Lost in much of the conversation are the benefits, such as health insurance, stock options and employee discounts that Apple pays. I visit my local Apple Store at the Natick (MA) Mall several times a month. I pass by a Lululemon store down the aisle. The Lulu store is empty and the one or two clerks are re-folding and cleaning up shelves. They look lonely and dispirited.
The Apple Store is always "Rocking the Casbah." Customers are immediately greeted by happy, energized Apple Reps. Contrary to the NYT article, I am always impressed by the wide range of ages and experience of the Reps. Age does not seem to be a factor in hiring, just enthusiasm and a desire to be helpful. How many other companies look beyond age and appearance besides Apple? Not Lululemon, where obvious hiring criteria include youth, low BMI and beauty.
As an AAPL shareholder, I applauded last week's announcement that Reps could qualify for 25% salary increases. I want the best reps to stay motivated and stay with Apple for a long time.
Apple empowers its Reps and Geniuses to bend over backwards to make every customer happy, even to the extent of making no cost exchanges and repairs, well beyond what any other company does. Take a loot at the "Haggler" column in Sunday's NYT and compare how Apple and Hewlett-Packard care for their customers.
And what about employees who work for a failed company? If Apple employees should benefit from the company so much making money should they be made to have to pay losses if the company eventually flounders?
The "public face" is a webpage, or their products, not the person in a store who records the sale (which these days might very well be the purchaser....).
All this discord about wages amuses me. As a former Apple employee, I know that few are working there who could make more money elsewhere. Those that can, do. A few Apple loyalists work their butts off and move up within the company to make more money or make the elusive transfer to corporate. Retail sales is a stepping stone in the U.S., it's not a career. It's entry level work and employees with ambition and effort move from specialists to other roles. They make more money, gain more skills and enhance their resume. No one works for the same company for life anymore, you move to move up.
If you all really want to look at something that should be rectified, let's talk about how Apple moved their tee shirts (employees) from American Apparel to overseas! Not only did the loss of this lucrative contract leave a US company in bad shape, including employee layoffs, but the damn shirts from Vietnam fit like s**t as well. This bothered me more than anything about salaries or other issues at the retail level.
Has the Times checked out the workers at Amazon warehouses? They talk about Verizon and ATT store workers, and the fact they get commission, but of course those workers have many other phones to sell, and are given bonuses to sell particular devices. And what about the old school choice, "if you don't like your job, get a different job!" Its not like these folks would be leaving $100,000 jobs. Its freakin retail! Go get a different retail job!
This is good for mid to hi end retail. $8-9 an hour is about par for stores like pottery barn, Macy's and places that I see in malls with apple stores. And this number is just for low level clerks, I was interviewing a few years ago for a genius position that paid double or more as base, plus bonuses and stuff.
Also I used to sell cell phones in retail. Most apple store staff do not have the expertise to merit more pay. Everyone in the att or Verizon store can talk in depth about their products and plans and in the early days of the apple store it was that way but now whenever I go in there I have to go thru 3 ppl to get an expert , if all you can do is say "let me get an expert for you" then u should be greatful for the $11
Please make the stupidity stop. The company has and will always be successful. Do you think McDonalds employees enjoy the $uccess of the company, do you think walmart employees enjoy the $uccess of the company. Someone please make it stop!
[quote name="Ryan Nathaniel" url="/t/150882/nyt-profiles-apples-retail-stores-says-employees-are-short-on-pay/120#post_2134884"]The company has and [B]will always be[/B] successful.[/QUOTE]
Comments
Lost in much of the conversation are the benefits, such as health insurance, stock options and employee discounts that Apple pays. I visit my local Apple Store at the Natick (MA) Mall several times a month. I pass by a Lululemon store down the aisle. The Lulu store is empty and the one or two clerks are re-folding and cleaning up shelves. They look lonely and dispirited.
The Apple Store is always "Rocking the Casbah." Customers are immediately greeted by happy, energized Apple Reps. Contrary to the NYT article, I am always impressed by the wide range of ages and experience of the Reps. Age does not seem to be a factor in hiring, just enthusiasm and a desire to be helpful. How many other companies look beyond age and appearance besides Apple? Not Lululemon, where obvious hiring criteria include youth, low BMI and beauty.
As an AAPL shareholder, I applauded last week's announcement that Reps could qualify for 25% salary increases. I want the best reps to stay motivated and stay with Apple for a long time.
Apple empowers its Reps and Geniuses to bend over backwards to make every customer happy, even to the extent of making no cost exchanges and repairs, well beyond what any other company does. Take a loot at the "Haggler" column in Sunday's NYT and compare how Apple and Hewlett-Packard care for their customers.
Case closed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTR
The NYT definitely has been running with a lot of negative press about Apple recently.
Does anybody know what originally caused this 'falling out'?
For liberals like those at the NYT, big=bad.
So I don't have to read such drivel, does anyone know if the article mentions supply and demand for retail labor as what determines wage prices?
Quote:
Originally Posted by joelsalt
And what about employees who work for a failed company? If Apple employees should benefit from the company so much making money should they be made to have to pay losses if the company eventually flounders?
Excellent point.
Everything I buy from APPLE I buy online.
The "public face" is a webpage, or their products, not the person in a store who records the sale (which these days might very well be the purchaser....).
Quote:
Originally Posted by drblank
Now, in order to improve their image, I think they should wear polo shirts instead of t-shirts at a minimum.
Wha???
Quote:
"We’re Apple. We don’t wear suits. We don’t even own suits."
I don't get the feeling you understand the first thing about Apple's culture.
All this discord about wages amuses me. As a former Apple employee, I know that few are working there who could make more money elsewhere. Those that can, do. A few Apple loyalists work their butts off and move up within the company to make more money or make the elusive transfer to corporate. Retail sales is a stepping stone in the U.S., it's not a career. It's entry level work and employees with ambition and effort move from specialists to other roles. They make more money, gain more skills and enhance their resume. No one works for the same company for life anymore, you move to move up.
If you all really want to look at something that should be rectified, let's talk about how Apple moved their tee shirts (employees) from American Apparel to overseas! Not only did the loss of this lucrative contract leave a US company in bad shape, including employee layoffs, but the damn shirts from Vietnam fit like s**t as well. This bothered me more than anything about salaries or other issues at the retail level.
Has the Times checked out the workers at Amazon warehouses? They talk about Verizon and ATT store workers, and the fact they get commission, but of course those workers have many other phones to sell, and are given bonuses to sell particular devices. And what about the old school choice, "if you don't like your job, get a different job!" Its not like these folks would be leaving $100,000 jobs. Its freakin retail! Go get a different retail job!
Also I used to sell cell phones in retail. Most apple store staff do not have the expertise to merit more pay. Everyone in the att or Verizon store can talk in depth about their products and plans and in the early days of the apple store it was that way but now whenever I go in there I have to go thru 3 ppl to get an expert , if all you can do is say "let me get an expert for you" then u should be greatful for the $11
Please make the stupidity stop. The company has and will always be successful. Do you think McDonalds employees enjoy the $uccess of the company, do you think walmart employees enjoy the $uccess of the company. Someone please make it stop!
I thought you said… no, never mind, I guess.