If he really said "even if customer experience is comprised"...  Than I really think it is time for him to go  

I was very skeptical of this hire. I don't understand how someone with this retail DNA simply is able to change so dramatically in how they go to market

Wow, been a while since I've seen 100% agreement on a thread here.

And no one is surprised. We all saw this coming from day one. When it comes to retail "parts is parts" just doesn't cut it in the world Apple created. Amazed they let this guy in the door. Ron, come back. J.C. Penny has already fired you because they don't appreciate your vision. Tim, please beg him to come back. Or promote from within.

I never trust a guy with an extra top button unbuttoned on his shirt. It that supposed to cool?

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkyfriar 

Anyone who has ever worked in Apple retail knows that their staffing has always been lean.  Ive never worked in a place where they are able to get so much productivity out of a small group of very talented people.  If anything they need more.

I completely agree with this .

Apple's stated goal is to make the best products. So far, a side effect of that has been mountains of money.

The same should be true for customer service. Make it THE BEST, and the money will follow.

Apple exists, first and foremost, to nurture relationships. The rest happens by itself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SolipsismX 

**** this myopic motherfucker! You lay off just one employee and you create fear that all could be laided off. Your best, most knowledgable employees might look for work elsewhere and all employees will have less of an interest putting their heart and soul into their job if they know the company they work could jettison them on accounting whim.
Apple is the most successful retail chain by square feet and one of those reasons is because you can you get service. This will do more longterm harm than any good than increasing profits by a fraction of a fraction of a percent for a quarter or two. **** him!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mazda 3s 

Wow, I don't think I've EVER seen you get this upset. Man, I guess this really has struck a nerve.

 

**Slowly back away**

I agree... Solips is sounding mighty borderline-postal, and I can't blame him.

This guy sounds like the typical executive that wants to make his mark in the company by increasing profit by cost-cutting in the wrong places.  Stupid 'effin moron has that typical mentality that ruins companies when left unchecked.

With all the money that Apple is raking in, so much in fact that they have to give some back to the shareholders, what the hell is this guy thinking that we need to sacrifice the customer service experience to save .00000000000001%?  I really want to believe that the entire story is not being said here.  If he did in-fact say this, I would demand that Tim Cook jettison this clown sooner than later.  Last thing Apple needs to for corporate to be run by suits.
 

Are you fucking kidding me.. "even if the customer experience is compromised."?!!!!! How did they hire this guy?!

The guy just isn't Apple material. Tim Cook should fire his ass at once, and admit he made a big mistake in hiring him.

This is what's wrong with unfettered Capitalism, greed takes over. At some point enough profit is enough profit.

Apologies from the UK

On behalf of the UK may I offer my apologies for burdening Apple with this "Unfortunate Hire". Now the Olympics are over, we'll gladly take him back and give him the job of cutting cost here at home. He can start with most of the Government, most of whom are a waste of rations and air anyway. 

Tell Tim Cook to fire Browett. Seriously. tcook@apple.com

Quote:

Originally Posted by dysamoria 

If a bunch of forum readers can call it like that, how the hell did this guy get hired?

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle

Of greater concern than Browett should be those who made the decision to hire him.   That is where the greater worry lies.

I hope no one buys Apple stock until this guy gets sent packing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waverunnr 

I'd bet a month's salary he's a Romney supporter.  Probably even contributed to his campaign.

Oh no you didn't. Please don't inject politics into this one thing we can all agree upon. Guys can be jerks whether Democrat or Republican, neither party has a monopoly on that.

On behalf of the UK may I offer my apologies for burdening Apple with this "Unfortunate Hire". Now the Olympics are over, we'll gladly take him back and give him the job of cutting cost here at home. He can start with most of the Government, most of whom are a waste of rations and air anyway. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackzig 

The guy just isn't Apple material. Tim Cook should fire his ass at once, and admit he made a big mistake in hiring him.

 

This is what's wrong with unfettered Capitalism, greed takes over. At some point enough profit is enough profit.

There's nothing wrong with unfettered capitalism, which ISN'T what we have right now anyway.

Smart companies don't do what this clown just did, though. He strikes me as a one-note executive who may have risen in the ranks thanks to the work of others. At Apple that doesn't fly.

wow what a douche bag!!!!!

"Papermastered",  Boom!

This is very distressing.  Despite all the hype, my experience at Apple Stores has been very poor from a Customer Service standpoint.  They do not have enough people who can actually deal with Customers and their issues.  Too many that just stand around.  Apple is profitable, and their stores are profitable.  Trying to milk more profit at the expense of exceptional Customer service is a big step backwards.  They need to IMPROVE not digress.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum 

"Papermastered",  Boom!

The voice of Steve Jobs, from the beyond.

I just know that Jobs would boot this guy back across the pond.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahmlco 

Tell Tim Cook to fire Browett. Seriously. tcook@apple.com

 

Done

Give me a break.  True capitalist try to take care of their customers.  Axing an already stretched sales staff is just completely idiotic.  This isn't about politics, it's about knowing your a** from a hole in the ground.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ewan 

This idiot is the reason I couldn't get a replacement charger at the Apple Store the other day. I was told I need to make a Genius Bar appointment the next day to get a new one. Seriously? I have to come back for a freaking replacement charger? That's so unreasonable.

It's been like this for a long time, especially at the busier stores. I've always had to make appointments and rarely could just walk in and get something done.

With that said, yes this guy sucks and I have lost all faith in him being able to handle this role.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waverunnr 

I'd bet a month's salary he's a Romney supporter.  Probably even contributed to his campaign.

Huffington Post is -------> that way.

Please go.

That is the first story I have read about Apple that genuinely made me not want to own any of their stuff. I agree with the prior comment, how did this idiot end up at Apple.

Looks like he walked in a store, saw how relaxed people looked and how happy everyone was and decided it was because they had too many staff sitting around.  Jerk!

The environment in stores is what makes the stores.  Laying off staff will only piss off the staff that remain as well as create a stressful environment. 

I loathe managers that change things for a quick buck without thinking long term.
 

Ha!  Gotta love people who shoot off at the mouth without knowing anything. 

Originally Posted by Waverunnr 
I'd bet a month's salary he's a Romney supporter.  Probably even contributed to his campaign.

We have an entire subforum for politics because we don't want it anywhere else. Please keep it there.

I know that's not as catchy as "Welcome to our Forum. Notice there is no 'politics' in it. Please keep it that way." but we do what we can.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackzig 

The guy just isn't Apple material. Tim Cook should fire his ass at once, and admit he made a big mistake in hiring him.

But what are the chances of that happening? Wouldn't that just undermine Cook and leave no doubt that he screwed the pooch by hiring him? I mean, we all know that it was a big mistake by hiring Browett, but Cook firing him so relatively soon makes Cook look even worse IMHO.

I think Cook is just going to ride this one out and hope that we had our backs turned while Browett had his hand in the cookie jar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ignatz 

Quote:

Originally Posted by SolipsismX 

**** this myopic motherfucker! You lay off just one employee and you create fear that all could be laided off. Your best, most knowledgable employees might look for work elsewhere and all employees will have less of an interest putting their heart and soul into their job if they know the company they work could jettison them on accounting whim.
Apple is the most successful retail chain by square feet and one of those reasons is because you can you get service. This will do more longterm harm than any good than increasing profits by a fraction of a fraction of a percent for a quarter or two. **** him!

 

 

Couldn't agree more!  This motherfucker has to put the CUSTOMER first.  He doesn't know how to grow profits in the long run.  You do that by putting the customer FIRST.

 

If it was up to him, they would make Apple Stores just like the cheap-ass cut-rate crap stores he used to manage, wher you can't find anybody to help you and if you could, they wouldn't know anything about the products.  That is short term thinking, and not like Apple at all.  Apple puts the customer experience ahead of everything, and that is why they are so profitable.

 \

If you have happy customers, they come back again and agaoin and they don't care how much things cost because they enjoy coming in so much that they are willing to spend whatever it takes to enjoy it so much.  Its  like the difference between a fine restaurant and McDonalds.  If he wants to make Apple like McDonalds, he's barking up the wrong tree.

 

He should move to  the Microsoft store because they don't care at all about the customer, and only about their god-given profit margins.  Well what good are high margins if you don't have any customers?  Answer  me that, you cheap-ass motherfucker!

No... MS already hired the guy that worked across from Browett -- to run MS' Retail Stores.

The fact that apple did a mia culpa tells me that this dude is probably going to be fired.

He sounds like 99% of business people over here in the UK. Only think about the short term bottom line. Jobs would never entertain someone like this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluedalmatian 

He sounds like 99% of business people over here in the UK. Only think about the short term bottom line. Jobs would never entertain someone like this.

I bet he used to vote Labour as well :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpamSandwich 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum 

"Papermastered",  Boom!

 

The voice of Steve Jobs, from the beyond.

 

I just know that Jobs would boot this guy back across the pond.

I'd bet he's gone before the autumnal equinox... and that he's already out of the management decision making hierarchy.

Hey, if you compromise the customer experience enough then you won't have as many people coming through the doors.  And then you really won't need as many staff to service them.  That must be a real WIN huh? Moron.

If anyone has walked into a Dixons recently they're baron places where you're likely to have crappy insurance foisted upon you buy some teenager who has more idea about how to roll a spliff than the specs of a laptop on the store shelf.

This guy should go practice his brand of corporate price optimisation somewhere that is deserving of him - like SAMSUNG retail maybe?

And yea, I've read AI for YEARS but this is the first time I've been induced to register and post a reply!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waverunnr 

I'd bet a month's salary he's a Romney supporter.  Probably even contributed to his campaign.

He comes from the UK, why would he have political affiliation to a man that would represent the BNP in the UK?