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Microsoft Attempting to Lure Away Apple Retail Store Staff?
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This is pathetic. I'm going to go ahead and not stop in at my local mutant hybrid Wal◊Mart/Apple Store that Microsoft is going to end up creating.
I wouldn't if the wage would be roughly the same. But if MS is doing this, than a doubling of my paycheck would definitely convince me. That's what competition is all about.
I would personally be able to sell Microsoft stuff, while being an Apple fan at heart. Retail staff is not in the position to be too picky with the wages they earn. And it's not like Apple employees all get Mac Pro's, Time capsules and 64Gb Ipod Touches to take home to play with.
Exactly...and these are RETAIL people folks...not employees making hard decisions in Corporate or developing Marketing campaigns or driving strategy.
They are Retail MANAGERS who hire people, manage shifts, count the money, and possibly help customers from time to time. They're not making $100k a year (I'm not picking on them). Likely they are making $35k (in the Northeast) if that....that is extremely cheap for a company like MS to "hire away". MS has 2 choices when hiring retail managers: 1)hire someone experienced in retail or 2)someone with 0 experience. Guess which option MS (or anyone) will choose? And...might as well try to steal some people from your competitor and/or a retail model you want to mimick...this also forces Apple to rehire/retrain.
I, too, am confused over what an MS Store will actually sell since MS really only makes software titles, an Xbox, and some keyboard/mice combos FOR CONSUMERS...there are plenty of other software packages and services that MS sells to BUSINESSES (unlike Apple) but I am not sure what the store will actually pitch. Maybe MS will team with Dell and HP and other HARDWARE VENDORS to sell some particular machines.
This kind of poaching happens all the time at retailers...and it's not just direct competitors. The "loyalty" that many of you talk about for Apple manager is nuts...retail Managers turnover all the time...maybe every 1-3 years. I can assure you that Apple, like all other Retailers, doesn't give a rat's *** about retail employees.
-Eric
I think MS is just as confused as you are. If they're so confused about markets and segments they've been in for years (mobile), imagine how clueless they might be when it comes to an entirely new paradigm (retail stores.)
Ha. I've never seen that video. Ooof, Jobs was rough there!
Somehow I don't think the folks working at a retail store are let in on any information that would make NDAs useful... especially given a company with Apple's reputation for secrecy. If anyone here gets hired into an Apple store and then spends his or her first weekend attending a boot camp in which 5 year product roadmaps and executive marketing strategies are explained in detail, feel free to set me straight.
Oh my! Corporate Piracy... say it ain't so!. That's never happened before. <rolling eyes>
I'm not even going to read all the adolescent fanboi crap in this thread.
Do you kids really think a freaking Apple employee cares about "passion" and loyalty when it comes to feeding his/her family?
Yeah right... they exist for you. LOL!
I'm not even going to read all the adolescent fanboi crap in this thread.
Do you kids really think a freaking Apple employee cares about "passion" and loyalty when it comes to feeding his/her family?
Yeah right... they exist for you. LOL!
Ok as for the zune we can all say hands down a paper weight boring non buzzworthy tool of technology stuck in the 90s quick buck, a lame future outcome ahead for that plain piece of m$ plastic toy.
For win7 it's stable and fast loaded with new direct x 11 n stuff so yeah but nothing worth braging about. Used it for months now so far so good. Vista is a failing os and will never attain any fixes it'll always will be having issues. sad n pathetic os. So it's either xp or win7 IMO win7 64bit on mac pros as an alturnative os for bootcamp games apps etc...
It's all too true. As true now as it was back then. You should see the one with the Ballmer clip included . . . "Just watch us, just watch us!" Which was back when he was still VP.
I'm afraid your post will make even less sense with all those horrible errors corrected..
Are we committed to the brand or the great products they continually produce? For me (Apple customer since 1988) it's the latter. As long as Apple makes desirable products I'll buy 'em. If they start making crapgadgets I'll shed a tear and go elsewhere. I'm only committed to buying excellent products. I don't care what logo is glued to them.
As for Apple Store employees I'd say maybe in the beginning it was 100% Apple Fans. But recently I've come across plenty of employees that don't have a clue what they are selling. A paycheck is a paycheck to them, and they'll go for a bigger slice of cheese on the otherside of the room easy.
I'm afraid your post will make even less sense with all those horrible errors corrected..
Lol then I suggest you grab your thinking cap you dropped in your moms womb
The UK might be "Broken Britain" these days, but thanks, you've reminded me that there is one advantage to living here!
Not quite what happened though considering Apple still had a strong cash position (around 1.2 billion US) at the time and MS gave them 150m.
Anyone who does any research will realise that deal was about patents and IP rights and Microsoft and Apple wishing to avoid the hassle lengthly legal proceedings.
Apple did ok out of the deal cause they got Office for 5 years, patent sharing and a (albeit token) cash injection.
Microsoft did ok cause they got IE on the Mac (over Netscape, which was a coup), they avoided another legal battle (and the ensuing bad PR) and they didn't have to pay as much in settlement as they would have done if it had gone to court.
Right...I mean, what are they going to sell in retail?
If you go to an Apple store, you have a small section of software, and a very large section of hardware. You also have a small section where you bring your Apple in for repair. That's really it.
So with MS really making the bulk of their money on Windows, Office, and Xbox...how will MS design the store? I can't imagine them having tons of MS Office boxes lining the wall (like Blockbuster) and ditto for Windows. The Zune may be starting to get some marketshare.
I think it will be very interesting...my guess is MS will pull in some hardware vendors to sell very particular machines since MS does not make pcs. People who are there to buy Windows or Office probably want to see it in action. But then again, why would someone go there to buy Windows when it comes with 90% of all pcs.
Maybe the retail outlets are not really to actually drive sales at the MS Store level but to educate people on the MS product line (software, hardware, etc).
-Eric
Anyone who thinks an OS will 'rock their world' probably needs therapy. Windows 7 will, however, dominate desktop operating system markeshare over the next few years.
Whether or not you like it, Windows 7 appears to be a very, very good OS - certainly according to the reviews and the one which the vast majority of the computer using world will move to.
As for the Zune HD, it's selling well by all accounts but don't let your prejudices get in the way of reality.
If Apple doesn't have a non-compete already in place (an NDA make no sense for a retail manager), why would anyone sign one when they leave? All a non-compete, or an NDA, does is restrict you from doing certain things; which is not in your best interests. Trade secrets are already protected by law; but I doubt there are many trade secrets at the retail store manager level.
No, they are doing what most companies do when they want to enter a new line of business - go after employees of other companies to get specific skills and talents they need to launch the business.
Apple Store managers have been successful at running a retail store specializing in computers and software for a specific brand of OS - if you want to do the same you go to where the talent is and poach it.
It's like Willy Sutton said - he robbed banks because that's where the money is.
Now that was a good one
I'm sorry it's early I'm tired hungry and I'm typing all this on my iPhone
I think you are being too harsh (biased?). Look competition is good, and let's face it Apple seems to be resting on its laurels of late. They need some pressure on them. The new Touch is positively uninspired. You've have to be a fanboy with huge blinders on not to recognize that. And the Zune HD itself is pretty cool, though too immature as a system to really compete with the Touch. However, maybe good enough for Apple to take note and put some real innovation in the next Touch version. The fact they couldn't manage to get a camera inside when every other device in the world has one...even pens!...is testament to Apple's stumble of late, SJ's comments that the Touch is a game machine, notwithstanding.
Win 7 is decent for Windows. It's a heck of a lot more useable than Vista and easier on the eyes than that moldy XP. And let's face is M$ owns the business world's computers. That's not going to change so lets be happy there is a half-decent version of Win around. I prefer not to use Win but sometimes there is no option. I'd rather use Win 7 than Vista or XP any day.
Let the former Apple retail staff go to the Microsoft Store. Just as long as they tell the customers to just go to Apple store.