Many many people use One to One and find it a very valuable unique service. I think cutting this service would hurt Apple's brand. Nothing else like it exists in any other retail store just like the Genius bar. Those two services Apple provides are very big selling points to buy products from Apple.
FCPX isn't the most intuitive app (there's a lot of depth). I can see One-on-One being useful to learn those kinds of apps. I'd prefer they promote it more instead of deep sixing it.
The one-on-one is one of the very best items that Apple sells (maybe THE best product) ... not just for the customer but also for the company.
For the customer it gives face-to-face interface to someone who actually knows the product and can adjust the session base on how knowledgeable (or not) the customer is.
For AAPL it is a way to burnish the company's image and reputation. To suggest that these sessions can be replaced by some group classes is erroneous ... in a group setting, the loudest voice (who is often the most difficult personality) dominates the discussion, to the detriment of all participants.
Every time someone asks me what kind of computer to buy, I ask back, "if you mean what model of Apple, the I suggest xx or yy, but whatever it is you should add on one-to-one help services." It is the "one" part of it that is important. I know lots of people who bought it, all of them have used it, many use it every week. At some point, most people don't need it any more, but some just keep going because it is nice to learn from a genius who knows how to help you.
Apple would be out of their mind to end this program. It doesn't cost them much and it gives so much added value to everyone.
As a former employee of Apple for 5+ years, I can tell you from my own experience this program is long overdue to be revamped or killed completely. For customers that use the service, it is a phenomenal deal, but from a company standpoint it is a real waste of resources. The employees that teach the one-on-one sessions (they're called "Creatives") are among the highest paid employees in the store. With a typical shift lasting eight hours and each session lasting an hour, that's 8 customers attended to a day. Their extensive knowledge is better put to use in a class setting where they can assist many more customers. Not to mention the fact that One to One never became a major factor in Apple's brand - I doubt most Apple users even know of its existence. In its current form, the service is just a relic from the Mac vs. PC days when Apple has to convince everyone it wasn't frightening or difficult to switch from Windows.
As much as I think training classes are a great resource, I am put off by the hard sell on Apple products and services. The trainers steer their students to high margin products (iCloud, AppleCare, etc...) regardless of their needs. Taking a class there is almost like attending a timeshare seminar!
As much as I think training classes are a great resource, I am put off by the hard sell on Apple products and services. The trainers steer their students to high margin products (iCloud, AppleCare, etc...) regardless of their needs. Taking a class there is almost like attending a timeshare seminar!
Have you taken a course there and experienced this hard sell? Or do you just assume that that is what they do? If you did experience this, did you experience it in a group session or in a 1 on 1? Did you experience it more than once?
I've never participated in any of the Apple training programs - but I find it unlikely that Apple would apply a "hard sell" on anything! If this only happened to you once - it's possible that was just that one trainer or just that one store...
Can some of the rest of you who have taken advantage of the Apple training - either through a group or a 1 on 1 - please share your experiences? Did the trainer for your sessions apply a "hard sell" for upgraded products and services? Remember - it's part of their job to let you know they exist. Simply talking about them at some point during the training sessions does not make it a timeshare like "hard- sell"...
Have you taken a course there and experienced this hard sell? Or do you just assume that that is what they do? If you did experience this, did you experience it in a group session or in a 1 on 1? Did you experience it more than once?
Yes. I recommended it to a friend who switched to Mac a couple of years ago and was very enthusiastic about learning iPhoto and how to better use her iPhone in combination. I had already warned her against purchasing add-ons when she bought her Mac, but despite that she succumbed to the kind and gentle sales pitch and purchased AppleCare (at twice the price you can get it on eBay) and 1to1.
When she took the 1to1 classes, she came back having purchased a bunch of stuff she didn't really need (probably iCloud and iWork, IIRC).
Free group classes were much worse, thinly veiled sales pitches to get you to buy Apple add-ons (iLife, iWork, dotMac, iCloud, etc...)
Mind you, their absolute genius is being able to make people feel great about buying crap they don't need that carries huge profit margins. The 1to1 program may be cancelled because it's just not generating enough side revenue -- a lot of the trainers are probably too good at training and not good enough at selling.
Comments
I hope this isn't true. My parents love those lessons.
For the customer it gives face-to-face interface to someone who actually knows the product and can adjust the session base on how knowledgeable (or not) the customer is.
For AAPL it is a way to burnish the company's image and reputation. To suggest that these sessions can be replaced by some group classes is erroneous ... in a group setting, the loudest voice (who is often the most difficult personality) dominates the discussion, to the detriment of all participants.
Every time someone asks me what kind of computer to buy, I ask back, "if you mean what model of Apple, the I suggest xx or yy, but whatever it is you should add on one-to-one help services." It is the "one" part of it that is important. I know lots of people who bought it, all of them have used it, many use it every week. At some point, most people don't need it any more, but some just keep going because it is nice to learn from a genius who knows how to help you.
Apple would be out of their mind to end this program. It doesn't cost them much and it gives so much added value to everyone.
Right, just squeeze and repeat, squeeze and repeat. One to one too expensive for todays retailers. Too bad.
As much as I think training classes are a great resource, I am put off by the hard sell on Apple products and services. The trainers steer their students to high margin products (iCloud, AppleCare, etc...) regardless of their needs. Taking a class there is almost like attending a timeshare seminar!
I've never participated in any of the Apple training programs - but I find it unlikely that Apple would apply a "hard sell" on anything! If this only happened to you once - it's possible that was just that one trainer or just that one store...
Can some of the rest of you who have taken advantage of the Apple training - either through a group or a 1 on 1 - please share your experiences? Did the trainer for your sessions apply a "hard sell" for upgraded products and services? Remember - it's part of their job to let you know they exist. Simply talking about them at some point during the training sessions does not make it a timeshare like "hard- sell"...
Have you taken a course there and experienced this hard sell? Or do you just assume that that is what they do? If you did experience this, did you experience it in a group session or in a 1 on 1? Did you experience it more than once?
Yes. I recommended it to a friend who switched to Mac a couple of years ago and was very enthusiastic about learning iPhoto and how to better use her iPhone in combination. I had already warned her against purchasing add-ons when she bought her Mac, but despite that she succumbed to the kind and gentle sales pitch and purchased AppleCare (at twice the price you can get it on eBay) and 1to1.
When she took the 1to1 classes, she came back having purchased a bunch of stuff she didn't really need (probably iCloud and iWork, IIRC).
Free group classes were much worse, thinly veiled sales pitches to get you to buy Apple add-ons (iLife, iWork, dotMac, iCloud, etc...)
Mind you, their absolute genius is being able to make people feel great about buying crap they don't need that carries huge profit margins. The 1to1 program may be cancelled because it's just not generating enough side revenue -- a lot of the trainers are probably too good at training and not good enough at selling.