That does suck. I normally expect a wait when I go there but 45 mins seems excessive.
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iPhone 11 Today I tried to buy an iPhone 11 at the Apple Store...
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I walked into an Apple Store on Thursday afternoon, told the employee who greeted me that I wanted to buy an iPhone and have a screen protector installed, and walked out 20 minutes later with much less money. So this is not a universal experience.
They were still doing the we have to assign you a salesperson thing. Saw salespeople with phones in hand not going to me or 2 people in front of me. I almost left. Actually told the line monitor (is he trained to run a transaction?) I was about to leave.
Totally different experience here in the UK, I walked into the Apple store in Birmingham, I looked at the 11 Pros to decide what colour I wanted, asked an apple guy what line was for iPhone, got in line, there ware about 5 people in front, a lady came and took my details and what device I wanted and how I was to pay, waited about 5 mins then got took down stairs, the phone was bought to me and the sales guy immediately, he scanned it, I paid and then left, it took about 10 minutes all together from getting in line to walking out the store, nice fast service.
Adam
Adam
Now that is a proper customer experience. Apple can do it at times but there are some serious issues when this is not the standard approach.
Maybe they’re balancing existing online collection orders and walk-ins that may require time to do trade-ins, IUP applications, getting you hooked up with an operator etc.
they could have a ‘walk-in purchase outright, sim free option ’ which doesn’t take anyone any time. I wonder if you could game the system by going in and buying some cheap accessory and while you’re being served ask for an iPhone? It’s taking them no longer and they’re already serving you.
‘also by doing reservarions you still have a walk-in line, but it’s virtual so you can‘t see it, which may make youthink there is no queue. They may have 100 people to serve that day before you, but they all went off with their ‘fast pass’ until later
they could have a ‘walk-in purchase outright, sim free option ’ which doesn’t take anyone any time. I wonder if you could game the system by going in and buying some cheap accessory and while you’re being served ask for an iPhone? It’s taking them no longer and they’re already serving you.
‘also by doing reservarions you still have a walk-in line, but it’s virtual so you can‘t see it, which may make youthink there is no queue. They may have 100 people to serve that day before you, but they all went off with their ‘fast pass’ until later
‘hypothetically:
- there are people coming in throughout the day that s]reserved online for pickup
- there are people coming in throughout the day who reserved in store and are returning for their slot
if you turn up at 2pm for a phone and the store looks quiet - they may have people from 10am coming back for their pickup slot. thats Why you can’t have a phone there and then, because people came earlier for you and staff are making time for them
having ‘only 4-5 people in the queue’ is good for apple. They dont want people to be queuing too long. But that 4-5 people is much longer with reservations and walk-in slots, but they’ve been told to come back at different times so that small queue will constantly be ‘full’
They are not doing it to make it seem like launch is better. It’s exactly as the former employee said - people don’t come in prepared. I’ve seen it many times buying at the Apple Store, and when I walked in to get the iPhone 8 there was a problem with my account and it took for ever. There are only so many hours in the day - it is better for every single customer wanting to upgrade that people order online first. Then all the kinks are solved, and an employee doesn’t get tied up with one customer for 45 minutes +.
Some arsetwat pick pocketed me so I had to get a new phone.
Used my app and reserved a Phone, picked up same day during x window time slot.
Slightly peeved I had to wait in line for what I paid for but it was just a few minutes so not as bad as I originally thought.
Used my app and reserved a Phone, picked up same day during x window time slot.
Slightly peeved I had to wait in line for what I paid for but it was just a few minutes so not as bad as I originally thought.
The experience is definitely broken. When I was waiting for an hour for the employees to find my S4 Apple Watch last year (I had ordered for pickup), I sat down bored and getting increasingly more annoyed because they kept acting like the order didn’t exist/could not find any record of it.
But the absolutely insane part of this situation was that apparently I was sitting at one of the Genius tables that are now unlabeled and not a bar. So there was a steady stream of people with broken Apple products, including the watch I was waiting an hour to pick up, sitting around me being helped. I’m just sitting and waiting, I’m not going to sit in front of a product demo table, so I sit at an empty table... then you’ve got someone with a Genius saying his Apple Watch shut off and won’t turn back on... as I’m waiting for my new Apple Watch.
At this point 1/3 of the Apple Store is dedicated to people getting help with broken products... it’s not good business to leave customers waiting idly around that. If I were them I’d split the repair business entirely just to clean up the store experience.
On the flipside, I’ve also felt awkward going to the Genius Bar when regular customers are within earshot. Like I need to whisper my problems. It’s all very awkward.
It's a real mess. Could be resolved if the company put a little less focus on the "image" it is trying to convey in these stores (whatever they call them these days) and a lot more focus on efficiency.
It took me, with the decision made and stock confirmed, about 10 minutes to buy a case. First you have to find someone.. then they pass you off to someone.. then that person goes to get the case out of the back (I had already pulled the drawers out and it wasn’t re-stocked) room.. they were gone for about 5 minutes.. for a case.
Making a customer wait for a much more expensive device they have already paid for or JUST need to give payment for is ridiculous.
Making a customer wait for a much more expensive device they have already paid for or JUST need to give payment for is ridiculous.
Have you ever pre-purchased something from Wal-Mart? You know, Wal-Mart, generally the worst retail experience in America?
Wal-Mart emails you when the item (or items) are ready, then you go to the front of the store, stand in front of this Willy Wonka booth-looking thing, swipe your credit card, and your item deposits itself right in front of you.
And you leave. Two or three minute experience.
Wal-Mart has figured this out. Apple is clueless on this front.
I walk by there every day and I have seen poor schmucks on line every day since release... Both in the morning and in the afternoon.
Best Buy will price match so don’t let them charge you extra.
I guess I have been lucky. I have very enjoyable experiences buying at all the local Apple stores since my first iPhone 4.
Not taking apples side but, if one doesn’t have the time to wait it out, why not order online for mail delivery.
I have to agree with this. I’ve never understood why you would sell and do repairs on those items in that close of a space. Using Best Buy as an example, Geek Squad is over in a corner and even away from the Order-Pickup section. Most stores have repairs/returns away from sales. If I’m overhearing that someone is having issues with a high dollar item product I’m about to buy, I may think twice at minimum I will want to hear more. Is it something I should be concerned with or was this person just careless? If it’s the former, I may have a pause to reconsider.
Sure, not everyone will be influenced not to buy, but even if one person is, that’s a lost sale. At the minimum, someone is starting what should be a positive buying experience with potential doubts and possible concerns on making a wise decision. They may decide to return a few days later while still in their return window because they now went looking online for an issue that may not even be something major.
Apple is making an error in basic sales psychology as well as the overall customer experience. Hopefully, it will get corrected soon.
Historically, I have bought my phones at the Apple store a month or two after intro. This time I went with on-line order and had it Sept 20. This is the LAST time I do an on-line. My phone showed up with a cosmetic defect, and the return process took a lot of time and phone calls. Finally I just went to a local Apple store, and by chance they had a phone in their "secret" stock and did a replacement. Next time I will just buy at the store again.
I don't think Apple is clueless on this front. I think they're 100% against doing "transactional experiences" like that in their stores.
I base that on the endless "be transformational, no transactional" coaching sessions that were given at the Apple Store I worked at.
OK. Sorry to play the devil’s advocate here but do you really need a new phone today? Can’t it wait a few weeks or months that everything settles down?
There is no point of hurling: you’ll get the same phone, you’ll get a better software and you won’t have to queue at all. See, problem solved.
There is no point of hurling: you’ll get the same phone, you’ll get a better software and you won’t have to queue at all. See, problem solved.
What if you went to buy something, even if you just wanted it, and the store asked you if you really need it... or said, we have them right here and will sell you one in an hour.. have a seat on those cute little chairs.