Total Posts: 19
Joined 2006-03-10
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Posted: 10 March 2006 10:58 PM
I’ve bought too many items (no, one can never have too much) from the Apple Store (brick and mortar); but today, i had a horrible experience while buying a new MacBook Pro for my brother.
the store was in Peabody Massachusetts, around 3pm-- I had called ahead to make sure that they had one in stock, which they did, and if they could put it aside (they also did); I arrived in the store, stood in line, and the sales person (actually the manager of the store) decided to walk away from the register, and help a woman with a return. She was a customer, but she had just walked in, expecting people to drop everything to help her (apparently they did). This sales person/ manager, wouldn’t even bother to excuse himself from those people waiting in line (there were 7 people behind me- and several of them were also returning items) If i had not promised to buy this new MacBook for my brother, i would have walked right out of the store. 10 minutes later, the line had grown by several more, a woman came to the register and took the place of this MIA manager- she was very nice.
Has anyone else had a bad experience while shopping at an apple store? Which are the good one’s? I wouldn’t recommend the Peabody Ma store for any future purchases, at least until they get their act together.
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Total Posts: 2
Joined 2004-11-11
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Posted: 11 March 2006 11:35 AM
I’ve found that several employees at my Apple store (West Nyack, NY) have no idea what they are talking about and they don’t seem to last long at the store. That said, I managed to buy two iBook G4’s and an iPod with no problems.
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Total Posts: 19
Joined 2006-03-10
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Posted: 11 March 2006 11:55 AM
I’ve been hearing more and more people complaining about the quality of service at the Apple store; mostly relating to the staff’s lack of knowledge. I think when the brick and mortar stores first started opening, they had a very self selecting group applying for jobs with Apple (stores), and now they have grown so large, just about anyone will apply.
I know that there is (or going to be) an Apple Store on the South Shore of Massachusetts (Scituate Ma, i believe); their recruiter made no comment regarding any past Apple knowledge--- i imagine that this is really a mistake.
I’ll still shop there, but I avoid conversations with the staff until i make a purchase.
Maybe it’s due to the ratio of staff on the floor to the # of shoppers in the store at one time?
The Cult of the Mac has gone main stream… give it time, and I think it will shift back to what it once was (i hope!).
I wish there was some sort of secret shopper program (i really wouldn’t mind an intel Mini for my time); but Apple really needs to review the staff at their store, and not leave the reviews in the hand’s of the store management team; there are many rumors of specific stores and incidences of pure nepotism in their hiring practices.
I have, on several occasions, stepped into conversations, and taken it upon myself to help the person with their shopping-- I’ve always have thought of myself as very knowledgeable regarding hardware, I wish the Apple Staff could say the same.
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Total Posts: 1574
Joined 2005-09-12
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Posted: 11 March 2006 06:15 PM
Kristen - Mar 11, 2006 11:35am I’ve found that several employees at my Apple store (West Nyack, NY) have no idea what they are talking about and they don’t seem to last long at the store. That said, I managed to buy two iBook G4’s and an iPod with no problems.
They’re all idiots at that store. My advice do to the tice’s corner apple store.
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Total Posts: 1108
Joined 2005-03-16
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Posted: 12 March 2006 12:51 AM
My last bad experience was the “this person doesn’t know what they’re talking about” dept. I was helping my brother buy a dual-2.0 G5 (shweeeet). After they brought out the box (it took two people because the G5 weighs 30 bjillion pounds) we had a couple of questions about the system related to whether or not we should get certain accessories.
The girl literally would stare at the box, then go, “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask one them [the several black-shirts who were apparently too busy with other people].” She did this for EACH QUESTION. Finally we gave up and just bought the machine and got out of there.
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Total Posts: 1
Joined 2006-02-27
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Posted: 13 March 2006 08:58 AM
my last bad experience at an apple store was at the one in woodcliff lake, new jersey. i called ahead to check if they had gotten any Mac Book Pros in. the person i spoke said they had. i asked them if they could put it on hold for 15 minutes while i went over to get it. the person said no. so i went over anyway and as i walked in someone was/ walking out of the back with the last two they had, and some guy bought both of them(i didn’t even know you were allowed to buy two at one time).
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Total Posts: 445
Joined 2005-09-15
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Posted: 13 March 2006 01:22 PM
NEVER go to an Apple store on the weekend. You can forget about getting any help whatsoever. I recommend calling the store. I’ve had very good luck w/that on numerous occasions.
I find the best time to go to the Apple store is at “late lunch” time during the week. I’ve had pretty good buying exp. overall. The staff at the store by my home is pretty savvy. I keep seeing the same faces too. At this point, I know who to go to if I need to ask questions on site.
As far as holding items, the staff isn’t allowed to do that. I did get to hold my refreshed cinema display by asking for the manager and offering to pay for it via CC over the phone (which they don’t do either, but it shows good faith on the buyers end). I do know someone on the staff who was able to vouch for me too… for what its worth.
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Total Posts: 240
Joined 2005-08-06
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Posted: 18 March 2006 03:49 PM
So lets see the complaints are:
The salespeople don’t know everything about everything. (Who does? Often customer, who have done their research will have knowledge a salesperson might not have, but a good Apple salesperson should be signed up for ASTO (Apple Sales Training Online) when they have achieved APP status (Apple Product Professional) they receive a pin, check on their lapel. I’ve scanned mine and changed my avatar to show what they look like.
The stores are so busy there are line-ups and its hard to get served. (perhaps the woman who jumped the queue was dealing with an ongoing issue or was a loyal long term customer, retailers appreciate customer loyalty, and yes surprisingly you DO get better service if you are on a first name basis with sales staff, especially if you are patient, courteous and appreciative)
Staff are not allowed to put items on hold because they are selling so fast! (but go anyway so you can see the stuff you missed by 15 minutes walk out the door. And yes there is no quota on what you can buy, we had a customer come in and buy 30 iPod nanos, should we have said “Sorry, what about everybody else who wants one?” It’s first come, first served.)
Staff turn over is high, (due to know-it-all arsehole customers who have no patience and are pissed off and nasty because of all of the above.)
I got out of retail partly because I couldn’t stand dealing with people anymore! You wouldn’t believe how incredibly rude and abusive people get with staff, it is verbal abuse. I thought about asking some arsehole where he/she works so I can offer to go and verbally abuse them at their workplace, since they like doing it so much themselves. A bit of patience and some common courtesy goes a long way folks!
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Total Posts: 2
Joined 2004-11-11
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Posted: 19 March 2006 04:05 PM
Frozonecold - Mar 11, 2006 06:15pm Kristen - Mar 11, 2006 11:35am I’ve found that several employees at my Apple store (West Nyack, NY) have no idea what they are talking about and they don’t seem to last long at the store. That said, I managed to buy two iBook G4’s and an iPod with no problems.
They’re all idiots at that store. My advice do to the tice’s corner apple store.
Thanks. I’m going to check out that store. I’ve been to the one in Danbury, CT, also, but only once when it first opened. Also looking to check out the SoHo store.
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Total Posts: 312
Joined 2005-10-21
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Posted: 12 August 2006 02:48 PM
Kristen - Mar 19, 2006 04:05pm Frozonecold - Mar 11, 2006 06:15pm Kristen - Mar 11, 2006 11:35am I’ve found that several employees at my Apple store (West Nyack, NY) have no idea what they are talking about and they don’t seem to last long at the store. That said, I managed to buy two iBook G4’s and an iPod with no problems.
They’re all idiots at that store. My advice do to the tice’s corner apple store.
Thanks. I’m going to check out that store. I’ve been to the one in Danbury, CT, also, but only once when it first opened. Also looking to check out the SoHo store.
I have been to the West Nyack, NY Apple store and some of the employees there do know what they are talking about but others are complete morons, it all depends on who you speak to. I have also been to the Apple Store in Woodlciff Lake(Tices Corner), NJ and they also have their share of people who dont know what they are talking about. Again it really all depends on who you talk to not neccisarily what store you go to.
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