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Went to an Apple Store to pick up a 16GB iPhone if I could...

AGSHender

AGSHender

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 15, 2007
132
0
Busier than I thought it would be, so I played with an iPhone display model until someone came up to me and asked if they could help.

Me: "I'd like to pick up one of the new 16 gig iPhones, if you have any."

Apple Store employee: "Such a thing does not exist."

Me: "Really. Well, they just came out yesterday. Or today. Whichever, but they were just released."

Apple Store employee: "No, sorry. There aren't any."

I didn't feel like arguing, so I figured that was my answer to whether they had one or not. Methinks I'll wait until the local Apple Authorized Reseller gets them in stock, instead.

Granted, I don't expect Apple Store employees to follow every little bit of rumor that bounces around the Apple sites, but something their online store is selling and front page advertising? I figured SOMEone would know something.
 
AGSHender said:
Busier than I thought it would be, so I played with an iPhone display model until someone came up to me and asked if they could help.

Me: "I'd like to pick up one of the new 16 gig iPhones, if you have any."

Apple Store employee: "Such a thing does not exist."

Me: "Really. Well, they just came out yesterday. Or today. Whichever, but they were just released."

Apple Store employee: "No, sorry. There aren't any."

I didn't feel like arguing, so I figured that was my answer to whether they had one or not. Methinks I'll wait until the local Apple Authorized Reseller gets them in stock, instead.

Granted, I don't expect Apple Store employees to follow every little bit of rumor that bounces around the Apple sites, but something their online store is selling and front page advertising? I figured SOMEone would know something.
Click to expand...

So much for the "genius" tag. They really need to be hiring real Apple enthusiasts. Last few times I was in the Apple store, all they did was stand around. If I was a secret shopper, I would've given them failing grades.

I wasn't acknowledged nor did anyone ask if I had any questions. And to think, I was there in a shirt and tie with my long black coat - basically in business attire. Someone who looks like they roll with money.
 
that is a little scary..i mean they do tend to keep their employees in the dark, but you would think they would be a little proactive and check out their site once in a while...what a shame
 
Personally I would have dragged that guy over to a computer, and went to the Apple Store web site! :D

But I am like that! ;)
 
Aries326 said:
So much for the "genius" tag. They really need to be hiring real Apple enthusiasts. Last few times I was in the Apple store, all they did was stand around. If I was a secret shopper, I would've given them failing grades.

I wasn't acknowledged nor did anyone ask if I had any questions. And to think, I was there in a shirt and tie with my long black coat - basically in business attire. Someone who looks like they roll with money.
Click to expand...

I wasn't exactly dressed to the nines, but I did have on a black navy peacoat, khakis, Converse, and a messenger bag slung over my shoulder: the perfect hipster doofus demographic the iPhone is marketed for. The fact that I was there to buy an iPhone is neither here nor there, mind you. :)

I was a bit...perturbed, to say the least.
 
harcosparky said:
Personally I would have dragged that guy over to a computer, and went to the Apple Store web site! :D

But I am like that! ;)
Click to expand...

Well, if he didn't know about 'em I'm assuming they weren't selling them, but I didn't feel like arguing the point. All the display iPhones had $399 price displays, and I figure they would have updated the displays to match inventory.

I figure in a day's time (or tonight when he goes home) when he finds out about it, he'll be like "Ohhhhhh. Oops." Or not.
 
I actually have a worse story..I called the national at&t/ cingular wireless sales and I was told the stores would not get them for at least 6 months! I politely hung up the phone and went and got me my 16gb iphone about 15 minutes later...:)
 
I called my closest AT&T store and asked if they had them, was told yes, they just came in.

I went there and asked the two people behind the customer service counter for one and the girl there had no idea about them and the guy was just about as clueless till I told them that I was told they had some. He came out with one and he said I had been the first to buy one. This was at about 2PM.
 
I live in Dallas, where we have three apple stores in the area, so I called ahead. The first store told me that they were available only on the internet and that none of the stores would have them for awhile. I thought I'd read on Engadget something to the contrary, so I called the other stores, and the third one indeed had them in stock. I really wish customer service people wouldn't give absolutes like 'no one could have them yet.'

As another note, I had another great experience with the genius bar. In order to switch from my 8 gb iPhone to the 16gb, they had to transfer my activation or something to that effect. Being the first day of doing this, there was some confusion as to how to do that, so the guy went to the back of the store. I waited for 30-45 mins while he tried to figure it out. I had a book with me, so I was okay. When he came out, he apologized and said that in order to make it up to me for the wait, they would make it an even trade. I didn't pay a cent. So, for a half an hour of my time, they gave me 8 more gigs on my iPhone. I wish everyone valued my time so highly...
 
Well, Apple has had quite a bit of info leaked over the past few months so they may have been extra careful with this one. I could see them only telling a select few people per store in order to keep it from being leaked.

After telling you that a 16GB iPhone didn't exist I would have asked for the 32GB iPod touch. If they didn't know about that either, I would have shown them the apple.com.
 
AGSHender said:
I wasn't exactly dressed to the nines, but I did have on a black navy peacoat, khakis, Converse, and a messenger bag slung over my shoulder: the perfect hipster doofus demographic the iPhone is marketed for. The fact that I was there to buy an iPhone is neither here nor there, mind you. :)

I was a bit...perturbed, to say the least.
Click to expand...

That's my entire point, if the guys at the Apple store that day aren't going to approach someone in business attire, how much more a person in regular everyday clothes? You shouldn't judge anyone when you're working in retail. You should approach everyone the same way as if they are going to spend some money in your store.

Looks like some people on this thread have had better experiences. Good thing for Apple. :)
 
The next time that happens, politely ask if there's a computer with internet access anywhere and show them apple.com. That should shut them up :)
 
sometimes i hate the people that the apple store hires. i consider myself an apple enthusiast and im gonna try and get a summer job there. for those of you that have worked/work there, do they hire people just for the summer?
 
I went into an AT&T store earlyer to see if they had any 16gb phones in stock, one one employee even know what I was talking about, and mentioned they had just received an email saying they were not allowed to sell them untill Tuesday, but they had just arrived a few min. earlyer on a truck shipment....

I think its a lil strange they are not selling them yet.
 
I called the same Apple Store I went to yesterday where the guy claimed ignorance of the 16 GB iPhone, and they said they weren't going to get any in stock for at least a few days. So I mosied on over to the AT&T store three blocks from my workplace and picked one up there, instead.

Now I just have to wait a few hours to go home and activate it. And then a few weeks for the SDK. And then a few months for the features I really want to see in it.

But hey, I have an iPhone.
 
I've had similar experiences with the Apple "geniuses." I asked a genius in the store about the AppleTV update (weeks after the keynote), he told me there was no such thing. Where do they get these guys?

You would assume that a company like Apple would send out email updates to all it's store employees informing them of new products.
 
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