This is great. One to One was increasingly being used as 1) A hideout for very lonely weird people to get an hours conversation in a few times a week and 2) A babysitting club where parents would drop their kid off for an hour while they got the groceries. No kidding.
Creatives are 1) not your counsellor 2) not your babysitter 3) not your friend.
Apple should let anyone that bought directly from apple buy one-on-one anytime, only seems fair. For people that buy from other places, group classes on the weekends with the same price as one-on-one.
It's amazing how much apple has been offering all this time and people don't seem to know about it, I tell like 2-3 people each week about the online tutorials.
If you purchased a refurbished Mac you DO NOT have the same rights as one who purchases a new one. Little FYI. Not that I care but it's something I noticed, unless it was in the email that we just delete "Welcoming" us, another nice touch nobody cars about. The one you get from MS just tells you how to purchase upgraded Vista's, office, etc. and that too gets deleted.
Apple Consultants - the most under worked IT job in the world. They deserve more than they get. They also need to be leveraged but because there's no CONTROL over the quality of experience they keep it off page 1.
While there at this restructuring a Business Department expansion should be in order, that's where the consultants and certified IT pro's come into play. Say, online or B&M scheduling? Meet your consultant at your office or the Apple Store... Again, quality can come at a price. While most hold themselves to the higher standard some of us like shorts and sandals. And Consultants... GET IN TOUCH with your local and regional Apple Certified Pro's! We/They can only help and don't mind doing it. Add everyone on the Apple Site nearby to your CRM system and drop them all an email so they can do the same (TIP: Send your vCard). You'd be amazed how much you double each others business.
If OSX just works and is so intuitive and Vista doesn?t why is the demand so high for personal one on one training...
Seems like a Microsoft commercial just waiting to happen.
Because old people don't get computers no matter what OS it is. They don't even understand what "drag and drop" means or what email is. You should be thankful Apple even gives you the opportunity to be educated. Microsoft tells you to go figure it out your self. You sit an 80 year old woman in front of vista and when she has help tell her to go F**K off. Or you can give her a year long membership of training.
And what exactly would the commercial say? Hey don't let someone help you, figure out on your own you dumb s**t people.
Let's be honest here. The reason Apple needs to offer Apple ONE-to-ONE service is because high schools don't educate students on how to use Macs, they educate them on how to use powerpoint, microsoft Word, and excel. This has been the case for years.
Microsoft offers ONE-to-ONE for next to nothing because if schools purchase PCs, they get huge discounts on the OS license costs as well as hardware costs. As a teacher, I'm not even allowed to buy an Apple computer for my classroom as it would be a breach of a contract.
ONE-to-ONE vs. a 12 years of using Windows.
Who is really winning here? What happened to the days when Apple dominated in the grade schools and high schools. It's a little disappointing.
This is great. One to One was increasingly being used as 1) A hideout for very lonely weird people to get an hours conversation in a few times a week and 2) A babysitting club where parents would drop their kid off for an hour while they got the groceries. No kidding.
Creatives are 1) not your counsellor 2) not your babysitter 3) not your friend.
Ah, but sometimes, that's where a "trainer" trancends the boundaries of just showing you an OS to helping you a little with your life... Kind of like, a Mac.
I've been a trainer for an Apple Reseller (not official Apple Store), and yes, do get some weirdos but as a guy I did appreciate some bright-eyed ladies and talking with them and showing them cool Mac stuff. A few did become kind of my friends for those few weeks that they kept coming back. (Disclaimer: nothing inappropriate happened)
In all seriousness, yes only Apple really understands high-quality customer service and Retail not as slavery and pushy sales (numbers, numbers, numbers, motherf*s!) but a two-way street between retailers and customers. Apple Retail is far from totall perfect but other Retailers sucks b*lls most of the time.
I hope this training rejig continues sensible collaboration between Mac users, Apple, Apple Retail and customers.
Yeah, I'm certified in OSX Leopard (ACSP 10.5) ... Apple Retail could tap into external qualified trainers but their in-house program is pretty strong and gives them a high level of control over everything.
Apple - controls the hardware, the software, the retail and training experience.
Third parties like Apple Consultants/ Certified Pros, Apple Resellers... We're one wave behind Apple.
I'm not bitter, but I'm also diversifying back into more web-related technologies and design/coding to play it safe, I've been very Apple-heavy career-wise the past few years.
There are some good Apple Consultants/ Certified Pros out there but like you said, its hard to separate the wheat from the chaff sometimes.
But of course I'd love to see growth of cool Apple solutions in the business and edu space by talented, passionate and honest Apple Consultants/ Cetified Pros. I hope this continues even with Apple Retail becoming such a dominant force...?
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwiredtva
Apple Consultants - the most under worked IT job in the world. They deserve more than they get. They also need to be leveraged but because there's no CONTROL over the quality of experience they keep it off page 1.
While there at this restructuring a Business Department expansion should be in order, that's where the consultants and certified IT pro's come into play. Say, online or B&M scheduling? Meet your consultant at your office or the Apple Store... Again, quality can come at a price. While most hold themselves to the higher standard some of us like shorts and sandals. And Consultants... GET IN TOUCH with your local and regional Apple Certified Pro's! We/They can only help and don't mind doing it. Add everyone on the Apple Site nearby to your CRM system and drop them all an email so they can do the same (TIP: Send your vCard). You'd be amazed how much you double each others business.
I understand why Apple did this. However, last year we bought our mom a Macbook. She's a slow learner and we (her sons) won't be around this summer to help her continue to learn. I was planning on purchasing one-to-one service for her in another month...but now I won't be able to.
Check to see if there is a MUG (Apple Users Group) near buy (Just kidding - by).
These are a great source of information, with a lot of options for folks. Weekly, Monthly meetings, email access for help and much more.
What a great idea, I hope MS does try this maneuver. It would open up a key differentiator for a even better I'm a PC / Mac ads.
From what I've seen over the years ? a lot of NEW folks are purchasing Macs, and are FIRST time computer users. It's got nothing to do with PC vs Mac.
Folks are being told by there kids, friends and neighbors how easy Mac's are do use, but they forget, they are speaking to folks (many older ones) who have NEVER used a computer before.
Can you imagine what these folks would need for help if they went with a PC as their first computer
We need to realize, there are a LOT more PC users out there, and they ALL help each other minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, month by month, year after year! So why would we think Apple users would be that much different.
Apple users too, will need help hour by hour.
Ok folks, here's the real question.
Your folks want you to help them buy and learn how to use a new computer. Yur folks are wonderful people, but not techno savy. You don't have much time to help them (shame on you), but you do want to make this as easy and painless as possble ? do you get them a PC or a Mac?
Apple's training is about $300 if you add up all the additional costs of buying a MAC from Apple directly. In the Pittsburgh PA region we have 2 Apple stores both in Allegheny County with a 7% sales tax. On an $1,800 iMAC that adds an additional $126 plus the money you spent driving there which is about what shipping will run you from one of the online retailers.
Buy from an online retailer and take advantage of some of the mail rebates for free software that you would otherwise have to purchase along with the discounted prices on the MAC's and the price difference rapidly can approach $300 or more.
For $300 you can buy a lot of good books with more tips and tricks on how to use a MAC and its software and not have to drive 10-30 miles to attend a one hour class for answers. At least with a book or a training video, you can refer back to areas of interest. An in store class even if its one on one makes that task a little more difficult.
I'll stop buying from online stores when Apple says I can buy an extended warranty or some other silly limitation like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hmurchison
Why doesn't Apple just leverage their consultants network to handle overflow.
They should offer special training for say $200 or so and allow consultants to to get
One -to-One certified.
Therefore consumers would get the opportunity to have have perhaps in home training via
a local consultant if appropriate with a small additional fee.
Let's be honest here. The reason Apple needs to offer Apple ONE-to-ONE service is because high schools don't educate students on how to use Macs, they educate them on how to use powerpoint, microsoft Word, and excel. This has been the case for years.
Microsoft offers ONE-to-ONE for next to nothing because if schools purchase PCs, they get huge discounts on the OS license costs as well as hardware costs. As a teacher, I'm not even allowed to buy an Apple computer for my classroom as it would be a breach of a contract.
ONE-to-ONE vs. a 12 years of using Windows.
Who is really winning here? What happened to the days when Apple dominated in the grade schools and high schools. It's a little disappointing.
My kids schools are about 95% Macs (elementary, & middle schools at least). they've had wireless macs for about 7 years. It was a pilot program and a great one at that.
Let's be honest here. The reason Apple needs to offer Apple ONE-to-ONE service is because high schools don't educate students on how to use Macs,...... As a teacher, I'm not even allowed to buy an Apple computer for my classroom as it would be a breach of a contract.
ONE-to-ONE vs. a 12 years of using Windows.
Who is really winning here? What happened to the days when Apple dominated in the grade schools and high schools. It's a little disappointing.
Apple is dominating the colleges these days and hopefully that will work its way down. :-) But as a number of high schools have noted, its better to buy a bunch of cheap Dells that have no tech support (and really need it) than buy Apples that people fight over when you sell them at the end of the contract...... I wonder what those parents were thinking..... :-).
There are actually many sources of Apple computer info and for much of the training, just let the kid get his hands on it and let them go... Just a thought.
Was doing a delivery of a high school paper yesterday and I noticed that their computer room was all iMacs. Pretty sweet. Of course this was an upper end community. I also noticed new Acuras and Mercedes is the student parking lot.
On the training: I think it's great but shouldn't be so limited. Maybe Apple could make an App that interacts with their other Apps to do online training.
Comments
Why doesn't Apple just leverage their consultants network to handle overflow.
They should offer special training for say $200 or so and allow consultants to to get
One -to-One certified.
Therefore consumers would get the opportunity to have have perhaps in home training via
a local consultant if appropriate with a small additional fee.
Good suggestion. They sure need to do something for the many people who will buy from
the Apple Store online and who don't live anywhere near a physical store.
Creatives are 1) not your counsellor 2) not your babysitter 3) not your friend.
should be.....if there's an Apple store close, buy.
It's amazing how much apple has been offering all this time and people don't seem to know about it, I tell like 2-3 people each week about the online tutorials.
Apple Consultants - the most under worked IT job in the world. They deserve more than they get. They also need to be leveraged but because there's no CONTROL over the quality of experience they keep it off page 1.
While there at this restructuring a Business Department expansion should be in order, that's where the consultants and certified IT pro's come into play. Say, online or B&M scheduling? Meet your consultant at your office or the Apple Store... Again, quality can come at a price. While most hold themselves to the higher standard some of us like shorts and sandals. And Consultants... GET IN TOUCH with your local and regional Apple Certified Pro's! We/They can only help and don't mind doing it. Add everyone on the Apple Site nearby to your CRM system and drop them all an email so they can do the same (TIP: Send your vCard). You'd be amazed how much you double each others business.
If OSX just works and is so intuitive and Vista doesn?t why is the demand so high for personal one on one training...
Seems like a Microsoft commercial just waiting to happen.
How 'bout them Seahawks! Great year they had.
If OSX just works and is so intuitive and Vista doesn?t why is the demand so high for personal one on one training...
Seems like a Microsoft commercial just waiting to happen.
Because old people don't get computers no matter what OS it is. They don't even understand what "drag and drop" means or what email is. You should be thankful Apple even gives you the opportunity to be educated. Microsoft tells you to go figure it out your self. You sit an 80 year old woman in front of vista and when she has help tell her to go F**K off. Or you can give her a year long membership of training.
And what exactly would the commercial say? Hey don't let someone help you, figure out on your own you dumb s**t people.
Give me a break
If OSX just works and is so intuitive and Vista doesn?t why is the demand so high for personal one on one training...
Seems like a Microsoft commercial just waiting to happen.
Ease down...
It was a simple question and an observation.
Take your fight to someone else.
Apparently this troll is a ringer for his alter-ego. I wonder how this troll decides to which alias to log in as.
How 'bout them Seahawks! Great year they had.
We shall return!
Microsoft offers ONE-to-ONE for next to nothing because if schools purchase PCs, they get huge discounts on the OS license costs as well as hardware costs. As a teacher, I'm not even allowed to buy an Apple computer for my classroom as it would be a breach of a contract.
ONE-to-ONE vs. a 12 years of using Windows.
Who is really winning here? What happened to the days when Apple dominated in the grade schools and high schools. It's a little disappointing.
If OSX just works and is so intuitive and Vista doesn?t why is the demand so high for personal one on one training...
Seems like a Microsoft commercial just waiting to happen.
What a great idea, I hope MS does try this maneuver. It would open up a key differentiator for a even better I'm a PC / Mac ads.
This is great. One to One was increasingly being used as 1) A hideout for very lonely weird people to get an hours conversation in a few times a week and 2) A babysitting club where parents would drop their kid off for an hour while they got the groceries. No kidding.
Creatives are 1) not your counsellor 2) not your babysitter 3) not your friend.
Ah, but sometimes, that's where a "trainer" trancends the boundaries of just showing you an OS to helping you a little with your life... Kind of like, a Mac.
I've been a trainer for an Apple Reseller (not official Apple Store), and yes, do get some weirdos but as a guy I did appreciate some bright-eyed ladies and talking with them and showing them cool Mac stuff. A few did become kind of my friends for those few weeks that they kept coming back. (Disclaimer: nothing inappropriate happened)
In all seriousness, yes only Apple really understands high-quality customer service and Retail not as slavery and pushy sales (numbers, numbers, numbers, motherf*s!) but a two-way street between retailers and customers. Apple Retail is far from totall perfect but other Retailers sucks b*lls most of the time.
I hope this training rejig continues sensible collaboration between Mac users, Apple, Apple Retail and customers.
Apple - controls the hardware, the software, the retail and training experience.
Third parties like Apple Consultants/ Certified Pros, Apple Resellers... We're one wave behind Apple.
I'm not bitter, but I'm also diversifying back into more web-related technologies and design/coding to play it safe, I've been very Apple-heavy career-wise the past few years.
There are some good Apple Consultants/ Certified Pros out there but like you said, its hard to separate the wheat from the chaff sometimes.
But of course I'd love to see growth of cool Apple solutions in the business and edu space by talented, passionate and honest Apple Consultants/ Cetified Pros. I hope this continues even with Apple Retail becoming such a dominant force...?
Apple Consultants - the most under worked IT job in the world. They deserve more than they get. They also need to be leveraged but because there's no CONTROL over the quality of experience they keep it off page 1.
While there at this restructuring a Business Department expansion should be in order, that's where the consultants and certified IT pro's come into play. Say, online or B&M scheduling? Meet your consultant at your office or the Apple Store... Again, quality can come at a price. While most hold themselves to the higher standard some of us like shorts and sandals. And Consultants... GET IN TOUCH with your local and regional Apple Certified Pro's! We/They can only help and don't mind doing it. Add everyone on the Apple Site nearby to your CRM system and drop them all an email so they can do the same (TIP: Send your vCard). You'd be amazed how much you double each others business.
If OSX just works and is so intuitive and Vista doesn’t why is the demand so high for personal one on one training...
Seems like a Microsoft commercial just waiting to happen.
Yup...
MICROSOFT VISTA.
No Training Required (or Provided, even if Required).
...Because 90% global market share*
means we don't have to give a shit...
*(Including XP, Windows 2000, ETC)
I understand why Apple did this. However, last year we bought our mom a Macbook. She's a slow learner and we (her sons) won't be around this summer to help her continue to learn. I was planning on purchasing one-to-one service for her in another month...but now I won't be able to.
Check to see if there is a MUG (Apple Users Group) near buy (Just kidding - by).
These are a great source of information, with a lot of options for folks. Weekly, Monthly meetings, email access for help and much more.
Skip
What a great idea, I hope MS does try this maneuver. It would open up a key differentiator for a even better I'm a PC / Mac ads.
From what I've seen over the years ? a lot of NEW folks are purchasing Macs, and are FIRST time computer users. It's got nothing to do with PC vs Mac.
Folks are being told by there kids, friends and neighbors how easy Mac's are do use, but they forget, they are speaking to folks (many older ones) who have NEVER used a computer before.
Can you imagine what these folks would need for help if they went with a PC as their first computer
We need to realize, there are a LOT more PC users out there, and they ALL help each other minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, month by month, year after year! So why would we think Apple users would be that much different.
Apple users too, will need help hour by hour.
Ok folks, here's the real question.
Your folks want you to help them buy and learn how to use a new computer. Yur folks are wonderful people, but not techno savy. You don't have much time to help them (shame on you), but you do want to make this as easy and painless as possble ? do you get them a PC or a Mac?
1) As easy as possible?
2) As painless as possible?
I think 1+2 = Apple
Skip
Buy from an online retailer and take advantage of some of the mail rebates for free software that you would otherwise have to purchase along with the discounted prices on the MAC's and the price difference rapidly can approach $300 or more.
For $300 you can buy a lot of good books with more tips and tricks on how to use a MAC and its software and not have to drive 10-30 miles to attend a one hour class for answers. At least with a book or a training video, you can refer back to areas of interest. An in store class even if its one on one makes that task a little more difficult.
I'll stop buying from online stores when Apple says I can buy an extended warranty or some other silly limitation like that.
Why doesn't Apple just leverage their consultants network to handle overflow.
They should offer special training for say $200 or so and allow consultants to to get
One -to-One certified.
Therefore consumers would get the opportunity to have have perhaps in home training via
a local consultant if appropriate with a small additional fee.
Let's be honest here. The reason Apple needs to offer Apple ONE-to-ONE service is because high schools don't educate students on how to use Macs, they educate them on how to use powerpoint, microsoft Word, and excel. This has been the case for years.
Microsoft offers ONE-to-ONE for next to nothing because if schools purchase PCs, they get huge discounts on the OS license costs as well as hardware costs. As a teacher, I'm not even allowed to buy an Apple computer for my classroom as it would be a breach of a contract.
ONE-to-ONE vs. a 12 years of using Windows.
Who is really winning here? What happened to the days when Apple dominated in the grade schools and high schools. It's a little disappointing.
My kids schools are about 95% Macs (elementary, & middle schools at least). they've had wireless macs for about 7 years. It was a pilot program and a great one at that.
KRR
Let's be honest here. The reason Apple needs to offer Apple ONE-to-ONE service is because high schools don't educate students on how to use Macs,...... As a teacher, I'm not even allowed to buy an Apple computer for my classroom as it would be a breach of a contract.
ONE-to-ONE vs. a 12 years of using Windows.
Who is really winning here? What happened to the days when Apple dominated in the grade schools and high schools. It's a little disappointing.
Apple is dominating the colleges these days and hopefully that will work its way down. :-) But as a number of high schools have noted, its better to buy a bunch of cheap Dells that have no tech support (and really need it) than buy Apples that people fight over when you sell them at the end of the contract...... I wonder what those parents were thinking..... :-).
There are actually many sources of Apple computer info and for much of the training, just let the kid get his hands on it and let them go... Just a thought.
:-)
en
On the training: I think it's great but shouldn't be so limited. Maybe Apple could make an App that interacts with their other Apps to do online training.