Sure, they are busy. The problem is if you go into the store and there are 25 associates on the floor and there are 30 people trying to get information about computers it can take ages to get any help. I can walk into Best Buy and even if there are 100 people in the store I can just grab what I need and go wait at the checkout. Worst cast scenario I may be standing there for five minutes. While that model may not ensure that the other 100 people in the store are receiving all of the attention they are looking for, it does ensure one's ability to quickly pick up what they know they are looking for and be on their way. I am not saying that it is a bad thing that your sales force should also be able to check people out. I am only saying that the elimination of a dedicated checkout area, that does not provide any other service but to let people buy things, is a mistake in a busy environment.
In cases like that just walk back to the Genius Bar. There is always someone there at a MacBook pro checking people out.
'Zipcheck' very interesting idea and totally doable. Seems like it will benefit everyone from the store to the customer and make a better shopping experience.
Naturally, security will be the key to this launch. However I would think that Apple has this down pat before testing.
Isn't EasyPay a trademarked name? AI keeps calling it EasyPay but that was the solution they had before building their own (unless EasyPay is co-developing this & I just missed it).
This has got to have existing POS companies sweating it. I gotta wonder though if any of these employees will try & sue Old Navy for having to wear a printer around their neck. "Oh, the pain in my neck is unbarable, I can hardly sleep at night & I can't turn my head to look behind me!"
They should just put the little mobile printers on pedestals around the store, or hang them from key locations.
I agree. I actually cringed when I read this article because I am afraid other retailers will think this model is actually a better way to serve the consumer. At least in Arlington, VA the Apple stores are such a constant source of frustration that I do my best not to go in them. It is virtually impossible to go to the store to buy something. Think about that... a store where they make it hard to buy things. I have co-workers who have been told they need an appointment to purchase a computer. I have stood around the store for over fifteen minutes just trying to get someone's attention to buy a set of headphones. I finally got frustrated and went to Best Buy. While I admit that having your sales force on the floor and giving them more capability may be great, substituting this for an actual checkout area is disastrous. Don't even get me started about their so called "geniuses"...
I couldn't agree more, over in the UK its exactly the same,. i am a huge Apple fan and have most of their gadgets but i now avoid buying from its retail shops in favour of buying online,..
whenever i have been in the shop i and many more shoppers are stood like fools with items in one hand money in the other waiting for 20+ mins waiting for someone to serve us, a total farce, most occasions resulted in the guys at the genius bar stopping what they were doing to serve queues of pi**ed off people,.. the total concept is bizarre, the sooner they revert back to a dedicated till area the better!
I love the concept and I think it could be taken even further in time. For example lets say I am at Best Buy and all the costumer service reps are busy assisting other people, but I want to pay for something. Well with an app I could sign in with my iphone and be put in line to be surved. Then using gps the costumer service rep could see my location in the store and come serve me when my turn in line came. This would allow me to continue looking around the store without having to wait in line. Obviously though there would have to be a way that you could cancel the gps connection once you were helped, so you cant be tracked without your permission.
How about taking it even further just buy it on line while you are in the store and walk out with it. Security would be a challange but not insurmountable.
At least in Arlington, VA the Apple stores are such a constant source of frustration that I do my best not to go in them. It is virtually impossible to go to the store to buy something.
That's funny, I've been in that Apple store and like all the other ones (including the newly remodeled Tyson's store) you can go to the left of the Genius Bar, stand in line and check out if you can't flag a "Free Roamer" down.
Comments
Sure, they are busy. The problem is if you go into the store and there are 25 associates on the floor and there are 30 people trying to get information about computers it can take ages to get any help. I can walk into Best Buy and even if there are 100 people in the store I can just grab what I need and go wait at the checkout. Worst cast scenario I may be standing there for five minutes. While that model may not ensure that the other 100 people in the store are receiving all of the attention they are looking for, it does ensure one's ability to quickly pick up what they know they are looking for and be on their way. I am not saying that it is a bad thing that your sales force should also be able to check people out. I am only saying that the elimination of a dedicated checkout area, that does not provide any other service but to let people buy things, is a mistake in a busy environment.
In cases like that just walk back to the Genius Bar. There is always someone there at a MacBook pro checking people out.
'Zipcheck' very interesting idea and totally doable. Seems like it will benefit everyone from the store to the customer and make a better shopping experience.
Naturally, security will be the key to this launch. However I would think that Apple has this down pat before testing.
Isn't EasyPay a trademarked name? AI keeps calling it EasyPay but that was the solution they had before building their own (unless EasyPay is co-developing this & I just missed it).
This has got to have existing POS companies sweating it. I gotta wonder though if any of these employees will try & sue Old Navy for having to wear a printer around their neck. "Oh, the pain in my neck is unbarable, I can hardly sleep at night & I can't turn my head to look behind me!"
They should just put the little mobile printers on pedestals around the store, or hang them from key locations.
I agree. I actually cringed when I read this article because I am afraid other retailers will think this model is actually a better way to serve the consumer. At least in Arlington, VA the Apple stores are such a constant source of frustration that I do my best not to go in them. It is virtually impossible to go to the store to buy something. Think about that... a store where they make it hard to buy things. I have co-workers who have been told they need an appointment to purchase a computer. I have stood around the store for over fifteen minutes just trying to get someone's attention to buy a set of headphones. I finally got frustrated and went to Best Buy. While I admit that having your sales force on the floor and giving them more capability may be great, substituting this for an actual checkout area is disastrous. Don't even get me started about their so called "geniuses"...
I couldn't agree more, over in the UK its exactly the same,.
whenever i have been in the shop i and many more shoppers are stood like fools with items in one hand money in the other waiting for 20+ mins waiting for someone to serve us, a total farce, most occasions resulted in the guys at the genius bar stopping what they were doing to serve queues of pi**ed off people,.. the total concept is bizarre, the sooner they revert back to a dedicated till area the better!
I love the concept and I think it could be taken even further in time. For example lets say I am at Best Buy and all the costumer service reps are busy assisting other people, but I want to pay for something. Well with an app I could sign in with my iphone and be put in line to be surved. Then using gps the costumer service rep could see my location in the store and come serve me when my turn in line came. This would allow me to continue looking around the store without having to wait in line. Obviously though there would have to be a way that you could cancel the gps connection once you were helped, so you cant be tracked without your permission.
How about taking it even further just buy it on line while you are in the store and walk out with it. Security would be a challange but not insurmountable.
At least in Arlington, VA the Apple stores are such a constant source of frustration that I do my best not to go in them. It is virtually impossible to go to the store to buy something.
That's funny, I've been in that Apple store and like all the other ones (including the newly remodeled Tyson's store) you can go to the left of the Genius Bar, stand in line and check out if you can't flag a "Free Roamer" down.
Really, it's not that hard