Retail Store. Help keep them alive. (long post)

mayconvert

Well-known member
May 7, 2013
147
0
0
Visit site
Guys, I am asking for help from people who want brick and mortar Apple Stores, not just Apple online.
If you don't care if Apple continues with Brick and Mortar locations, you can stop reading and click the back button.

(not being a jerk there, jus pointing out there is no reason to read this if you don't care about physical stores)

I work at an Apple retail location and have for several years now. Since Angela took over, I am seeing a very large change in Apple, and it's not good.
When I started there I was amazed at how well they paid and took care of their employees. Apple was all about Apple Culture.
Angela doesn't understand what Apple culture is, or she wants to change it to what She thinks it should mean.

During holidays and quarterly meetings apple would give us all kinds of gifts from Headphones, backpacks, case, car chargers, umbrellas etc
Now, Apple gives nothing ever.
The store I work is in a "mall" location and pulls in a large sum per year. (sorry I don't want to give exact numbers)
Apple used to have very cool, elaborate window displays that you see at nearly all Apple stores. or I should say, what you USED to see at most all Apple stores. Apple has quit bothering with ANY window display at all. Just bare naked windows. That happened around 2 years ago, around the same time Apple stopped giving us anything holiday or not. (they do feed us at thanksgiving and Christmas via catering)

I get that maybe apple is trying to stop spending so much money. Given the profits apple makes and the fact that they don't pay ANY commission for any position, they can afford to give us a few things here and there.

Ok, gifts or not, oh well, lets move on and get more to the point that I want help with. I was just trying to give you an idea how "cheap" apple has gotten over the last 2 years.
Angela has stated many times, that she wants to "blend apple online with Apple Retail. They even had us carry ipads for a while so that any items we didn't have in the store, we could help them order online, on the spot.
Angela also says that people don't want to get in a line outside the store to get a new product. (she is wrong, that is part of the Apple excitement)
Her stance now is "Get in line, Online" she doesn't want people lining up outside the stores for Any products.
For some people, that is true, they don't want to stand in a line 500 people deep to get the latest iPhone.
For some though, that is excitement they look forward to. I have friends that get up at 3AM to go get in line outside the store to get the latest iPhone and they Love doing it.

Angela has now released 3 (4 kind of) products online only, that you couldn't go to a local store and pick up, or get in line for, even if you wanted to. The Apple Watch, The Macbook, The new iPod touch. Not one of these, even tho they "released" were actually IN the physical store for weeks/months after their initial online "releases" the (kind of) 4th was the latest iMac. Although it wasn't "weeks or months", when the new $1999 and $2299 iMac came out, there was zero in my store for about 6-7 days.
I can't remember the exact release date of the Apple Watch but people were ordering them online and having to wait 2 months to get one.
The Macbook "released" online and we didn't get the first one IN the store to sell for 8 weeks after the online release.
We STILL only get a couple units per week and we stay out of stock 90% of the time. Forcing online only sales.

Guys, what I am getting at here is Angela's vision is to close all but flagship store in places like Palo Alto and New York City. Only the biggest of the biggest will survive Angela if people don't voice their opinions. I know some people are going to bash me and say i am crazy, angela would never do that. That's fine, think what you want. Even managers at my store think angela's vision is to get everyone used to ordering online and closing as many apple retail locations as possible. LONG time employees are saying the same thing. I didn't just dream this up one night.

How much fun will the new iPhone 6S launch be if the only way to get one is to order it online and wait 6-9 weeks to get it.
Those who stay up til 2AM and get lucky enough to get an order in online within the first 3 minutes might get theirs in a couple weeks rather than 6-9 weeks. That means .000009% of iPhone upgraders will be happy, the rest will wait weeks and weeks and weeks to get the new shiny.....

I found it Very sad when I went to work today and I had read the the new iPod had in fact released with all these new, fun colors, only to find out, we don't have any, they are online only, with no actual release date for being able to get on IN the Brick and Mortar store.....

I don't know how you guys feel about being able to walk into a store and SEE and TOUCH and play with the item I want before I buy it, but i LIKE doing that. If I wanted to never leave the house, I have amazon to take care of my needs.
I get that retail business wants people to order online because then they don't have to pay me to be there to sell it.
Do you guys love having a local store ( I know not everyone has one) so that when you screen breaks, you walk in, get fixed and leave an hour later with a working device? How fun is Online going to be when they go closing stores and when you break your phone, you call apple care and wait for them to mail you one. They may mail it over night, but what if you drop your phone in water on Friday afternoon and you don't get your replacement until Tuesday because Fedex and UPS don't deliver residential on Saturday and Sunday. That means the phone will be over nighted Monday and you went Friday, Sat, Sun, Mon with No phone at all ( unless you keep a spare phone laying around )

All I am asking out of this incredibly Long post is this. If you want Apple Retail Brick and Mortar store to live, go to apple dot com / feedback and tell Angela and Apple that when they release a product, you want it IN THE STORE TO BUY. You don't want to get in line ONLINE.

Apple does read the feedback that you submit. I know this for a fact. Tell her that its fine to release a product online as long as you can walk into the store and buy it the SAME day it was released online.
I'm sure apple sold some iPods online today. But the store didn't even get Demo units to display what the new colors looked like.
That is really sad. I have sent Angela feedback from an internal source apple provides.
Many of the employees have also giving a LOT of feedback on getting products IN THE STORE and that people want to buy products IN THE STORE, not online.

I just hope people here care enough about Brick and Mortar stores enough to take 5 minutes and go to apple.com/feedback and tell angela that you want products in the store, Apple isn't amazon and that you don't want apple to become amazon and be on online store only.

I am asking Apple fans to do something really easy. I don't need to be blasted as a conspiracy theorist.
If you had some of the insider info that I will not post here, you would believe what I am saying.

Just please give apple feedback, that's all I am asking. If you don't want to, jut click back and move on with your day.
 

Just_Me_D

Ambassador Team Leader, Senior Moderator
Moderator
Jan 8, 2012
59,710
634
113
Visit site
To be honest and blunt, this is more of an employee feedback type of thing. You came here to vent about your workplace and it's changing culture, but then made sure that you didn't want to read feedback from people who may not agree with you. Closing down 'brick and mortar' stores are often the result of government intervention and/or the manner in which customers shop from said company. I've gone into several Apple Stores, and although the experience has always been positive, I rarely bought anything. All of my iPhones, iPads, TV, MacBook, Watch, etcetera, were all ordered online or purchased from an authorized Apple dealer like Best Buy. If a majority of its customers shop the same way, it's smart business to close certain retail locations, in my opinion. Since you work there, answer this question: what are the majority of customers that enter the Apple Store at your location there for - Repairs/troubleshooting, actually buying products, or just visiting & perusing?
 
Last edited:

co4nd

Member
Mar 1, 2014
22
0
0
Visit site
I do like Apple stores and hope they really are not thinking of closing them. Though I must confess that I do think that new product releases are best online only, Apple stores are a mess and a circus during new product releases, and going there for anything other than the new product is painful. I love going to Apple stores and will for all my future purchases, but will never go to one during a new product release again after what I experienced picking up my preordered iPhone6 on release day.
 

anon(4698833)

Banned
Sep 7, 2010
12,010
187
0
Visit site
I appreciate the sentiment and concern in your post...but if you think I'd rather sit in a line 4 miles long at a physical Apple store to buy my iPhone vs. buying it online and having it shipped to my doorstep on release day while I sit and play xbox in my underwear eating cold pizza so you can have some better perks for working for Apple...you're crazy.

Apple stores aren't going anywhere because Apple stores are where Apple gets to give it's customers personal top tier service.

Apple stores aren't going anywhere because regardless of how popular online shopping gets, many consumers still won't buy anything until they can touch it and see it with their own eyes.

Apple stores aren't going anywhere because regardless of how many units they sell online, the Apple stores are still packed to the brim every...single...day (especially in comparison to competitive stores from Samsung and Microsoft).

Your numbers are pie in the sky assumptions, your information about brick and mortar stores closing (especially the flagship ones) is ridiculous. I think you're reading into something that is spreading like a virus amongst a group of disgruntled employees, and because you're all sharing it with each other, it's becoming more and more real to you.

The reality is, the physical Apple stores aren't going anywhere, and I'm going to keep ordering online.
 

Ledsteplin

Ambassador
Oct 2, 2013
50,164
694
108
Visit site
I wish we had an Apple Store closer than 80 miles away. I suppose we're lucky to have one that close. I'm not an Angela fan either.
 

bamf-hacker

Apple Watch and AirPod Champion, Ambassador
Champion
Nov 2, 2009
6,817
106
63
Visit site
I half agree... The online only option is not something I am a fan of. I like, cancel that, I love ordering things online, but I am very impatient and after I pay for something I like to have it now :)

Keep online ordering... ABSOLUTELY!!! but make sure you can go into a store and buy it there too :)
 

Bigeric23

Well-known member
Aug 17, 2010
3,630
0
0
Visit site
For some reason I thought of this line from Other People's Money:

“You know, at one time there must've been dozens of companies making buggy whips. And I'll bet the last company around was the one that made the best darn [edited] buggy whip you ever saw. Now how would you have liked to have been a stockholder in that company?”
 

Ledsteplin

Ambassador
Oct 2, 2013
50,164
694
108
Visit site
For some reason I thought of this line from Other People's Money:

?You know, at one time there must've been dozens of companies making buggy whips. And I'll bet the last company around was the one that made the best darn [edited] buggy whip you ever saw. Now how would you have liked to have been a stockholder in that company??

They quit making buggy whips?
 

mayconvert

Well-known member
May 7, 2013
147
0
0
Visit site
To be honest and blunt, this is more of an employee feedback type of thing. You came here to vent about your workplace and it's changing culture, but then made sure that you didn't want to read feedback from people who may not agree with you. Closing down 'brick and mortar' stores are often the result of government intervention and/or the manner in which customers shop from said company. I've gone into several Apple Stores, and although the experience has always been positive, I rarely bought anything. All of my iPhones, iPads, TV, MacBook, Watch, etcetera, were all ordered online or purchased from an authorized Apple dealer like Best Buy. If a majority of its customers shop the same way, it's smart business to close certain retail locations, in my opinion. Since you work there, answer this question: what are the majority of customers that enter the Apple Store at your location there for - Repairs/troubleshooting, actually buying products, or just visiting & perusing?

I am pretty sure the government has nothing to do with this issue. This isn't a "vent" about my company. I couldn't care less if you can walk out with a product or not since I don't get commission. In fact, if you aren't getting applecare and one to one, we would prefer you shop online because we get scored on just those two items.
The people coming in the store is 50% tech support because people are too dumb to know how to use their device and can't even reset their own password. Based of the customer base, you would think an Apple ID the most complex thing in the world. Only about 10% actually come in for hardware issues ( broken screens etc )
A LOT of people come into the stores to see the product and get some human input on the difference between a macbook air and macbook pro.
The average customer has NO idea other than one is "cuter" then the other.

This store brings in a a large sum of money although no where near as much as say a store in new york city.
You forget that people are this site are more tech oriented that 99% of the world.

Try explaining to your mom that AT&T no longer offers 2 yr subsidized pricing and due to the fact that she has an 8GB data plan on AT&T she qualifies to upgrade her 5S now but her $40 line fee will drop to a $25 line fee and then she pays taxed on full retail and then AT&T will divide the rest of various number of months ranging from 20, 24, and 30 and each of those options will carry a different payment amount and her bill will increase even tho her line fee went from $40 to $25, but if she goes to a 10GB data plan it could potentially save her money since all 3 of her family plan line fees drop to $15 at that point potentially saving her another $10 a month depending of the status of the contract or non contract of the remaining lines even tho the plan itself is $20 higher in cost.
Watch her face melt when you are done saying that. That is where the store comes in handy. You can't get that explained and broken down Online.
and if mom goes to at&t, they will straight lie to her because they make commission and she will come home with a .99 android tablet that she didn't understand was a 2 yr contract with an additional line fee of $15 to $25 depending on her data package.

Again, agree or don't. I don't care, I get paid the same no matter if you buy from home or the store. I also don't care if people do post that don't agree with anything I typed. Obviously it didn't stop you. I personally think it sucks to see a new product released and know that unless I wait for 2 months, I can't do anything but look at pictures of it online since it's not in the store to look at or buy. I also think it sucks to see something "release" and I go online to order it and I still have to wait 2 months to get it.... to me that's lame.
Release the product IN THE STORE and online the same day, the way everyone is happy. I can walk into the store and buy it, and you can sit at home and order one and wait for it. my post was a plea for people to ask apple to release the product IN the store at the same time as online. (and actually have some stock IN the store)
I remember when Snow leopard came out. I actually requested a day off so that I could be at the Apple store at open to make sure I got a copy before they ran out. (back then we had these ancient things called DVDs you had to buy to install the new OS.)

again apple dot com / feedback its so easy.
 

mayconvert

Well-known member
May 7, 2013
147
0
0
Visit site
your information about brick and mortar stores closing (especially the flagship ones) is ridiculous.

I said all BUT flagship stores. I never said flagship stores around the world would close....


The reality is, the physical Apple stores aren't going anywhere

Wait and see. This isn't "a group of disgruntled employees"
in fact my only plea out of all of that if you had read any of it was do feedback and ask apple to release product IN the stores as well as online, not just online. YOU might not wanna stand in line outside a store, but there are a lot of apple fanatics that LOVE that so much.
whatever. giving apple feedback seems to be too hard for many.

I would have loved for a customer like you drive 40-50 miles all excited about grabbing one of the new gold macbooks for your daughters graduation gift and I look at you and say. Those are just demo units, you have to order online, and btw, they have an expected delivery date 2.5 months from now. We won't actually carry those in store for about 90 days.
 

Corky Corcoran

New member
Jul 17, 2015
2
0
0
Visit site
"The people coming in the store is 50% tech support because people are too dumb to know how to use their device"

If it weren't for all those "dumb" people, you'd be out of a job. Just because somebody isn't a "techie" doesn't mean they're dumb. Are you dumb because you don't know how to use an arc welder? How about your inability to drive an 18 wheeler...is that a reflection of your lack of intelligence? Can you wire a house? Install a sprinkler system? Operate a crane? People take their devices to the Apple store for tech support because they're not interested in learning all there is to know about them, not because they're incapable of learning about them. You're a condescending, self important whiner who thinks his job is a lot more important than it is.
 

Just_Me_D

Ambassador Team Leader, Senior Moderator
Moderator
Jan 8, 2012
59,710
634
113
Visit site
I am pretty sure the government has nothing to do with this issue. This isn't a "vent" about my company. I couldn't care less if you can walk out with a product or not since I don't get commission. In fact, if you aren't getting applecare and one to one, we would prefer you shop online because we get scored on just those two items.
The people coming in the store is 50% tech support because people are too dumb to know how to use their device and can't even reset their own password. Based of the customer base, you would think an Apple ID the most complex thing in the world. Only about 10% actually come in for hardware issues ( broken screens etc )
A LOT of people come into the stores to see the product and get some human input on the difference between a macbook air and macbook pro.
The average customer has NO idea other than one is "cuter" then the other.

This store brings in a a large sum of money although no where near as much as say a store in new york city.
You forget that people are this site are more tech oriented that 99% of the world.

Try explaining to your mom that AT&T no longer offers 2 yr subsidized pricing and due to the fact that she has an 8GB data plan on AT&T she qualifies to upgrade her 5S now but her $40 line fee will drop to a $25 line fee and then she pays taxed on full retail and then AT&T will divide the rest of various number of months ranging from 20, 24, and 30 and each of those options will carry a different payment amount and her bill will increase even tho her line fee went from $40 to $25, but if she goes to a 10GB data plan it could potentially save her money since all 3 of her family plan line fees drop to $15 at that point potentially saving her another $10 a month depending of the status of the contract or non contract of the remaining lines even tho the plan itself is $20 higher in cost.
Watch her face melt when you are done saying that. That is where the store comes in handy. You can't get that explained and broken down Online.
and if mom goes to at&t, they will straight lie to her because they make commission and she will come home with a .99 android tablet that she didn't understand was a 2 yr contract with an additional line fee of $15 to $25 depending on her data package.

Again, agree or don't. I don't care, I get paid the same no matter if you buy from home or the store. I also don't care if people do post that don't agree with anything I typed. Obviously it didn't stop you. I personally think it sucks to see a new product released and know that unless I wait for 2 months, I can't do anything but look at pictures of it online since it's not in the store to look at or buy. I also think it sucks to see something "release" and I go online to order it and I still have to wait 2 months to get it.... to me that's lame.
Release the product IN THE STORE and online the same day, the way everyone is happy. I can walk into the store and buy it, and you can sit at home and order one and wait for it. my post was a plea for people to ask apple to release the product IN the store at the same time as online. (and actually have some stock IN the store)
I remember when Snow leopard came out. I actually requested a day off so that I could be at the Apple store at open to make sure I got a copy before they ran out. (back then we had these ancient things called DVDs you had to buy to install the new OS.)

again apple dot com / feedback its so easy.

You started your post with the following opening statement.

Guys, I am asking for help from people who want brick and mortar Apple Stores, not just Apple online.
If you don't care if Apple continues with Brick and Mortar locations, you can stop reading and click the back button.
I doubt anyone has a problem with that opening statement, and you're right, you are seeking help. Having said that, you then made this statement.

(not being a jerk there, jus pointing out there is no reason to read this if you don't care about physical stores) ...
Personally, I found that to be a red flag because it's limiting those who may not agree with what you're asking to be people who do not care about physical stores.

Near the end, you stated the following AFTER you went on a long rant about how things were when you initially started working for Apple and how things have changed, etcetera. You're trying to sell your feelings to us when you state:
I just hope people here care enough about Brick and Mortar stores enough to take 5 minutes and go to apple.com/feedback and tell angela that you want products in the store, Apple isn't amazon and that you don't want apple to become amazon and be on online store only.
You can't say, "I just hope people here care enough....", and on the other hand say, "there is no reason to read this if you don't care about physical stores". I buy most of my Apple products online, but that doesn't mean that I dislike their retail stores. Obviously, I don't care about them as much as you do. Still, you could have simply created a post stating that it's possible that Apple may be closing a good deal of its retail stores, and you would appreciate it if we would take a moment to contact Apple to express our concerns about it. Keeping it simple is so easy....;)
 

qbnkelt

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2012
5,213
5
33
Visit site
I love going to Apple stores. I would never want to be without them.
If I weren't so impatient I would love to go to the Apple Store to get my new device. But it's not feasible for me to go there at 2 am. Otherwise I would absolutely do it. It was fun.
As far as the lack of adverts or displays, I haven't noticed that. I'll have to pay attention next time I go.


Sent from my GORGEOUS, SEXY, AWESOME Gold 128G iPhone 6
 

anon(4698833)

Banned
Sep 7, 2010
12,010
187
0
Visit site
I said all BUT flagship stores. I never said flagship stores around the world would close....

You are right...my bad on that portion of my retort.

Wait and see. This isn't "a group of disgruntled employees"
in fact my only plea out of all of that if you had read any of it was do feedback and ask apple to release product IN the stores as well as online, not just online. YOU might not wanna stand in line outside a store, but there are a lot of apple fanatics that LOVE that so much.
whatever. giving apple feedback seems to be too hard for many.

I would have loved for a customer like you drive 40-50 miles all excited about grabbing one of the new gold macbooks for your daughters graduation gift and I look at you and say. Those are just demo units, you have to order online, and btw, they have an expected delivery date 2.5 months from now. We won't actually carry those in store for about 90 days.

It's not too hard for me to give feedback, I just think your plight is kind of ridiculous and in many ways, fueled by a lot of groundless assumptions. You've given a bunch of numbers but you don't have any real hardcore support for any of those, you just kind of pulled them out of your rear end to support your agenda here...if you had some factual evidence to show these things, it might actually work better for those of us reading this as consumers.

Then we get into your idea that lots of apple "fanatics" like to stand in line at the store...when in reality, that is a small niche of consumers...most do their business online (as shown by online ordering estimates over the last several years).

And your "wait and see" comment...it's funny to me, because regardless of how emotionally supporting you are of this "feedback", it doesn't add any truth to this idea that brick and mortar stores are going anywhere. They aren't! Apple controls this segment of the market...the hype alone from stores being jam packed full of people (regardless of why they are there) pulls people in from the streets to see what's going on. Why would a business eliminate free advertising like that? It wouldn't make sense at all!

I just don't see things the same as you do, and don't feel you have a very factually supported argument here. What I think you have are a lot of assumptions, observations and discussions amongst your peers that have made you a bit paranoid...and maybe some of it is actually indicative of things to come, but you're representing this entire thing as an actual legitimate event, when it's simply not true. At the end of the day, it just sounds like an employee/group of employees who got upset they weren't getting free swag who decided to start a random revolt.

The stores will still be alive and well.
The consumers will still pack the stores full.

End of story.
 

anon(4698833)

Banned
Sep 7, 2010
12,010
187
0
Visit site
"The people coming in the store is 50% tech support because people are too dumb to know how to use their device"

If it weren't for all those "dumb" people, you'd be out of a job. Just because somebody isn't a "techie" doesn't mean they're dumb. Are you dumb because you don't know how to use an arc welder? How about your inability to drive an 18 wheeler...is that a reflection of your lack of intelligence? Can you wire a house? Install a sprinkler system? Operate a crane? People take their devices to the Apple store for tech support because they're not interested in learning all there is to know about them, not because they're incapable of learning about them. You're a condescending, self important whiner who thinks his job is a lot more important than it is.

Thank you. THANK YOU.

I can take my Macbook Pro completely apart, change out components and put it all back together a dozen times today...but if something goes wrong and I have a warranty, why on earth would I want to do that when someone at Apple will do it for me?

I could go out today and probably swap my cars engine out if I wanted to. I have the tools, the knowledge and the ability...but if I bring my car to have it's oil changed at a shop, how does that reflect my own abilities or knowledge on cars?

The more I read OP's responses in this thread, the more I realize the actual nature of their post.
 

HankAZ

Banned
Jul 26, 2012
6,092
0
0
Visit site
The more I read OP's responses in this thread, the more I realize the actual nature of their post.

We've seen this guy and his hoard of doppelgangers here way too frequently. It's just a variation on the whole "troll" theme. He comes in here, with half baked notions and tries to pass them off as "the sky is falling" doomsday facts.

Moving on, nothing to see here. Sean has already turned this one inside out and upside down.
 

shief24

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2013
362
0
0
Visit site
If Apple started selling ALL new items online only I wouldn't like it. Personally I think it should be both ways, we should be able to get it online AND walk in. My wallet is also very happy I can't just go in a buy the Apple watch because I would have bought it to test it already.
 

Trending Posts

Forum statistics

Threads
260,011
Messages
1,765,316
Members
441,221
Latest member
CØR