For real. What's up with only one [former] apple store employee here on AI? There aren't that many good mac forums.
I am a former ARS employee. There is a long story about my leaving, but I am under a NDA so you won't get that out of me
By the way, I am serious about writing a letter or talking to the manager if you have a bad experience at an ARS. They really want to make sure that all shoppers have a good experience and if you don't they want to know why.
The problem is that most of the problems that are dealt with by ARS employees are nothing more than, "my sound doesn't work", or "I can't figure out how to plug this in right." Not, "I"m having problems with my prebinding, it's causing kernal panics and I ran an FSCK, zapped my PRAM, and repaired permissions too. Do you think that if I did (insert complicated command line thingy in here) that it would fix the problems?" That is people like us, the ones who seem to know too much about our computers for our own good.
I do think that ARS employees should be somewhat more knowledgeable than they are, or at least be able to find out solutions to problems that arise, no matter what the problem is, but some just don't want to try that hard.
And for those of you complaining that they try to sell you things, it is retail . For anyone who does, or has worked in retail in the past, that is what you do. That is the point!
Apple is not going to lie during their analyst conference call.
People like you aren't going to buy anything at an ARS anyway. You're going to buy it online at MacMall or somewhere else that is cheap. The ARS are providing the best place to buy Macs and peripherals, that comes at a cost. The cost is employing people that know their shit and don't talk down to the customer. Did you have a bad experience? Yup. But what you should do about it is not bitch and moan on a message board, but write a letter that includes capital letters and punctuation to the manager of the store telling them how your experience was. I can promise you that they are read and they are taken seriously.
Now a question, when was the last time you had a good experience at a retail shop?
I buy stuff (or used to) at the Apple Store all the time. Yeah, the employees might not talk down to the customer, but it doesn't help that they don't know their shit. Any time I've spoken to an employee at any Apple Store I've been to, they haven't been too helpful and they didn't know their shit.
A perfect example that I always use is when the LCD iMacs first came out, along with the white Pro Keyboard. This was before they were sold seperately. I said to someone else that I really wished they had the keyboards seperately. An employee comes up and says that the iMacs had USB 2 and that the keyboard wouldn't work with older Macs. I explained to him that that wasn't the case but he insisted that I was wrong and wouldn't give up. He sure knew his shit. And that was just one example. I can give more if you'd like...
And by the way, I've had plenty of good experiences at retail stores.
Ok, well I do agree that the "Genius Bar" is full of mostly passive aggressive people who think all Mac users only get Macs cause they are easy to use, or think they are all dealing with "switchers" if they come into the store. I had one baboon tell me I could boot from a FireWire hard drive from my old Beige G3!! (This has been about at least a year ago.) I was there actually picking up a laptop for the wife and just thought I would ask him a question playing ignorant. Geez...when I caught him at his own game, he got all red in the face and then tried to tell me that is not what he said! I told him that I was once certified by Apple and I just wanted to see where the bar had been set currently- to which he replied "pretty high, I don't think you could pass again." To which I replied- well I stumped you and then your proceeded to tell me incorrect information- which I caught you in. Both ignorance of the product and fabricating facts you are unsure of, you should be ashamed. He was left there standing red faced.
Careful what you ask them and take everything with a grain of salt. I think they are there mainly to sell things. If you need actual real help, go to a reseller who does repairs. They have an interest to keep things working- so you buy more stuff. The Apple Stores should catch on- happy customers buy more stuff. Word gets around, lying and manipulating the customers is NOT a good idea when trying to expand your user base.
I used to work for Capitol Mac (the old, pre 9/11 Capitol Mac) in Richmond, VA. I took the job originally as an interim thing since my leads in publishing weren't working at the time, and I grew to love working there. Learned a lot. Certified Apple Product Professional (OK, that's not that big a deal, but the incentive to learn stuff, take online tests and earn free stuff from Apple was cool.) Went to MWNY 2001 on the company dime.
9/11 happened, business went down the tubes and they let me go. I'd been there long enough to start getting paid a salary and commission, longer then 10 other people on the staff, and I only worked there for about four months. I lasted about a week after 9/11.
The comment about if they're so smart, why are they working hourly retail makes sense to me, but still I'd love to get a job at the Apple Store here because I know I'd kick ass at it. An Apple retail recruiter in Florida interviewed me over the phone and she recommended me to the managers of the store here around the time it was going to open back in September. She said I'd do well as either a Mac Specialist or Keyholder. In the interview with the managers, I learned they were waaaay underqualified to work in a computer retail environment, but they did have retail management experience I guess.
In the few times I've been to the store here (just to browse... haven't actually had the means to pay for anything in there yet) I've encountered some of the most unhelpful people ever. I could do so much better than that.
Great thread! I recently took my PowerBook to the Atlanta Apple Store (was going there anyway with a friend, so took the laptop with me) to have a ?Genius? look at the play/squeak above the SuperDrive slot.
Again, I always seem to appear (or call Apple tech support) on company-wide Trainee Day.
I sat there and sat there, being told by one genius after another that ?I?m not really sure, but I?ll get someone to look at it...?.
This ?someone? seemed to be a fictional Grand Master Genius who I never actually saw or met.
One guy finally helped me. A little.
This poor girl beside me had her iBook and iPod with her for help and they were giving her SUCH a runaround and talking 80 miles over her head.
I ended up helping her and answering her questions!
Once you get past that mystical sheen of seeing 30 people all wearing Apple logo shirts and funky haircuts and black-rimmed glasses, you realize that they?re pretty much a nicer-dressed, slightly more knowledgeable version of a CompUSA Red Shirt.
I?m not impressed.
And after my recent go-around with Apple?s phone tech support (the guy actually seemed to know LESS than me), I?ve pretty much had it with all these mopes.
as for the folks at the Genius bar, i guess when you find someone good keep going back to them. the folks i've talked to have all known what they were doing at the Mall of America store.
the other retail store in the state was pretty crappy, i wasn't impressed with them.
Well, I worked at an authorized reseller, not an ARS. And I can say, it really does depend on who the customer is, and who the employee is.
Our repair tech knew Macs inside and out. If he didn't know it, he'd look it up or hop on the line to Apple. Still, no one's perfect, and there were times where he was pretty stumped.
If you had a legitimate complaint, he'd do his best to satisfy you. If you were being an ass, he'd tell you flat out why he couldn't do what you wanted, then if you pressed the issue he'd tell you to take it elsewhere. Mostly because 'elsewhere' was shipping the unit off to an Apple repair center at your own cost.
Did I mention we were in Alaska?
Anyway, you're going to find some knowledgable people in these positions, and some losers who are just pulling down a paycheck. Just like any other store.
Comments
Originally posted by applenut
applelosers/nuts/addicts.
people who post on an AppleInsider message board
For real. What's up with only one [former] apple store employee here on AI? There aren't that many good mac forums.
although it may not be the case now, at one time AI was watched closely by those in Cupertino. posting here would/will get you in trouble.
Originally posted by giant
For real. What's up with only one [former] apple store employee here on AI? There aren't that many good mac forums.
I am a former ARS employee. There is a long story about my leaving, but I am under a NDA so you won't get that out of me
By the way, I am serious about writing a letter or talking to the manager if you have a bad experience at an ARS. They really want to make sure that all shoppers have a good experience and if you don't they want to know why.
I do think that ARS employees should be somewhat more knowledgeable than they are, or at least be able to find out solutions to problems that arise, no matter what the problem is, but some just don't want to try that hard.
And for those of you complaining that they try to sell you things, it is retail . For anyone who does, or has worked in retail in the past, that is what you do. That is the point!
Originally posted by alcimedes
actually i know for a fact that there are other apple employees on these boards, however they don't advertise that for obvious reasons.
Well, then if any of you work at michigan ave or old orchard, PM me so I have someone competent to talk to next time I have to go there.
Originally posted by HOM
Apple is not going to lie during their analyst conference call.
People like you aren't going to buy anything at an ARS anyway. You're going to buy it online at MacMall or somewhere else that is cheap. The ARS are providing the best place to buy Macs and peripherals, that comes at a cost. The cost is employing people that know their shit and don't talk down to the customer. Did you have a bad experience? Yup. But what you should do about it is not bitch and moan on a message board, but write a letter that includes capital letters and punctuation to the manager of the store telling them how your experience was. I can promise you that they are read and they are taken seriously.
Now a question, when was the last time you had a good experience at a retail shop?
I buy stuff (or used to) at the Apple Store all the time. Yeah, the employees might not talk down to the customer, but it doesn't help that they don't know their shit. Any time I've spoken to an employee at any Apple Store I've been to, they haven't been too helpful and they didn't know their shit.
A perfect example that I always use is when the LCD iMacs first came out, along with the white Pro Keyboard. This was before they were sold seperately. I said to someone else that I really wished they had the keyboards seperately. An employee comes up and says that the iMacs had USB 2 and that the keyboard wouldn't work with older Macs. I explained to him that that wasn't the case but he insisted that I was wrong and wouldn't give up. He sure knew his shit.
And by the way, I've had plenty of good experiences at retail stores.
Careful what you ask them and take everything with a grain of salt. I think they are there mainly to sell things. If you need actual real help, go to a reseller who does repairs. They have an interest to keep things working- so you buy more stuff. The Apple Stores should catch on- happy customers buy more stuff. Word gets around, lying and manipulating the customers is NOT a good idea when trying to expand your user base.
~tommy
9/11 happened, business went down the tubes and they let me go. I'd been there long enough to start getting paid a salary and commission, longer then 10 other people on the staff, and I only worked there for about four months. I lasted about a week after 9/11.
The comment about if they're so smart, why are they working hourly retail makes sense to me, but still I'd love to get a job at the Apple Store here because I know I'd kick ass at it. An Apple retail recruiter in Florida interviewed me over the phone and she recommended me to the managers of the store here around the time it was going to open back in September. She said I'd do well as either a Mac Specialist or Keyholder. In the interview with the managers, I learned they were waaaay underqualified to work in a computer retail environment, but they did have retail management experience I guess.
In the few times I've been to the store here (just to browse... haven't actually had the means to pay for anything in there yet) I've encountered some of the most unhelpful people ever. I could do so much better than that.
Again, I always seem to appear (or call Apple tech support) on company-wide Trainee Day.
I sat there and sat there, being told by one genius after another that ?I?m not really sure, but I?ll get someone to look at it...?.
This ?someone? seemed to be a fictional Grand Master Genius who I never actually saw or met.
One guy finally helped me. A little.
This poor girl beside me had her iBook and iPod with her for help and they were giving her SUCH a runaround and talking 80 miles over her head.
I ended up helping her and answering her questions!
Once you get past that mystical sheen of seeing 30 people all wearing Apple logo shirts and funky haircuts and black-rimmed glasses, you realize that they?re pretty much a nicer-dressed, slightly more knowledgeable version of a CompUSA Red Shirt.
I?m not impressed.
And after my recent go-around with Apple?s phone tech support (the guy actually seemed to know LESS than me), I?ve pretty much had it with all these mopes.
as for the folks at the Genius bar, i guess when you find someone good keep going back to them. the folks i've talked to have all known what they were doing at the Mall of America store.
the other retail store in the state was pretty crappy, i wasn't impressed with them.
Our repair tech knew Macs inside and out. If he didn't know it, he'd look it up or hop on the line to Apple. Still, no one's perfect, and there were times where he was pretty stumped.
If you had a legitimate complaint, he'd do his best to satisfy you. If you were being an ass, he'd tell you flat out why he couldn't do what you wanted, then if you pressed the issue he'd tell you to take it elsewhere. Mostly because 'elsewhere' was shipping the unit off to an Apple repair center at your own cost.
Did I mention we were in Alaska?
Anyway, you're going to find some knowledgable people in these positions, and some losers who are just pulling down a paycheck. Just like any other store.
I've encountered both types...and all points in between.
Just as many boorish, buttheaded and unreasonable customers as there are unhelpful, know-nothing, attitude-dripping employees.
In ANY situation/environment.