I think the theory is that appointments will drive away the hard core, shut-up and take my money, early adopters. As if.
Whose theory is that? Those are exactly the people who will book the first appointments and camp out overnight after all the first day appointments are filled to hopefully take someone else's spot who doesn't show up.
Of course not, but there ARE limitations of who will be interested and eligible -- the first requirement is that they must own an iPhone 5 or newer. Then there are various reasons people will not be interested: It's not suitable for swimming and water activities, there is no mid-priced gold-tone option for those who do not wear silver jewelry or accessories, the battery only lasts a day, there's no GPS, etc. However insignificant each may be to the success of the watch itself, they cumulatively add up to excluding someone from being interested in buying the watch, and presumably going to the trouble of booking an appointment to look at something they aren't going to otherwise buy initially.
Did you read the article? I've also never had an Apple rep ask me if they can help me "place an order" after I've looked at a product. There's a first time for everything, and this seems to be what this sentence is suggesting:
I'm assuming that paragraph means if the walk in person tries on a watch and then decids they areinterested in buying one the store employee will help them with the ordering process via online or the Apple store app.
Here's a great article about why Apple has an advantage precisely because their watch face isn't round. Everyone will instantly be able to recognize an Apple Watch, whereas Android Wear devices are starting to all look the same as they trip all over each other to release smart watches with round displays.
Isn't this just opinion? I read an article written by a teenager who said nobody at his school would be caught dead wearing a square watch. And won't Android watches start emulating the ?Watch as soon as they possibly can? Soon they'll all look like the ?Watch just like the smart phone. In the end it's not about the hardware, it's about what the thing can do, and Apple has everyone beat, by years.
The shape of the watch is fashion, and fashion is fickle. I will be shocked if Apple doesn't release a round model at some point themselves, depending on how committed they are to the "fashion" angle of this product. People want what they want, and while there will be those who will want people to know they are one of the few lucky enough to have an ?Watch, there are plenty of others who want their watch to coordinate with their outfit and jewelry. And still more who won't be interested in a homogenous wrist watch that brings no unique style, or personality to their choice.
Apple designed a beautiful smart watch, but there's a lot more to it than one-size fits all.
I don't see what the pressure is. That seems geared more towards people who don't have an appointment and just walk in. I doubt anyone who's not interested in the watch is going to be pressured into buying one by a store employee.
agreed. what nonsense. more FUD from the user FUDers...
Exactly. Good god, for a product we're told no one wants and is going to be a failure there sure is a lot of angst over the roll out.
yeah these trolls are pathetic. youd think they have better things to do w/ their lives than troll apple sites but disparage apple stuff all day long. i wonder what sort of slacker jobs they work to allow such a thing...
If a person preorders an Apple Watch on April 10, will the watch ship to them on April 24, or will they be required to pick it up in-store? Or will the preorder simply provide the customer with the option to make a try-on appointment at an Apple Store (at which time presumably they could change their mind on the model and size)?
im of the impression that if you pre-order on April 10, whether online or in a store, it will ship to you April 24. i dont think it will ship to the store and require pick-up.
if you arent certain which model to pre-order online, you can make an in-store appt to try on some models. then you can pre-order whatever you want.
Of course not, but there ARE limitations of who will be interested and eligible -- the first requirement is that they must own an iPhone 5 or newer. Then there are various reasons people will not be interested: It's not suitable for swimming and water activities, there is no mid-priced gold-tone option for those who do not wear silver jewelry or accessories, the battery only lasts a day, there's no GPS, etc. However insignificant each may be to the success of the watch itself, they cumulatively add up to excluding someone from being interested in buying the watch, and presumably going to the trouble of booking an appointment to look at something they aren't going to otherwise buy initially.
the list of possible product short-comings isnt what ANYONE means when they say apple isnt restricting or limiting sales of available models to available customers. and you know that.
The shape of the watch is fashion, and fashion is fickle. I will be shocked if Apple doesn't release a round model at some point themselves, depending on how committed they are to the "fashion" angle of this product. People want what they want, and while there will be those who will want people to know they are one of the few lucky enough to have an ?Watch, there are plenty of others who want their watch to coordinate with their outfit and jewelry. And still more who won't be interested in a homogenous wrist watch that brings no unique style, or personality to their choice.
Apple designed a beautiful smart watch, but there's a lot more to it than one-size fits all.
good thing apple is the only one so far to offer more than one size. oops!
there wont be a round model for many years, if ever. if youd bother to read the Ive interview youd know he said they built it around the pragmatic need of reading lists on a screen. form follows function. how many round TVs do see?
I'm assuming that paragraph means if the walk in person tries on a watch and then decids they areinterested in buying one the store employee will help them with the ordering process via online or the Apple store app.
Hopefully that's the case. The wording is just strange, and it could well be AI's grammar that creates the implication -- 'Show a walk-in customer the watch without an appointment, BUT help them buy one.' As if it were a condition. Why not say for EVERYONE they demo the watch for they will help them buy one? Being a product of high pressure sales training myself that's the first thing I thought of when I saw that, because it would be a first for Apple to take that approach.
Hopefully that's the case. The wording is just strange, and it could well be AI's grammar that creates the implication -- 'Show a walk-in customer the watch without an appointment, BUT help them buy one.' As if it were a condition. Why not say for EVERYONE they demo the watch for they will help them buy one? Being a product of high pressure sales training myself that's the first thing I thought of when I saw that, because it would be a first for Apple to take that approach.
Oh I agree. It all depends on how Apple employees use this "sales tactic". It's like going to Radio Shack and being asked if you'd like 'some batteries with that'. Whether a customer perceives it as pressure or not, depends on what the employee does next after a polite "no". In this case, I'd say how soon after they start looking at the watch does an Apple employee start suggesting they help them reserve one online, and whether they follow up with how difficult these are going to be to get if they don't 'reserve one today', etc.
Unlikely.
If this was going to happen then we would have seen it already with more expensive items like the iPhone and the iPad. Most of the watches they sell are going to be black sports models and they will be bought by men who won't even bother to try them on.
This whole booking thing is not about selling the watch; it's to stop it getting nicked.
If this was going to happen then we would have seen it already with more expensive items like the iPhone and the iPad.
This whole booking thing is not about selling the watch; it's to stop it getting nicked.
I don't disagree. However, a person doesn't need an appointment to get their hands on an iPhone or iPad, nor any assistance to intuitively see what it can do.
Unfortunately, the ?Watch needs an iPhone to function, and some tutorial assistance with the interface. Yes, they have to have a way to avoid them being stolen, but they also need to make sure people understands how it works, just like the jeweler who demonstrates the new dive watch, and how to access the various features with only 3-4 buttons.
The appointments cost Apple a lot of money since in addition to all of the other staff, for the first month or so, they'll have to have several dedicated watch-demonstrators, who also require extensive training. One way to pay for that is encourage purchases at the end of your visit. There is a new person in charge of the retail division since their last launch, so anything is possible.
But I do agree it would be a definite change in practice for Apple if that's the case.
unless you read that from an Apple press release, i dont know why youd put any weight in it. did you read that in an Apple press release?
It was reported by Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac so you can basically take it to the bank. Yeah someone spending $10K on the Edition watch is going to get perks that no one else gets. Why that surprises or bothers people is beyond me. These must be people that think first class travelers are the scum of the earth.
Of course not, but there ARE limitations of who will be interested and eligible -- the first requirement is that they must own an iPhone 5 or newer. Then there are various reasons people will not be interested: It's not suitable for swimming and water activities, there is no mid-priced gold-tone option for those who do not wear silver jewelry or accessories, the battery only lasts a day, there's no GPS, etc. However insignificant each may be to the success of the watch itself, they cumulatively add up to excluding someone from being interested in buying the watch, and presumably going to the trouble of booking an appointment to look at something they aren't going to otherwise buy initially.
Did you read the article? I've also never had an Apple rep ask me if they can help me "place an order" after I've looked at a product. There's a first time for everything, and this seems to be what this sentence is suggesting:
Yes, it's limited to people who are interested in buying an Apple Watch, as opposed to some other product that looks or works differently. What a great insight.
Yes, I read the article. Nothing about an associate offering to help you place your order reads as sales pressure to me. I know what pressure selling is like, and that ain't it. Everything else about the approach Apple is taking suggests they are kicking the marketing for this product upscale a couple of notches, where pitches like "what can I do to sell you this product today?" are simply not done.
im of the impression that if you pre-order on April 10, whether online or in a store, it will ship to you April 24. i dont think it will ship to the store and require pick-up.
if you arent certain which model to pre-order online, you can make an in-store appt to try on some models. then you can pre-order whatever you want.
I am hoping I can preorder on April 10, then if time permits before the ship date, make my appointment at an Apple Store to either verify that I made the right choice for myself, or change the preorder.
Apple designed a beautiful smart watch, but there's a lot more to it than one-size fits all.
Then it's a good thing they're offering something like 28 "sizes," before you even get into mixing and matching bands on your own. The obsessors over the shape are missing the forest for the trees.
Comments
I think the theory is that appointments will drive away the hard core, shut-up and take my money, early adopters. As if.
Whose theory is that? Those are exactly the people who will book the first appointments and camp out overnight after all the first day appointments are filled to hopefully take someone else's spot who doesn't show up.
I'm assuming that paragraph means if the walk in person tries on a watch and then decids they areinterested in buying one the store employee will help them with the ordering process via online or the Apple store app.
Here's a great article about why Apple has an advantage precisely because their watch face isn't round. Everyone will instantly be able to recognize an Apple Watch, whereas Android Wear devices are starting to all look the same as they trip all over each other to release smart watches with round displays.
http://watchaware.com/post/8111/the-curvy-rectangle
Isn't this just opinion? I read an article written by a teenager who said nobody at his school would be caught dead wearing a square watch. And won't Android watches start emulating the ?Watch as soon as they possibly can? Soon they'll all look like the ?Watch just like the smart phone. In the end it's not about the hardware, it's about what the thing can do, and Apple has everyone beat, by years.
The shape of the watch is fashion, and fashion is fickle. I will be shocked if Apple doesn't release a round model at some point themselves, depending on how committed they are to the "fashion" angle of this product. People want what they want, and while there will be those who will want people to know they are one of the few lucky enough to have an ?Watch, there are plenty of others who want their watch to coordinate with their outfit and jewelry. And still more who won't be interested in a homogenous wrist watch that brings no unique style, or personality to their choice.
Apple designed a beautiful smart watch, but there's a lot more to it than one-size fits all.
It does sound like there will be some subtle pressure to buy for anyone who does take up an employees time to mitigate that:
what on earth? what sounds like there will be pressure to buy? be specific on the source of the pressure, please.
I don't see what the pressure is. That seems geared more towards people who don't have an appointment and just walk in. I doubt anyone who's not interested in the watch is going to be pressured into buying one by a store employee.
agreed. what nonsense. more FUD from the user FUDers...
I rad an article that Apple will do personal set up for buyers of the Edition or Stainless Steel models.
Buyers of the Sport model will fend for themselves.
Sound rather discriminating to buyers that don't have the money for the more expensive models.
Tim?
unless you read that from an Apple press release, i dont know why youd put any weight in it. did you read that in an Apple press release?
Exactly. Good god, for a product we're told no one wants and is going to be a failure there sure is a lot of angst over the roll out.
yeah these trolls are pathetic. youd think they have better things to do w/ their lives than troll apple sites but disparage apple stuff all day long. i wonder what sort of slacker jobs they work to allow such a thing...
What am I missing here?
If a person preorders an Apple Watch on April 10, will the watch ship to them on April 24, or will they be required to pick it up in-store? Or will the preorder simply provide the customer with the option to make a try-on appointment at an Apple Store (at which time presumably they could change their mind on the model and size)?
im of the impression that if you pre-order on April 10, whether online or in a store, it will ship to you April 24. i dont think it will ship to the store and require pick-up.
if you arent certain which model to pre-order online, you can make an in-store appt to try on some models. then you can pre-order whatever you want.
Of course not, but there ARE limitations of who will be interested and eligible -- the first requirement is that they must own an iPhone 5 or newer. Then there are various reasons people will not be interested: It's not suitable for swimming and water activities, there is no mid-priced gold-tone option for those who do not wear silver jewelry or accessories, the battery only lasts a day, there's no GPS, etc. However insignificant each may be to the success of the watch itself, they cumulatively add up to excluding someone from being interested in buying the watch, and presumably going to the trouble of booking an appointment to look at something they aren't going to otherwise buy initially.
the list of possible product short-comings isnt what ANYONE means when they say apple isnt restricting or limiting sales of available models to available customers. and you know that.
FEAR! UNCERTAINTY! DOUBT!
FEAR! UNCERTAINTY! DOUBT!
FEAR! UNCERTAINTY! DOUBT!
....you FUD-bots are mind-numbing.
The shape of the watch is fashion, and fashion is fickle. I will be shocked if Apple doesn't release a round model at some point themselves, depending on how committed they are to the "fashion" angle of this product. People want what they want, and while there will be those who will want people to know they are one of the few lucky enough to have an ?Watch, there are plenty of others who want their watch to coordinate with their outfit and jewelry. And still more who won't be interested in a homogenous wrist watch that brings no unique style, or personality to their choice.
Apple designed a beautiful smart watch, but there's a lot more to it than one-size fits all.
good thing apple is the only one so far to offer more than one size. oops!
there wont be a round model for many years, if ever. if youd bother to read the Ive interview youd know he said they built it around the pragmatic need of reading lists on a screen. form follows function. how many round TVs do see?
I'm assuming that paragraph means if the walk in person tries on a watch and then decids they areinterested in buying one the store employee will help them with the ordering process via online or the Apple store app.
Hopefully that's the case. The wording is just strange, and it could well be AI's grammar that creates the implication -- 'Show a walk-in customer the watch without an appointment, BUT help them buy one.' As if it were a condition. Why not say for EVERYONE they demo the watch for they will help them buy one? Being a product of high pressure sales training myself that's the first thing I thought of when I saw that, because it would be a first for Apple to take that approach.
Hopefully that's the case. The wording is just strange, and it could well be AI's grammar that creates the implication -- 'Show a walk-in customer the watch without an appointment, BUT help them buy one.' As if it were a condition. Why not say for EVERYONE they demo the watch for they will help them buy one? Being a product of high pressure sales training myself that's the first thing I thought of when I saw that, because it would be a first for Apple to take that approach.
Always get a second opinion.
Oh I agree. It all depends on how Apple employees use this "sales tactic". It's like going to Radio Shack and being asked if you'd like 'some batteries with that'. Whether a customer perceives it as pressure or not, depends on what the employee does next after a polite "no". In this case, I'd say how soon after they start looking at the watch does an Apple employee start suggesting they help them reserve one online, and whether they follow up with how difficult these are going to be to get if they don't 'reserve one today', etc.
Unlikely.
If this was going to happen then we would have seen it already with more expensive items like the iPhone and the iPad. Most of the watches they sell are going to be black sports models and they will be bought by men who won't even bother to try them on.
This whole booking thing is not about selling the watch; it's to stop it getting nicked.
If this was going to happen then we would have seen it already with more expensive items like the iPhone and the iPad.
This whole booking thing is not about selling the watch; it's to stop it getting nicked.
I don't disagree. However, a person doesn't need an appointment to get their hands on an iPhone or iPad, nor any assistance to intuitively see what it can do.
Unfortunately, the ?Watch needs an iPhone to function, and some tutorial assistance with the interface. Yes, they have to have a way to avoid them being stolen, but they also need to make sure people understands how it works, just like the jeweler who demonstrates the new dive watch, and how to access the various features with only 3-4 buttons.
The appointments cost Apple a lot of money since in addition to all of the other staff, for the first month or so, they'll have to have several dedicated watch-demonstrators, who also require extensive training. One way to pay for that is encourage purchases at the end of your visit. There is a new person in charge of the retail division since their last launch, so anything is possible.
But I do agree it would be a definite change in practice for Apple if that's the case.
It was reported by Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac so you can basically take it to the bank. Yeah someone spending $10K on the Edition watch is going to get perks that no one else gets. Why that surprises or bothers people is beyond me. These must be people that think first class travelers are the scum of the earth.
Of course not, but there ARE limitations of who will be interested and eligible -- the first requirement is that they must own an iPhone 5 or newer. Then there are various reasons people will not be interested: It's not suitable for swimming and water activities, there is no mid-priced gold-tone option for those who do not wear silver jewelry or accessories, the battery only lasts a day, there's no GPS, etc. However insignificant each may be to the success of the watch itself, they cumulatively add up to excluding someone from being interested in buying the watch, and presumably going to the trouble of booking an appointment to look at something they aren't going to otherwise buy initially.
Did you read the article? I've also never had an Apple rep ask me if they can help me "place an order" after I've looked at a product. There's a first time for everything, and this seems to be what this sentence is suggesting:
Yes, it's limited to people who are interested in buying an Apple Watch, as opposed to some other product that looks or works differently. What a great insight.
Yes, I read the article. Nothing about an associate offering to help you place your order reads as sales pressure to me. I know what pressure selling is like, and that ain't it. Everything else about the approach Apple is taking suggests they are kicking the marketing for this product upscale a couple of notches, where pitches like "what can I do to sell you this product today?" are simply not done.
im of the impression that if you pre-order on April 10, whether online or in a store, it will ship to you April 24. i dont think it will ship to the store and require pick-up.
if you arent certain which model to pre-order online, you can make an in-store appt to try on some models. then you can pre-order whatever you want.
I am hoping I can preorder on April 10, then if time permits before the ship date, make my appointment at an Apple Store to either verify that I made the right choice for myself, or change the preorder.
Apple designed a beautiful smart watch, but there's a lot more to it than one-size fits all.
Then it's a good thing they're offering something like 28 "sizes," before you even get into mixing and matching bands on your own. The obsessors over the shape are missing the forest for the trees.
So now we're left with not two, but three critical dates.
The release date.
The pre-order/try-on date.
The try-on reservation date.
So, the 24th, the 10th, and... ?