Quit working for Apple on day 2.

[RKO]

I think you were better off moving on by the sounds of it. Hope you landed somewhere good.

 

[Eraserhead]

The final thing my manager said to me clinched it though, 'If you quit Apple now, you'll never work for us again'. Don't worry mate, wasn't going to.

That's really odd. Generally if someone finds they don't want the job you should let them leave ASAP.

 

[question fear]

That's really odd. Generally if someone finds they don't want the job you should let them leave ASAP.

Quitting without notice on your second day will generally flag you for no-future-hire in many retail establishments. If you're that flakey you aren't worth rehiring.

 

[pachyderm]

i believe tortex.
just posting here sometimes i get a cult feeling. you get banned on a whim... really man, you lot are a touchy bunch. i got shouted down and sanctioned for posting an image that someone else had posted in some other thread. like i was plagiarizing or something. ya never know what will set off one of the mods.

i originally came here for insight and help. i got some of that. terse as it was.

but now...

if it weren't for the members in football thread and the F1 thread i don't know that i'd bother coming back.

sits back and waits for eventual and inevitable ban

 

[Queso]

Pretty much any chain retailer will be the same. They want the customer experience to be consistent, and unfortunately that means asking employees to suppress their personalities and qualities somewhat. I get the feeling that retail just wasn't for you, since the answer to "How does that make you feel?" ought to have been something a little more motivational. That's how sales jobs work. You have to believe in what you're doing, not just turn up for the cash.

Just chalk it up to experience and move on. You'll find something else before too long, and hopefully it'll be a better match. Best of luck.

 

[peskaa]

I get the same feeling from Apple Retail as you did. I went for an interview, and they weren't interested in product knowledge, customer service skills or anything else that would actually be a good thing in a retail environment. They couldn't care that you could answer any question thrown at you with a comprehensive, accurate response - but what they did care about was whether you were an "Apple Person". That seemed to be somebody who was incredibly evangelical, up Apple's rear end and willing to toe the party line 100% of the time.

Further to that interview, my experiences with Apple Retail stores as time has passed has confirmed this. The Mac Specialists lack detailed product knowledge (hold on, they're called Specialists?), and have to go ask somebody else for simple answers (such as do you have any 8800GTs for the Mac Pro in stock, and can I run two in my Mac Pro?). The Geniuses are arrogant, unhelpful and generally not geniuses - they have a list of pre-set protocols, and refuse to deviate from them even if doing so would solve the problem. Instead, they all just stick to the "Apple is Great" line, and don't like it when you have a problem.

Case in point, my iPhone 3G is playing up. All the external buttons are randomly triggering/jamming, the phone hangs up and locks when in calls and is basically unreliable. My nearest store (hour and a bit away) refused to look at it, because there were no appointments at the Genius Bar. Sorry, but having travelled for over an hour they couldn't find somebody to take 30 seconds to watch my phone crash and burn in front of them? Instead, they told me to come back and make an appointment. No other store I've been to has such a ridiculous system - or lack of capacity if they do have the system. However, Apple do, and they won't budge from it. Great.

So yeah, Apple Retail sucks. I don't like using it - most of my purchases are online, and I know what to buy. I feel sorry for those who go in with valid questions or problems.

 

[TSE]

To the post above.

I agree with Apple on that last paragraph. They have a system of how they do things, such as making an appointment to see what's wrong with your phone and send it in for repair. If they just let anybody walk right up to them and do their appointment then what would be the point?

I was at an Apple Store once and this kid had a broken iPod. He walked up to the Genius Bar and wanted to get it diagnosed, but didn't have an appointment. The Genius said,"Look... I feel bad for ya because it is right before Christmas. If the next two people that are called for their appointments aren't here, then I'll get to you." And it worked out for the kid. Afterwards the Genius told the kid to make an appointment from now on. That is acceptable I think, but Apple just can't let anybody break the system.

 

[Signal-11]

Not sure why everyone is abusing this guy here. It does seem little strange, like some sort of cult, although I can't imagine other Apple stores being the same. Generally shops have advice on how to deal with customers, but nothing as strange as refusing help.
And the parting word from your manager does seem very strange.

It's remarkable, isn't it? Like most stereotypes, there's a kernel of truth to the Cult of Apple. Don't want to be a priest at the high temple? WTF is wrong with you?!?

Further to that interview, my experiences with Apple Retail stores as time has passed has confirmed this. The Mac Specialists lack detailed product knowledge (hold on, they're called Specialists?), and have to go ask somebody else for simple answers (such as do you have any 8800GTs for the Mac Pro in stock, and can I run two in my Mac Pro?). The Geniuses are arrogant, unhelpful and generally not geniuses - they have a list of pre-set protocols, and refuse to deviate from them even if doing so would solve the problem. Instead, they all just stick to the "Apple is Great" line, and don't like it when you have a problem.

That's not strictly true. Apple stores and retail employees run the gamut. I've had helpful Geniuses who went out of their way to make things better and I've been to stores where multiple trips have only served to confirm that a culture of jackassery has taken over the entire store.

 

[peskaa]

To the post above.

I agree with Apple on that last paragraph. They have a system of how they do things, such as making an appointment to see what's wrong with your phone and send it in for repair. If they just let anybody walk right up to them and do their appointment then what would be the point?

I was at an Apple Store once and this kid had a broken iPod. He walked up to the Genius Bar and wanted to get it diagnosed, but didn't have an appointment. The Genius said,"Look... I feel bad for ya because it is right before Christmas. If the next two people that are called for their appointments aren't here, then I'll get to you." And it worked out for the kid. Afterwards the Genius told the kid to make an appointment from now on. That is acceptable I think, but Apple just can't let anybody break the system.

That would be acceptable yes. However, it increasingly seems to be the case that they aren't willing to be even that flexible, and just say no. My entire point was that there was no effort to help, just a stubborn sticking to the rules.

As for whether to have a system for appointments or not...I see both sides. I've yet to find another retail company that has an appointment based technical support system, everybody else relies on simply serving people with whatever their problems in order - and everybody is trained to book in repair work. Apple's problem is that they only train the Geniuses, resulting in a bottleneck and hence a lack of enough appointment slots for the amount of hardware being brought in. It's a flawed system basically.

That's not strictly true. Apple stores and retail employees run the gamut. I've had helpful Geniuses who went out of their way to make things better and I've been to stores where multiple trips have only served to confirm that a culture of jackassery has taken over the entire store.

I'll admit, I've had a few members of staff being helpful - but as time goes on, and Apple become more established in the UK it seems that the number of people who are actually useful/helpful/good at their jobs seems to be declining. I used to get fantastic service at Regent Street, but the last few visits have made me want to never ever go back. Same for several other stores. Last time I needed a repair I had to fight just for Apple/Genius/Manager to acknowledge that UK law existed and applied to them!

 

[RedTomato]

To the OP, a theatre company that I worked for hired someone that worked out very similar to your story.

This person lasted about 6 months, not 2 days, but basically, she had a fair amount of experience in TV directing and broadcast camera-work / editing. The position she applied for with us was project manager, including some DVD editing work.

After a couple of weeks with us, she started saying things like 'So when do I get to direct a play?' and 'Can I go and watch the play rehearsals?'

Sorry no. You were hired as project manager, which is office work, and you stay in the office with the other office staff. You don't just waltz in and expect to start directing plays or spend your days watching rehearsals. It started feeling like she had never read the job-description of the job she applied for.

To the OP, I do agree with the other posters, it does seem like you applied for a job that was completely wrong for you. Did you read the job description before you applied? Ignore what Apple told you, look at the text of the job description and interpret it in the worst way possible.

Hope you learn from this. I've made this same mistake before and so have many others.

 

[Consultant]

So you mean this person didn't even make it to the actual store they were working in?

Sounds like the case, unless their process has changed lately.

 

[nanofrog]

However, it increasingly seems to be the case that they aren't willing to be even that flexible, and just say no. My entire point was that there was no effort to help, just a stubborn sticking to the rules.

I've noticed this in other companies as well. It looks bad, and causes customers to walk away with the impression that either the company they purchased something from doesn't care once they have the cash. Even if it's just a lazy employee, and not company policy/attitude about post-sale service/support.

I'll admit, I've had a few members of staff being helpful - but as time goes on, and Apple become more established in the UK it seems that the number of people who are actually useful/helpful/good at their jobs seems to be declining. I used to get fantastic service at Regent Street, but the last few visits have made me want to never ever go back. Same for several other stores. Last time I needed a repair I had to fight just for Apple/Genius/Manager to acknowledge that UK law existed and applied to them!

Unfortunately, this is along the lines of what I've seen in general. Excessive cost cutting in order to increase margins. They don't care that it costs them customer satisfaction it seems, as they're not looking down the road. Only about the next Quarterly Report.

The OP's comments of how the store's financial data was thrown out as some sort of evidentiary argument seems to support this. At least to some extent, as it may be the individual store manager responsible for it, and not the corportate policy. But the end users won't distinguish the two I'd imagine.

 

[maflynn]

Not to sound harsh to the OP but what were you expecting.

Its a retail job. That sort of ra-ra we love apple is typical for retail establishments (higher end ones not walmart ) I worked for a number of retail companies and what you posted is no an "apple cult" or out line type of behavior. They want to build excitement, enthusiasm and pride.

Perhaps you didn't give it enough time beyond your training period and you would have done the tasks you specifically mentioned.

irregardless, given your stated experience, going to work for a retail company didn't seem like a wise career move so its probably a good thing you decided early on that it wasn't a good fit. Hopefully you can get something more in tune with your expectations.

 

[aristobrat]

I can't sit with people wanting to use iPhoto all day, I'm slightly beyond iPhoto.

I gave you a heads up to precisely that issue two months ago, when you were asking if you should take the job.

I'm guessing you didn't take my advice to do a little leg-work before you accepted the position (by casually walking by a few training sessions in-progress, to get a feel for the training level of customers of that particular store).

Otherwise, like you said, the position has the possibility of becoming monotonous. You're likely to spend 75% of your time with people that have very little Mac skills. Final Cut Pro and Aperture people are usually the rarity, although I guess that really depends on the market your store is in.

Swing by the Apple Store on a regular day and hang out by the Creative table and listen in on some of the One to Ones. I think that'll give you a really good indication of what you'd be in for.

 

[aristobrat]

So you mean this person didn't even make it to the actual store they were working in?

If he's experiencing the "Daily Download", he's definitely in-store. The "fly away for two weeks of specialized training" doesn't usually come until after the new-hire has been in the store for a few weeks.

What I find amazing is that his Apple store hired him "off-the-street" for a Creative position. At the store near me, when they need a new Creative, they always promote from with-in (using the "Grow Your Own" program).

Training is in west coast (for a couple of weeks) and you stay in hotel for the duration.

Cupertino can't keep up with Apple Retail's growth (in regards to training on the Apple Campus there), so they're also using offices in Chicago and Atlanta for Genius/Creative training. Although with the OPs spelling and referring to Apple in the plural, I'm not sure if he's UK.

I'm with you. Sounded like a pretty crappy employer to work for. If 'help the customer' wasn't the right answer to a customer answer, you're workig for a poor retailer, or a particular manager (or whatever) with poor managing skills. My last retail employer would allow us to call up competing retailers to see if they had a particular item in stock for a customer if we didn't carry it. We did have the 2nd best customer service in Toronto, but I'd expect most other half decent retailers to do a bit better than 'don't help the customer.'

The Apple Store near me is very much like your experience above. They are allowed to do pretty much anything to help the customer, including showing them other (non-Apple Retail) options if there weren't any Apple Retail options that work for them.

iResQ.com and Best Buy got a lot of referrals from there.

 

[instaxgirl]

I get called into a morning meeting, called a Download, and greeted by everyone. They did this chant thing where they spelled out Apple, with each letter being a different word - that was odd. . .

I was constantly asked what I thought about that, 'how does that make you feel' etc. My response was something along the lines of 'well, if you make money, I get paid'. That made the frown, it wasn't in the spirit of things.

I laughed a lot at this but then remembered that until 6 weeks ago I worked for a company that trained me in how to "Create The Magic" and how to feel "on cloud 9"

Ahh retail.