I don't know which part of the world you live in, but here in the UK it is well known that Dixons offered shoddy customer service by poorly trained stuff. Reality is totally different to what they "aimed for" in theory (I do not think they even aimed for customer satisfaction, just profits). Dixons was definitely way downmarket than Apple and when Browett was hired, it did not make any sense to me. That was definitely Cook's mistake.
Let's hope Angela does better.
(The only reason I use past tense in my comment about Dixons is because I do not visit those stores any more - pointless...)
Yes, I agree that Dixons and PC World etc are down market discounters..
But I did find this section on their website which made a big thing about all the efforts the company were making training staff to improve customer service and satisfaction, with tables showing how customer satisfaction improved.
It was probably this which got him the job at Apple. But then he forgot all that while he concentrated on cutting staffing costs, etc. which totally demoralised the Apple retail staff from top to bottom.
There are great opportunities to expand Apple's stores. I would like top see a huge, rapid increase in retail outlets around the world, but without sacrificing Apple's really high customer satisfaction ratings.
BTW Angela Ahrendts worked with Apple in several of her Burberry fashion multi media shows, which were big hits with customers and the media.
This is great news. I can't wait to see more direction in the retail space. Also, TC can get back to making sure the ship is sailing smoothly instead of carrying the weight of the retail role on his shoulders.
First female SVP! That might silence all the feminists out there
Stop being such a jerk. I'll bet she has more managerial talent in her left pinkie nail than you do in your whole (snarky) self.
Moreover, Apple has been sticking out in the Valley as a rather....shall we say....homogenous-looking corporate throwback. Just look at the diversity in other well known companies and you'll see what I mean.
Burberry certainly have managed to turn a staid brand into a cool brand without losing their original clients. So it's posh country, urban hipsters and rap gangsters. That's impressive.
She can certainly go downmarket - to mid market - without harming a loyal base.
Well this seems a much more natural fit than the box-shifter from Dixons (anyone from the UK could have, and many did, say that he would not work out).
Somebody who grasps iconography and style, rather than a volume obsessive.
Burberry was able to save itself by hiring a new CEO, Angela Ahrendts, who led an effort to buy back 23 of its licenses and fight counterfeiters. Ahrendts also scaled back its signature plaid so it appeared on just 5% of Burberry clothing instead of 20%. It signed on new faces for the brand like Emma Watson, and sued people who used its trademark illegally. Burberry is even working with Apple and the 5s to capture photos of its new fashion line.
Soon, Burberry regained its image as a sought-after upscale brand, and sales of its pricier items soared, and Burberry revenue has more than doubled to ?1.9 billion. However, the chav image still haunts Burberry to this day.
She really looks to be a valuable asset to the team. Props to Apples negotiating skills.
This TEDx talk will give an idea of what to expect. Is that an iPad mini I see? There's a lot of Tim Cook's presentation style here, too, I think. http://youtu.be/mZNlN31hS78
I agree. It was a good presentation. It was as if she was ”auditioning" for Apple.
I will beat my worn out drum again. Apple will be melding high tech and high fashion as we've never seen before because that place, nobody has the brand cachet to follow, mimic, imitate or duplicate them. Not Samsung, not Google, not Microsoft, not no one.
In the video, the red hair pundit states, basically, that:
- Apple is leaving China - Moving manufacturing to the USA (Texas) with "100% automation" - This will result in significant restructuring of how Apple operates
I wonder if anyone told Tim Cook he is moving all of Apple manufacturing to Texas?
I will beat my worn out drum again. Apple will be melding high tech and high fashion as we've never seen before because that place, nobody has the brand cachet to follow, mimic, imitate or duplicate them. Not Samsung, not Google, not Microsoft, not no one.
I agree, none of those 3 companies have taste. Like Steve said, "I mean that in a big way".
I don't have to have the same taste, I don't have to agree to their taste, but they simply have no taste. At all. Which I think is sad, actually.
President of Dona Kiran international at 29? She's a go-getter. What an impressive resume that was promoted to different roles based on her performance. Unlike your typical board member that sucks and still lands another CEO job the next day or at least ends up on a board.
Comments
oi! not the chavs!
Dooooooooooooomed!
http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/22/iphone-5cheap/
Give her a chance !
Hey Secular Investor
I don't know which part of the world you live in, but here in the UK it is well known that Dixons offered shoddy customer service by poorly trained stuff. Reality is totally different to what they "aimed for" in theory (I do not think they even aimed for customer satisfaction, just profits). Dixons was definitely way downmarket than Apple and when Browett was hired, it did not make any sense to me. That was definitely Cook's mistake.
Let's hope Angela does better.
(The only reason I use past tense in my comment about Dixons is because I do not visit those stores any more - pointless...)
Yes, I agree that Dixons and PC World etc are down market discounters..
But I did find this section on their website which made a big thing about all the efforts the company were making training staff to improve customer service and satisfaction, with tables showing how customer satisfaction improved.
It was probably this which got him the job at Apple. But then he forgot all that while he concentrated on cutting staffing costs, etc. which totally demoralised the Apple retail staff from top to bottom.
There are great opportunities to expand Apple's stores. I would like top see a huge, rapid increase in retail outlets around the world, but without sacrificing Apple's really high customer satisfaction ratings.
BTW Angela Ahrendts worked with Apple in several of her Burberry fashion multi media shows, which were big hits with customers and the media.
Stop being such a jerk. I'll bet she has more managerial talent in her left pinkie nail than you do in your whole (snarky) self.
Moreover, Apple has been sticking out in the Valley as a rather....shall we say....homogenous-looking corporate throwback. Just look at the diversity in other well known companies and you'll see what I mean.
Sounds like a fabulous talent and a great hire, and clearly fits the bill as far as the needed cachet goes.
She can certainly go downmarket - to mid market - without harming a loyal base.
http://web.archive.org/web/19991013070158/http://apple.com/pr/profiles.html
Well this seems a much more natural fit than the box-shifter from Dixons (anyone from the UK could have, and many did, say that he would not work out).
Somebody who grasps iconography and style, rather than a volume obsessive.
Thanks for that link:
She really looks to be a valuable asset to the team. Props to Apples negotiating skills.
I agree. It was a good presentation. It was as if she was ”auditioning" for Apple.
I will beat my worn out drum again. Apple will be melding high tech and high fashion as we've never seen before because that place, nobody has the brand cachet to follow, mimic, imitate or duplicate them. Not Samsung, not Google, not Microsoft, not no one.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101111899
In the video, the red hair pundit states, basically, that:
- Apple is leaving China
- Moving manufacturing to the USA (Texas) with "100% automation"
- This will result in significant restructuring of how Apple operates
I wonder if anyone told Tim Cook he is moving all of Apple manufacturing to Texas?
Too funny.
Edit to correct spelling. Sorry!
I agree, none of those 3 companies have taste. Like Steve said, "I mean that in a big way".
I don't have to have the same taste, I don't have to agree to their taste, but they simply have no taste. At all. Which I think is sad, actually.
Since when Ron Johnson was ever a CEO?