Use Apple Store employees to help fix maps

[Edslunch]

Apples needs help big time fixing POI issues. While crowd-sourcing will help collect issues it will still require someone to sort through and validate them. While I'm sure some of us would volunteer, Apple already has boots on the ground in many major locations around the world. They should task their store employees with either validating maps itself or dealing with all the problem reports on their area and give them the power to do updates directly. Let's see - they're local, trusted and motivated..... This is a resource that Google never had that could help greatly speed up the process.

Anyone here work in Apple Stores? Is that happening?

 

[SpyderBite]

I doubt very many retail people who've been on their feet for 8-10 hours dealing with 100s of people all day long are interested in driving around data mining map info. After they clock out they are iPhone using consumers just like you.

 

[Edslunch]

They're employees, so you can pay them extra, or change their priorities if you need to. Many part time retail workers would be happy with more hours.

Many of the problems can be solved on your computer without visiting a location. Even just comparing Maps and Yelp turns up lots on inconsistencies. They can also use Google Maps and street view to verify - how ironic would that be? Leave the actual mapping issues to the cartographers. Even if they just posted the known problems and people cherry picked the ones they know they can answer it still moves the product forward.

 

[elistan]

Apples needs help big time fixing POI issues. While crowd-sourcing will help collect issues it will still require someone to sort through and validate them. While I'm sure some of us would volunteer, Apple already has boots on the ground in many major locations around the world. They should task their store employees with either validating maps itself or dealing with all the problem reports on their area and give them the power to do updates directly. Let's see - they're local, trusted and motivated..... This is a resource that Google never had that could help greatly speed up the process.

Anyone here work in Apple Stores? Is that happening?

I beleive that your comment regarding Google is incorrect. I've read that Google has a significant amount of resources, due to their Street View program, dedicated to driving around and verifying/updating information about POIs, speed limits, names, junctions, road changes, etc. I've read (wish I could find the article, sorry) that if somebody at Google gets a report of an incorrect bit of map data, that person can put in a ticket to a local resource and get an actual in-person report in a very short time.

 

[Edslunch]

You're probably right - the 7000 Google employees focused on maps is often brought up. I was just thinking that having 100s of retail employees in each major city is a unique resource Apple has access to.

 

[cynics]

It would be better to hire people that specialize in map making and know the ins and outs of digital maps. Not have people with no experience to do it!!

Fixing a point of interest is one thing. Moving roads with precision is another. Just labeling the wrong way on a one way street could get someone in trouble or even hurt.

 

[FelixDerKater]

It would be better to hire people that specialize in map making and know the ins and outs of digital maps. Not have people with no experience to do it!!

Fixing a point of interest is one thing. Moving roads with precision is another. Just labeling the wrong way on a one way street could get someone in trouble or even hurt.

Hopefully, users aren't so reliant on a digital map that they turn onto a one-way street in the wrong direction.

I'm not saying that they don't have problems to fix, but common sense has to come first over prescribed directions.

 

[KnightWRX]

I was just thinking that having 100s of retail employees in each major city is a unique resource Apple has access to.

So while these employees are driving around fixing maps, who's going to work at the Apple Store and serve customers ?

 

[Edslunch]

It would be better to hire people that specialize in map making and know the ins and outs of digital maps. Not have people with no experience to do it!!

Fixing a point of interest is one thing. Moving roads with precision is another. Just labeling the wrong way on a one way street could get someone in trouble or even hurt.

There are many issues that don't require that expertise. Just fixing POIs would be a huge improvement while the experts work on the hard stuff.

 

[Edslunch]

So while these employees are driving around fixing maps, who's going to work at the Apple Store and serve customers ?

You can fix most POIs from a computer any time day or night. Give me a list of 1000 POI problems in my city and pay me for each one I fix and I'll be all over it.

 

[Kukulcan]

No need to drive around, if you work or live at a place you usually know most shops and businesses there at least the bigger ones. I could easily fix most big problems a few miles around the place where I live.

 

[TJ61]

At the very least, they could have each store manager check that their store is placed correctly on the map, and call in a correction if not. I think misplaced Apple Stores are a particular black eye for the Maps app.

Regards,
Tom

 

[bp1000]

A sensible solution would be to give out iTunes Store credit for every verified issue submitted.

Incentivses people to fix it.

Wait for the dorks to rack up thousands in credit, still way cheaper and quicker than employing people to fix.

Media would have a field day tho.

Either way, still think they should have bought waze.

 

[pk7]

Apples needs help big time fixing POI issues. While crowd-sourcing will help collect issues it will still require someone to sort through and validate them. While I'm sure some of us would volunteer, Apple already has boots on the ground in many major locations around the world. They should task their store employees with either validating maps itself or dealing with all the problem reports on their area and give them the power to do updates directly. Let's see - they're local, trusted and motivated..... This is a resource that Google never had that could help greatly speed up the process.

Anyone here work in Apple Stores? Is that happening?

Wow dude, you called this one all the way through. Great job.

 

[KnightWRX]

You can fix most POIs from a computer any time day or night. Give me a list of 1000 POI problems in my city and pay me for each one I fix and I'll be all over it.

Employees fixing POIs from a computer aren't serving customers. Not to mention "Give me a list", who's going to compile it ? Are these employees going to compile the list or not ?

Doesn't make sense at all.

I hope you don't mean to put those employees down as just updating the live database... You do understand that fixing the database is not what Apple needs to do since it is integrating a lot of different 3rd party datasets. There's a lot of data integrity checks that need to be performed to locate the source of the mistakes and fixes those sources, not just the final data in the database.

Not something retail store employees can do. No really, your idea wasn't that great, that's why Apple doesn't use its retail employees like you suggest.

 

[ReanimationN]

At the very least, they could have each store manager check that their store is placed correctly on the map, and call in a correction if not. I think misplaced Apple Stores are a particular black eye for the Maps app.

Regards,
Tom

Sydney's flagship Apple Store in the CBD is placed on the wrong side of the road in Apple Maps.

 

[dv8r]

Sydney's flagship Apple Store in the CBD is placed on the wrong side of the road in Apple Maps.

We should make the bet - will this be the first fix to Apple Maps?

Kudos to OP for predicting this.

 

[Small White Car]

LOL - Congrats, Edslunch, on being a forward thinker. You just got a real-world lesson in "Why Macrumor Posters' opinions don't mean much."

 

[matrix07]

Apples needs help big time fixing POI issues. While crowd-sourcing will help collect issues it will still require someone to sort through and validate them. While I'm sure some of us would volunteer, Apple already has boots on the ground in many major locations around the world. They should task their store employees with either validating maps itself or dealing with all the problem reports on their area and give them the power to do updates directly. Let's see - they're local, trusted and motivated..... This is a resource that Google never had that could help greatly speed up the process.

Anyone here work in Apple Stores? Is that happening?

Sir, you are a genius.

----------

You just got a real-world lesson in "Why Macrumor Posters' opinions don't mean much."

This's so true.

 

[petvas]

Actually that's happening: http://9to5mac.com/2012/10/03/apple...etail-employee-army-to-help-improve-maps-app/

 

[TJ61]

Holy Cripes! Apple is reading these forums for ideas!

Yeah, ummm, I think all Apple stores should...ahhh...serve free beer! Yeah, free beer at Apple Stores!

Regards,
Tom

 

[topdrawer]

Holy Cripes! Apple is reading these forums for ideas!

Yeah, ummm, I think all Apple stores should...ahhh...serve free beer! Yeah, free beer at Apple Stores!

Regards,
Tom

that's just stupid

(just because every good idea on the internets needs someone bashing it as a bad idea before it can even be taken into consideration, i'm stepping forward in that role of idea basher in order to expedite the approval of this idea)