The Worst Lineup Process Ever

[anon6040766]

Line up at 5am. 8am we all enter. Reservations being taken with iPhones for iPhones and a time is given for your pickup of the phone you choose if available. It's 45 minutes later and those without a new reservation have been told they now need to wait until 10am to get a reservation to come back starting at 1pm. This system is absolutely ridiculous. The typically friendly Apple staff is acting like they are the gatekeepers to God's gift to the world. This has been completely mismanaged. Shame on me for not pre-ordering. Have always lined up and has always been a great experience. This is ridiculous...about to leave. Not exceptional customer service Apple usually delivers on.

*I did pre-order from other places, but thought if I was gonna line up and take a chance, best place with best service and most devices would be an Apple Retail Store.

 

[John Yester]

What else did you expect?

 

[ultravisitor]

The typically friendly Apple staff is acting like they are the gatekeepers to God's gift to the world.

Well, that's what happens when you give them that kind of power by being crazy enough to stand in line and wait when instead you could have had the phone delivered to your home.

 

[anon(4698833)]

Line up at 5am. 8am we all enter. Reservations being taken with iPhones for iPhones and a time is given for your pickup of the phone you choose if available. It's 45 minutes later and those without a new reservation have been told they now need to wait until 10am to get a reservation to come back starting at 1pm.

I don't see the problem...they are probably pausing the flow of devices out the door to more accurately assess in store stock.

This system is absolutely ridiculous.

It's only ridiculous to you because you didn't properly pre-order a device to ensure you'd get it on launch day. With all the suggestion posts on here, the only person you can blame for not having a device guaranteed to be in your hands today with the smallest amount of effort is you.

The typically friendly Apple staff is acting like they are the gatekeepers to God's gift to the world.

This is a ridiculous comment. Apple's staff IS the gatekeeper on a very hot commodity, otherwise you wouldn't be up first thing in the morning on a random Friday desperately trying to get your hands on one...with enough passion about it to get upset and spout off like you have here.

This has been completely mismanaged. Shame on me for not pre-ordering. Have always lined up and has always been a great experience. This is ridiculous...about to leave. Not exceptional customer service Apple usually delivers on.

It hasn't been mismanaged, you're upset because YOU didn't do what you needed to to make sure you were covered for today. iPhone releases are never a guarantee when it comes to walk in purchases...and once again, it's only ridiculous because your entitled attitude is meeting some strife because you failed to pre-order a device properly. Go figure.

 

[Ledsteplin]

↑↑ Exactly!

 

[ReeseyKups]

I don't see the problem...they are probably pausing the flow of devices out the door to more accurately assess in store stock.



It's only ridiculous to you because you didn't properly pre-order a device to ensure you'd get it on launch day. With all the suggestion posts on here, the only person you can blame for not having a device guaranteed to be in your hands today with the smallest amount of effort is you.



This is a ridiculous comment. Apple's staff IS the gatekeeper on a very hot commodity, otherwise you wouldn't be up first thing in the morning on a random Friday desperately trying to get your hands on one...with enough passion about it to get upset and spout off like you have here.



It hasn't been mismanaged, you're upset because YOU didn't do what you needed to to make sure you were covered for today. iPhone releases are never a guarantee when it comes to walk in purchases...and once again, it's only ridiculous because your entitled attitude is meeting some strife because you failed to pre-order a device properly. Go figure.

+1

 

[Marlena Millare]

I agree 100%

 

[tigerinexile]

I'd go easy on the blame.

Lining up on launch day used to be fun.

After people started using ringers and paying people to go (and sometimes cheating them), Apple started de-emphasizing the process.

Now? Just set the alarm for 2:55 AM (or whatever your local time is), pop in the order, and then stalk UPS.

 

[anon(4698833)]

I'd go easy on the blame.

Lining up on launch day used to be fun.

After people started using ringers and paying people to go (and sometimes cheating them), Apple started de-emphasizing the process.

Now? Just set the alarm for 2:55 AM (or whatever your local time is), pop in the order, and then stalk UPS.

Based on the OP's response to the walk in service he encountered, my guess is he'd probably complain about having to wait all day for UPS because their delivery window was too generic and how Apple dropped the ball using such simpleton methods of shipping.

 

[anon(50597)]

LOL. This is hilarious. I think we need to keep things in perspective.

 

[qbnkelt]

Apple is managing stock on a very hot device. The options were to pre-order which is what I did, set an appointment to go in the store to pick up, or to stand in line and take your chances. They have to keep a certain percentage of devices available in case there are any faulty ones AND they have to manage those coming in off the street.
I see no problem with how Apple is managing this.
On iMore there were several threads talking about the ordering process and about those who choose to take their chances. Warning was given that this going off the street might be a risk. Don't blame Apple doing due diligence.

Sent from my gorgeous sexy white BEAST of a Note 4 ❤

 

[anon6040766]

I don't see the problem...they are probably pausing the flow of devices out the door to more accurately assess in store stock.



It's only ridiculous to you because you didn't properly pre-order a device to ensure you'd get it on launch day. With all the suggestion posts on here, the only person you can blame for not having a device guaranteed to be in your hands today with the smallest amount of effort is you.



This is a ridiculous comment. Apple's staff IS the gatekeeper on a very hot commodity, otherwise you wouldn't be up first thing in the morning on a random Friday desperately trying to get your hands on one...with enough passion about it to get upset and spout off like you have here.



It hasn't been mismanaged, you're upset because YOU didn't do what you needed to to make sure you were covered for today. iPhone releases are never a guarantee when it comes to walk in purchases...and once again, it's only ridiculous because your entitled attitude is meeting some strife because you failed to pre-order a device properly. Go figure.

And despite that, the two I pre-ordered from Best Buy I strolled in and picked up at 2pm after the two I got at the Apple Store 1:30pm. Hmm....two 6s and two 6s Plus and the one I did have delivered from AT&T for me to keep. So that's 5...one for me, one for my girlfriend, and 3 I sold already that more than paid for the two I kept. You are absolutely correct! I should have pre-ordered to Apple as well. However, when you're putting out close to $5000 for phones, sometimes you can't pre-order them all or during the pre-order don't get a chance at the storage or color wanted. Sue me.

Bottom line is for the specific instance I wrote about which is the customer who is 15th in line and has to wait two hours after store opening just to be told they need to wait two more hours to get a time to come back, yeah that's ridiculous. How does the 15th guy in line walk in at 8am, not speak with anyone til 10am and get told at 12pm they can pick up their phones at 1:30pm.

So yeah, I guess the truth is that I'm a spoiled whiner. And I don't say that sarcastically. I mean it. I'm spoiled in that I'm use to Apple launch days be incredibly smooth. Maybe this was smooth, but not where I was and not nearly as smooth as normal. Something clearly went wrong at this Apple Store. And yes, the typically awesome staff was noticeably freaking out and couldn't keep their sh1t together. It all ended exceptionally well. I was merely sharing my experience as I perceived it. I'm pretty sure everyone there today at this ONE store was more that a bit annoyed. Even those with reserved phones from pre-order waited til almost 10:30am to get theirs.

I am glad to hear so many of you had such a great experience. I truly mean that. Mine was great at Best Buy and my delivery from AT&T was perfect. Unfortunately, the one bad experience I had was at an Apple Retail Store.

Sorry for venting my frustration in the way that I did, but that was how it unraveled.

 

[tigerinexile]

Based on the OP's response to the walk in service he encountered, my guess is he'd probably complain about having to wait all day for UPS because their delivery window was too generic and how Apple dropped the ball using such simpleton methods of shipping.

I ordered a Blackberry Passport online last year. Their stock management sucked, and I tried to cancel but it was shipped that day (apparently).

I did provide sympathy for fellow Canadians whose shipping slipped from today to Monday.

I got mine today, I'm happy with Apple. I'd probably still have been happy with Monday or Tuesday.


Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk

 

[anon(4698833)]

And despite that, the two I pre-ordered from Best Buy I strolled in and picked up at 2pm after the two I got at the Apple Store 1:30pm. Hmm....two 6s and two 6s Plus and the one I did have delivered from AT&T for me to keep. So that's 5...one for me, one for my girlfriend, and 3 I sold already that more than paid for the two I kept. You are absolutely correct! I should have pre-ordered to Apple as well. However, when you're putting out close to $5000 for phones, sometimes you can't pre-order them all or during the pre-order don't get a chance at the storage or color wanted. Sue me.

Bottom line is for the specific instance I wrote about which is the customer who is 15th in line and has to wait two hours after store opening just to be told they need to wait two more hours to get a time to come back, yeah that's ridiculous. How does the 15th guy in line walk in at 8am, not speak with anyone til 10am and get told at 12pm they can pick up their phones at 1:30pm.

So yeah, I guess the truth is that I'm a spoiled whiner. And I don't say that sarcastically. I mean it. I'm spoiled in that I'm use to Apple launch days be incredibly smooth. Maybe this was smooth, but not where I was and not nearly as smooth as normal. Something clearly went wrong at this Apple Store. And yes, the typically awesome staff was noticeably freaking out and couldn't keep their sh1t together. It all ended exceptionally well. I was merely sharing my experience as I perceived it. I'm pretty sure everyone there today at this ONE store was more that a bit annoyed. Even those with reserved phones from pre-order waited til almost 10:30am to get theirs.

I am glad to hear so many of you had such a great experience. I truly mean that. Mine was great at Best Buy and my delivery from AT&T was perfect. Unfortunately, the one bad experience I had was at an Apple Retail Store.

Sorry for venting my frustration in the way that I did, but that was how it unraveled.

I understand frustration, but when you go full on nuclear and start trashing people and places and things because of it, you've gone overboard. Glad to hear you got some of your devices relatively issue free. As far as the amount of money spent, I spent close to $3,000 on 3 different devices, and they were all pre-ordered via the Apple Store app on the pre-order morning, and they were all delivered via UPS with no issue or stress today. Literally sat in my pajama pants watching movies and playing Xbox all day until they came.

Release day's IN store have always seemed chaotic and out of control to me...I guess it was all part of the atmosphere of the launch day in public. I'm not keen on it anymore personally...so maybe the real resolution you've come to today is that you're not real keen on the store experience either.

 

[tigerinexile]

Re the three re-sold, the reason why there's a premium to be gotten is that lining up sucks.

The re-sale is monetizing the line-up experience.


Sent from my iPad Air using Tapatalk

 

[anon6040766]

Re the three re-sold, the reason why there's a premium to be gotten is that lining up sucks.

The re-sale is monetizing the line-up experience.


Sent from my iPad Air using Tapatalk

Totally agree with you. And I never would have lined up if I had the cash on hand to pre-order all the devices I needed. Additionally, the 3 sold were marked up just enough to pay the difference between a subsidized versus full retail so essentially the 2 kept were $849 which is about $1700. If subsidized the would have been $800 for both. So sold the other 3 each marked to close the gap between $1700 and $800. So selling full retail unlocked devices on launch day with free overnight for $1150 instead of $850 seems fair. Was trying to cover my devices, that's all. Like I said, things worked out great and sure, I vented my frustration in the moment.