Stupid Apple store employees

[brianleahy]

I have great sympathy for people working in retail computer stores, but really, there's no reason to just make things up.

If you invent an answer just to get rid of an irritating customer, there's an excellent chance he or she will be back within hours, more upset than ever. If you're lucky, s/he will corner some other unlucky employee and vent, but if all the employees do that, there's nowhere to hide.

I try to avoid my local CompUSA, but I can't always; they're the only 'certified Apple retailer' in the area. Never have I been in there when every single employee wasn't busy answering questions - vast numbers of questions, many arising from a misunderstanding of the technology that is so fundamental that a brief answer is impossible. Unfortunately (even tragically) most people go into computer stores as much for information and education as to buy merchandise, and retailers do their customers a disservice by not training their employees better.

On the other hand, this phenomenon DOES cost those places money. For instance: often when I go in there, I know exactly what I want, but it's locked in a glass cabinet, so I have to wait until one of the employees can slip away from the clueless horde and grab the key. More than once I've walked out empty handed, even when the desired merchandise was clearly visible in a cabinet, because I just ran out of time...

Maybe I should carry a sign: "I have no questions, know exactly what I want = easy, instant commission". ;-)

[Zammy-Sam]

Happy Birthday, Brian! Wondering what you are doing on macosx on your birthday

[brianleahy]

Thank you Zammy.

I'm actually at work, so arguably, being on macosx.com is sort of like celebrating...

I celebrated over the weekend, so the actual bday is actually sort of an afterthought.

[Macsith]

Well maybe till retail people are trained better and then paid more...which is not the sales person fault on either point.....maybe we should also do our own research on products. The world is full of it! Then you will not be at the mercy of commission hungry, lying, and work aviding mob (as you all describe). Maybe I should get a new carrier as I feel and see everyday a growing spite for sales ppl..even before you get through the door. Dam us all to hell! happy?

[Giaguara]

Hey don't just deviate this thread to stupid Apple employees ..
One canadian Apple employee that lives on the same house than me saw like yesterday the first time in his life a 2nd gen iPod .. oh wait, that is just inexperience and un-geekiness.

[brianleahy]

Macsith -- if your outburst has to do with my post, I would advise you to read a little more carefully (like the first sentence?). The only salesperson behavior I have actually condemned is fabrication of bogus answers to momentarily (and only briefly) appease customers.

My comments about how it's hard to get assistance because of all the clueless customers in need of extensive tutoring is hardly a criticism of salespeople. If anything, I'm criticizing either (a) management for failing to hire adequate staff or (b) customers who fail to do any advance research, relying too heavily on overburdened sales staff to educate them.

EDIT: perhaps I see a possible source of confusion - my language about "a misunderstanding of the technology that is so fundamental" - was about the customers' questions, not ignorant sales people. Sorry if that was unclear.

[Macsith]

Well Im Glad you clarified that as I was confused by the heading "Stupid apple employees". Maybe renaming the thread differently may evoke a different response from us stupid Apple employees. Oh sorry you did not mean that heading

[brianleahy]

Ah, well then, your issue is with 033, who originated the thread, and thus, gave it that name.