responses. Can I ask how much price haggiling (sp?!) can be done at a retail store?
Click to expand...

In three years I didn’t hear of a story where haggling was approved. The ‘Specialists’ have no authority to reduce items at the till. Managers can make any item at any cost free. If asked by their bosses – they can simply respond 'CS', which stands for Customer Satisfaction. This is normally used when we cocked up a repair or if a machine 'Loops' too many times. If a customer kicks off on the shop floor (and they have a valid reason to) then this is the method to 'win the customer over'.

If you’re buying a set number of machines (I think it was 5+) you get to speak to the Business team who can offer some discount, but this was nothing to write about.
 
If you worked in Regent St, can I punch you?

I'm kidding, but the service I had there with my MBP when the battery failed was absolutely awful
 
Good & bad guys

SpookTheHamster said:
If you worked in Regent St, can I punch you?

I'm kidding, but the service I had there with my MBP when the battery failed was absolutely awful
Click to expand...

The team were mixed. Morale fluctuated. The service depended on who you saw & what side of the bed they got out of. I remember spending 2 hours with a customer (of that, 1.5 hours was after close) and I didn't get a thank you from any manager.

The number of Archive & Installs that went wrong gave us nightmares.

With regard to the MBP battaries - it was a silly story. The message didn't clearly go out to Geniuses. Some did the HDD-based test, some didn't. Some CS-coded, some put it through iRepair properly. Some customers got charged, some didn't. Batteries are still puzzeling Geniuses now.

We didn't have time to read the articles that mattered - leaving geniuses under-prepared.
 
FireArse said:
Don't get me wrong - it was a very hard decision to make. I loved the team. It was managers making decisions that were simply not working - but they weren't listening to our feedback. Morale sank quicker than the Titanic.
Click to expand...
Doesn't Apple UK use internal net promoter to gauge morale in the store? I know it's set off some "red flags" at certain stores in the US before.

The ArchAngel: I think I worked at Store A. Retail has an idea of how the service should be. It was reaching this level of service far more frequently when I started. Nowadays its all just numbers. Shame.
Click to expand...
The store near me went through a phase like that, and it sank from being one of the market leaders in net promoter scores (internal and external) down to one of the lowest.

They made some management changes and now the store does well with both its "numbers" and net promoter score (both internal and external).

It's amazing the effect one or two people running a particular Apple Store can have on that location, it's employees, and the Apple brand (from the eyes of people that visit that location).

Dr. Honeydew said:
Thanks for the responses. Can I ask how much price haggiling (sp?!) can be done at a retail store?
Click to expand...
The store near me will price-match (thus the need for exact model -- other retailers will continue to sell out-dated Macs for steep discounts months after Apple Stores have updated to newer models), but I've never seen any arbitrary haggling.
 
aristobrat said:
Doesn't Apple UK use internal net promoter to gauge morale in the store? I know it's set off some "red flags" at certain stores in the US before.
Click to expand...

It was employed. However, as a team, there's only so much negative feedback you're going to give before realising nothing was changing.

I remember receiving a phone call about my hugely negative feedback from one of the big Service Heads in teh States - we talked for 30 or so minutes. Nothing changed.
 
FireArse said:
The team were mixed. Morale fluctuated. The service depended on who you saw & what side of the bed they got out of. I remember spending 2 hours with a customer (of that, 1.5 hours was after close) and I didn't get a thank you from any manager.

The number of Archive & Installs that went wrong gave us nightmares.

With regard to the MBP battaries - it was a silly story. The message didn't clearly go out to Geniuses. Some did the HDD-based test, some didn't. Some CS-coded, some put it through iRepair properly. Some customers got charged, some didn't. Batteries are still puzzeling Geniuses now.

We didn't have time to read the articles that mattered - leaving geniuses under-prepared.
Click to expand...

What annoyed me was that I called up and was told that there were batteries there to replace mine with on the spot, so I made the hour long trip into town to be told that actually there weren't, they only had batteries for the 13" MB, not MBP, but they refused to call any other stores to check their stock.
 
FireArse said:
snip
Click to expand...

I take it that you did work at the Regent St. store? I'd just like to say my one and only experience with the Geniuses in that store was very pleasant. Although I didnt get anything replaced at the time, I needed them to look at my broken optical drive to tell me whether I could get it replaced or not. The genius said it was under warranty and would be completely free...he then pointed out the cracked casing on my white MB (around the magnet point on the palm rest) and said that would be replaced free as well. It was swift, easy, and the Genius printed off a receipt of the work that needed doing, so that I could show it to the Apple store back home, where I went on to get the stuff replaced. Overall I left a very happy customer!
 
More and more A-Stores are going the route of Store-A. Been an Apple user for 18 years and my heart bleeds to see these store employees have such disdain for customers.

May be an average iPod user is a novice, but to treat everyone that way will have an impact.

I am voting with my wallet. Can't give up the hardware (none is better), but stopped buying AppleCare. I always purchased AppleCare, even though I hardly use it, as a goodwill gesture to support the company. Now I don't. On top of that, I stopped buying direct from Apple as far as possible.

Not that the company cares one bit for the couple of grand they make from me in profits each year. But at least I feel good I am holding my own.
 
Warranty Support Question

I've always read that standard or AppleCare Warranty follows the hardware not the client.

I wanted to check if my uMB and MacMini 3,1 used on the open market not for a retail store if I can check online STILL have the warranty, if I walk into a store to upgrade will Apple honor it and support me with AppleCare?!

2 my Mac Mini cannot be found online in Apple's database and I just do not know why?!! The seller did tell me about this so I was more comfortable in purchasing it.
 
Applecare

Prom1 said:
I've always read that standard or AppleCare Warranty follows the hardware not the client.

I wanted to check if my uMB and MacMini 3,1 used on the open market not for a retail store if I can check online STILL have the warranty, if I walk into a store to upgrade will Apple honor it and support me with AppleCare?!

2 my Mac Mini cannot be found online in Apple's database and I just do not know why?!! The seller did tell me about this so I was more comfortable in purchasing it.
Click to expand...

I'll be honest - I don't quite get your query - however, the Applecare / initial 1-year warranty is on the hardware, not the client. If you sell a unit under warranty, the new owner will continue to have the warranty. A new owner can also buy the Applcare on a unit even if he/she didn't originally buy the unit.

The online S/N database is crap & is the first thing to go offline when AppleCare carry out service on the system. Call up AppleCare direct or walk into a Retail Store. Else, the S/N just isn't in the system - the Genius will be given the Manufacture date and the system will FORCE the Genius/AppleCare rep to mark the date of purchase within 4 weeks of manufacture date.

FireArse
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back