The Apple Store

[ericcoleman]

I think it was polyfrog who once referred to the Mac as "user condescending". A fairly accurate appraisal, as much as I do love the Mac and as much as I do intend to own one someday, rather than just using them at work.

Apparantly that refers to the Apple Store too. I have a thing about good customer service. I complain mightly when I don't get it, and I thank mightly when I do. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I have been there twice this week and I think I have been asked if I needed help by the entire staff 17 times each (maybe a slight exaggeration) in the approximately hour or so that I was there. And they do have a large group of folks working there, 6-10 depending on the day I was there.

Since several did ask me repeatedly I have two things I wonder about.

1 - Do they operate on commission, with the person with the lowest sales of the month each month being executed?
B - Do they hire people with bad short term memory problems? I mean really, if you asked me once, would you think 20 minutes later "Hey, did I already ask that fat guy in the bright tie tye sweatshirt if he has been helped?" Or maybe I just don't stand out in a crowd (especially likely, since the store is deep in the center of Yuppie Hell)

What do you think?

Comments

[coburnsteeth.livejournal.com]

I know Best Buy did that and I quit going there for a good six months because of it.

I own a Mac and a PC and both are fine for what they do.

What I really hate is the self righteous Mac ads where the PC guy is flustered and desperate and the Mac "kid" is arrogant and unshaven.
It makes me never want to buy Mac because it buys into that condescending, "don't trust the 'MAN'" type mentality.

like Target market does!
k, i'll shuttup now.

[pheltzer.livejournal.com]

Most likely they're on commission. Although I don't think they're executed... they just have the iPod's smashed in front of their faces if they lose the competition.

Although you are kind of easy to lose in a crowd.

[bobolium.livejournal.com]

The apple store was nice and courteous here. They fixed my ipod when it made sick little noises and cradled it and loved it back to health. the genius bar is awesome, and the guy that waited on me was surprised by my wide music selection and was actually impressed which is unusual as most people think look at all the genres and think I am a freak. He didn't charge me for the service either. I did have to wait for a while though, even after I made an appointment, and labelling yourself a genius is a little condescending.

I dunno anything about the sales floor though.
YAY!

And Apple stores are always in the yuppie part of town. Always.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

Ask patgund from my flist. He's a Mac tech head and applied for work at the Apple Store. He wound up at The Mac Store, aka WTF Mac Store -- well that's what the sign looks like!

I have often said that while I would not pay for sex, I would pay for people to be nice to me for a change. This is one reason amongst others why I stayed with Apple all these years, I suppose.

[guppiecat]

When I was a teen, and I went into a CD store, the clerks would follow me around because I was in the age range 14-18, had long hair, and wore baggy clothing (because I was underweight and nothing fit). They thought I was going to steal.

Let's see. You're a large man, in the range 35-45 (I think), have a beard, and have some... interesting ideas on fashion.

They obviously think that you're a Unix geek, and if they don't keep an eye on you, you'll hack their systems.

*grin*

[bdunbar.livejournal.com]

"Here's a nickel son, go buy a real computer."

[ericcoleman]

You're a large man

Gee thanks ...

in the range 35-45 (I think)

Gee thanks (no really)

interesting ideas on fashion.

And whatever could you mean by that ???

[budsharpe.livejournal.com]

Given my two weeks I spent employed by the Apple Store, I feel completely qualified to comment on question 1. Employees are not on commission, but they are tracked on additional sales they make like AppleCare, .Mac and so on. It annoyed me enough to be a factor in my leaving.

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Retail employees are encouraged to continually ask customers if they need help because manager-types THINK it discourages shoplifting. That's what THEY know . . .

[bdunbar.livejournal.com]

I've only met you once .. but brother you do stand out.

I've never been in an Apple store - they're thin on the ground out here in the middle of inner nowhere. I get all my apple needs met via package delivery.

[nekhochan.livejournal.com]

At a store I worked at, if a customer wasn't greeted within 10 seconds, and they were our secret shopper, we failed automatically.