even with department store, no cashier method was tried and fail - recall one of "apple" transplanted CEO messed up some big name store by implement ipad waving server.... Apple could well learn the lesson from his downfall..but I guess they just have to learn it from its own (agree the painful lesson will have lasting effect if it is based on its own self inflicted - although it is hard to admit).
In the beginning, the Apple Store was a great place to take a Mac you were considering for a spin, try new release SW on the display units, buy 3rdf party peripherals, meet other Mac heads, gain knowledge from other users and also get some valuable info from some very knowledgeable people.
The local store had staff that had FT jobs in corporate IT at a well-known firm, a guy who was a recording engineer at a well known local studio and others with a wide array of skills on the Macintosh. If you were just getting into something on your Mac, a trip to the store could yield a treasure trove from people who had been doing just that thing for quite some time.
Then came the iPhone and Apple pretty much casting the Mac aside like a red-headed stepchild.
Soon the crowd overwhelmed the store staff and it became a kindergarten for newbies on the iPhone. Many of the early hires cut back or left.
These days the customers are as likely to know the product as well or better than the staff. I have heard store staff tell customers they "knew nothing about the Mac".
Apple Stores were never my favorite place to go. But it’s gotten much worse in recent years. I bought a second generation Apple Pencil for my iPad Pro 11 on November 9th. Best Buy and most other stores were OOS at the time. I used in-store pickup, and drove 25 mins to get it at the Apple Store at Crabtree Valley Mall (Raleigh, NC). They checked me in, and it took about 15 mins for someone to bring it out to me. Seemed rather idiotic to me; I can do store pickup at a Best Buy and be in and out within a couple of minutes.
After using it for a couple of weeks, it didn’t really fit my workflow, so I decided to return it on November 19th.
The front person checked me in, then told me to “go over there” and wait for a second person (who was at the time helping another couple with some issue on her iPhone). I waited 10 mins for him to finish with them, then I was able to tell them why I was there — to return an Apple Pencil. He told me to wait by the table with iPhones lined up and someone would be with me “soon”. So I stood there for another 20 mins waiting, playing around on my phone — fuming.
Finally two women came over (one in training) who processed my return and sent me on me way. I was there for just over 30 minutes — just to return a f***ing Apple Pencil.
Apple Stores were never my favorite place to go. But it’s gotten much worse in recent years. I bought a second generation Apple Pencil for my iPad Pro 11 on November 9th. Best Buy and most other stores were OOS at the time. I used in-store pickup, and drove 25 mins to get it at the Apple Store at Crabtree Valley Mall (Raleigh, NC). They checked me in, and it took about 15 mins for someone to bring it out to me. Seemed rather idiotic to me; I can do store pickup at a Best Buy and be in and out within a couple of minutes.
After using it for a couple of weeks, it didn’t really fit my workflow, so I decided to return it on November 19th.
The front person checked me in, then told me to “go over there” and wait for a second person (who was at the time helping another couple with some issue on her iPhone). I waited 10 mins for him to finish with them, then I was able to tell them why I was there — to return an Apple Pencil. He told me to wait by the table with iPhones lined up and someone would be with me “soon”. So I stood there for another 20 mins waiting, playing around on my phone — fuming.
Finally two women came over (one in training) who processed my return and sent me on me way. I was there for just over 30 minutes — just to return a f***ing Apple Pencil.
You spent an HOUR driving each trip to get something you could've ordered online to be delivered by mail in a day or two and are complaining about waiting 15-20 minutes in the busiest retail store ever? Weird.
Apple Stores were never my favorite place to go. But it’s gotten much worse in recent years. I bought a second generation Apple Pencil for my iPad Pro 11 on November 9th. Best Buy and most other stores were OOS at the time. I used in-store pickup, and drove 25 mins to get it at the Apple Store at Crabtree Valley Mall (Raleigh, NC). They checked me in, and it took about 15 mins for someone to bring it out to me. Seemed rather idiotic to me; I can do store pickup at a Best Buy and be in and out within a couple of minutes.
After using it for a couple of weeks, it didn’t really fit my workflow, so I decided to return it on November 19th.
The front person checked me in, then told me to “go over there” and wait for a second person (who was at the time helping another couple with some issue on her iPhone). I waited 10 mins for him to finish with them, then I was able to tell them why I was there — to return an Apple Pencil. He told me to wait by the table with iPhones lined up and someone would be with me “soon”. So I stood there for another 20 mins waiting, playing around on my phone — fuming.
Finally two women came over (one in training) who processed my return and sent me on me way. I was there for just over 30 minutes — just to return a f***ing Apple Pencil.
You spent an HOUR driving each trip to get something you could've ordered online to be delivered by mail in a day or two and are complaining about waiting 15-20 minutes in the busiest retail store ever? Weird.
It was my first time doing in-store pickup for Apple and I wanted it THAT day because the next day we were driving to Orlando on a week long Disney vacation. Based on my experiences at Best Buy, Staples, Lowes, Home Depot, Target (by far the best), and hell even Walmart, I was expecting to go in and out relatively quickly for a simple “order online, pickup in store” purchase.
I don’t understand why you think it’s reasonable to have to sit around and wait 15 mins for a pickup or 30 minutes for a return. If this were any other store, you folks would be livid.
Apple Stores were never my favorite place to go. But it’s gotten much worse in recent years. I bought a second generation Apple Pencil for my iPad Pro 11 on November 9th. Best Buy and most other stores were OOS at the time. I used in-store pickup, and drove 25 mins to get it at the Apple Store at Crabtree Valley Mall (Raleigh, NC). They checked me in, and it took about 15 mins for someone to bring it out to me. Seemed rather idiotic to me; I can do store pickup at a Best Buy and be in and out within a couple of minutes.
After using it for a couple of weeks, it didn’t really fit my workflow, so I decided to return it on November 19th.
The front person checked me in, then told me to “go over there” and wait for a second person (who was at the time helping another couple with some issue on her iPhone). I waited 10 mins for him to finish with them, then I was able to tell them why I was there — to return an Apple Pencil. He told me to wait by the table with iPhones lined up and someone would be with me “soon”. So I stood there for another 20 mins waiting, playing around on my phone — fuming.
Finally two women came over (one in training) who processed my return and sent me on me way. I was there for just over 30 minutes — just to return a f***ing Apple Pencil.
You spent an HOUR driving each trip to get something you could've ordered online to be delivered by mail in a day or two and are complaining about waiting 15-20 minutes in the busiest retail store ever? Weird.
It was my first time doing in-store pickup for Apple and I wanted it THAT day because the next day we were driving to Orlando on a week long Disney vacation. Based on my experiences at Best Buy, Staples, Lowes, Home Depot, Target (by far the best), and hell even Walmart, I was expecting to go in and out relatively quickly for a simple “order online, pickup in store” purchase.
I don’t understand why you think it’s reasonable to have to sit around and wait 15 mins for a pickup or 30 minutes for a return. If this were any other store, you folks would be livid.
Those stores are deserted compared to Apple. I've waited 10-15 minutes to check out at a Lowe's because there was only one checker and a bunch of unattended registers. Actually the other day I waited 20 minutes outside for someone to meet me at the propane cage who never came, and had to go back inside and tell the person I had asked that nobody showed. Then waited another ten — THAT is irritating. Waiting 15 minutes at Apple because they literally cannot process people fast enough with the number of staff they employ is a different story, to me at least. I'm sure if they could process you faster, they would.
Comments
Sounds like a bitter former employee. Who were the fashion execs at Apple retail besides Angela?
The local store had staff that had FT jobs in corporate IT at a well-known firm, a guy who was a recording engineer at a well known local studio and others with a wide array of skills on the Macintosh. If you were just getting into something on your Mac, a trip to the store could yield a treasure trove from people who had been doing just that thing for quite some time.
Then came the iPhone and Apple pretty much casting the Mac aside like a red-headed stepchild.
Soon the crowd overwhelmed the store staff and it became a kindergarten for newbies on the iPhone. Many of the early hires cut back or left.
These days the customers are as likely to know the product as well or better than the staff. I have heard store staff tell customers they "knew nothing about the Mac".
Apple Stores were never my favorite place to go. But it’s gotten much worse in recent years. I bought a second generation Apple Pencil for my iPad Pro 11 on November 9th. Best Buy and most other stores were OOS at the time. I used in-store pickup, and drove 25 mins to get it at the Apple Store at Crabtree Valley Mall (Raleigh, NC). They checked me in, and it took about 15 mins for someone to bring it out to me. Seemed rather idiotic to me; I can do store pickup at a Best Buy and be in and out within a couple of minutes.
After using it for a couple of weeks, it didn’t really fit my workflow, so I decided to return it on November 19th.
The front person checked me in, then told me to “go over there” and wait for a second person (who was at the time helping another couple with some issue on her iPhone). I waited 10 mins for him to finish with them, then I was able to tell them why I was there — to return an Apple Pencil. He told me to wait by the table with iPhones lined up and someone would be with me “soon”. So I stood there for another 20 mins waiting, playing around on my phone — fuming.
Finally two women came over (one in training) who processed my return and sent me on me way. I was there for just over 30 minutes — just to return a f***ing Apple Pencil.
I don’t understand why you think it’s reasonable to have to sit around and wait 15 mins for a pickup or 30 minutes for a return. If this were any other store, you folks would be livid.