Hmmm maybe these 'geniuses' can explain to me why when I export photos from iPhoto - any photo that's in portrait orientation ends up inheriting the wrong file permissions...
"sir that is unfortunate... no wait... as it turns out..."
Anyone in the Apple community already knows most of this.
I'm just surprised the WSJ feels this is newsworthy.
Why would this surprise you? Apple Stores are among the most profitable per square foot on the planet. Many business folks would like to emulate their success. Most business folks are not in the 'Apple Community'. Business folks read the WSJ...
I'm an old Mac user and I almost always say "oh-ess-ex". If X is the Roman numeral for 10 then saying X is just as valid as saying ten, decem, deiz, or zehn.
I find myself saying "oh ess ex" from time to time also, however I think it's unlikely that I would myself saying "oh ess ex eye" for it's successor.
There are good reasons why Steve wants this stuff to remain secret. Revealing this information is against Steve's wishes.
Revealing this stuff is bad for the entire Apple community.
It's also bad for the employee that revealed it. Grounds for firing for sure.
That said, according to my sources, much in that article is total hyperbole. Take the whole shadowing for weeks thing and not being allowed to talk to customers. They said that for sales staff it is 1 week tops with perhaps a couple of weeks of being shadowed or working side by side with a mentoring staff member. And never are they forbidden from talking to customers.
If it is a trainer or a tech it might be a bit longer depending on what they are doing. But only because the job is more complex. Especially Techs where one wrong move can kill a customer's computer, phone etc
One thing that my source did tell me that was somewhat correct is the 'no negativity' idea. As they put it, 'your customer is already typically having a shite day. Don't make it worse by telling then what you CANT do, but instead try to make it a little better by focusing on what you CAN do'
I'll tell you first hand that Apple doesn't pay Geniuses $30 anymore. That would be a fair wage, but Apple doesn't pay it. They have really cut back on saleries.
Arguably, an Apple Store is one of the better places to work. But have no delusion about it, retail in general is mostly a horrible working environment and as pointed out, don't think you can get into Apple Corporate/HQ from retail. If you're under 22, heck, go for it. But once you start hitting 25, if you're still in retail, it's really time to start planning your next move.
One thing that my source did tell me that was somewhat correct is the 'no negativity' idea. As they put it, 'your customer is already typically having a shite day. Don't make it worse by telling then what you CANT do, but instead try to make it a little better by focusing on what you CAN do'
Working with an Apple Premium Reseller for four years, with intermittent contact with Apple Corporate (Apple China and Apple South Asia divisions), I've mostly been exposed to the same sales training material (ASTO/ASW + others) as official Apple Store employees.
It's pretty good, and pretty common sense stuff. It's not really brainwashing, it's just thinking how to frame Apple products and solutions, as well as how to address customer concerns and objections.
In my view, the training Apple provides be it for retail or corporate level is one of the best I've come across in communicating the core values of a company, handling all kinds of customers, demoing a product and learning about Apple products and software. That the company itself (though maybe that has waned with sheer volume of business now) mostly stands behind the dogma you're put through cannot be underestimated.
Once you learn to demo an Apple product or software well, on a one-or-one or one-to-many basis, you can virtually present any product for any company. The culture of Apple keynotes is also definitely communicated even at the Apple retail sales demo level. Once you go through all this, when you see Acer product launches with just pretty models holding stuff or even slapdash Microsoft presentations and you go... WTF?
All said and done, retail, service and support is all still very tough especially once the nitty gritty bits about targets and time spent with each customer comes into play.
But the training itself is quite eye-opening, especially for any Apple fan. You get a glimpse into the sophistication of their thinking which one might initially take for granted.
Comments
It does NOT make them Genii.
There's so much wrong with that sentence.
The Mac II was updated to the Mac IIx so the x was the faster version.
As we know the IIfx stood for "too f---ing expensive"
Later when they upgraded the Macintosh SE they chose to call it the SE/30
Well, the SE/x might have been taking it too far
Hmmm maybe these 'geniuses' can explain to me why when I export photos from iPhoto - any photo that's in portrait orientation ends up inheriting the wrong file permissions...
"sir that is unfortunate... no wait... as it turns out..."
Anyone in the Apple community already knows most of this.
I'm just surprised the WSJ feels this is newsworthy.
Why would this surprise you? Apple Stores are among the most profitable per square foot on the planet. Many business folks would like to emulate their success. Most business folks are not in the 'Apple Community'. Business folks read the WSJ...
Understand yet?
I'm an old Mac user and I almost always say "oh-ess-ex". If X is the Roman numeral for 10 then saying X is just as valid as saying ten, decem, deiz, or zehn.
I find myself saying "oh ess ex" from time to time also, however I think it's unlikely that I would myself saying "oh ess ex eye" for it's successor.
Apple Stores are among the most profitable per square foot on the planet.
An employee at the Fifth Ave. store told me that that store was the most profitable store on the planet, not just among Apple stores, but any store.
There are good reasons why Steve wants this stuff to remain secret. Revealing this information is against Steve's wishes.
Revealing this stuff is bad for the entire Apple community.
It's also bad for the employee that revealed it. Grounds for firing for sure.
That said, according to my sources, much in that article is total hyperbole. Take the whole shadowing for weeks thing and not being allowed to talk to customers. They said that for sales staff it is 1 week tops with perhaps a couple of weeks of being shadowed or working side by side with a mentoring staff member. And never are they forbidden from talking to customers.
If it is a trainer or a tech it might be a bit longer depending on what they are doing. But only because the job is more complex. Especially Techs where one wrong move can kill a customer's computer, phone etc
One thing that my source did tell me that was somewhat correct is the 'no negativity' idea. As they put it, 'your customer is already typically having a shite day. Don't make it worse by telling then what you CANT do, but instead try to make it a little better by focusing on what you CAN do'
One thing that my source did tell me that was somewhat correct is the 'no negativity' idea. As they put it, 'your customer is already typically having a shite day. Don't make it worse by telling then what you CANT do, but instead try to make it a little better by focusing on what you CAN do'
Working with an Apple Premium Reseller for four years, with intermittent contact with Apple Corporate (Apple China and Apple South Asia divisions), I've mostly been exposed to the same sales training material (ASTO/ASW + others) as official Apple Store employees.
It's pretty good, and pretty common sense stuff. It's not really brainwashing, it's just thinking how to frame Apple products and solutions, as well as how to address customer concerns and objections.
In my view, the training Apple provides be it for retail or corporate level is one of the best I've come across in communicating the core values of a company, handling all kinds of customers, demoing a product and learning about Apple products and software. That the company itself (though maybe that has waned with sheer volume of business now) mostly stands behind the dogma you're put through cannot be underestimated.
Once you learn to demo an Apple product or software well, on a one-or-one or one-to-many basis, you can virtually present any product for any company. The culture of Apple keynotes is also definitely communicated even at the Apple retail sales demo level. Once you go through all this, when you see Acer product launches with just pretty models holding stuff or even slapdash Microsoft presentations and you go... WTF?
All said and done, retail, service and support is all still very tough especially once the nitty gritty bits about targets and time spent with each customer comes into play.
But the training itself is quite eye-opening, especially for any Apple fan. You get a glimpse into the sophistication of their thinking which one might initially take for granted.
As we know the IIfx stood for "too f---ing expensive"
Well, the SE/x might have been taking it too far
Both of which I own
The SE/30 was an amazing model. Years ahead of its time.
You obviously don't have friends like mine who insist on talking about their iTouch - it's an iPod Touch damnit!
Actually to be totally accurate, it's an iPod touch (lower case 'touch')
Just saying