Stupid Apple store employees
- Thread starter 033
- Start date
evildan
Super Moderator
It's funny you say that, and I'm not trying to speak to all Apple Store employees. But I had the opposite happen to me.
I was in Chicago and I mistakenly grabbed the wrong iTrip (one for first generation iPods and I have a 3rd generation iPod). The employee who was ringing me up warned me that this would not work with the new iPods. I looked closer to realize the photo of the iTrip showed exactly what the connection looked like.
The two versions of the iTrip are significantly different from one another. I'm surprised as well, and if you were questioning it, didn't you see the picture on the box? I'm not trying to insult you, but perhaps it was a miscommunication?
I was in Chicago and I mistakenly grabbed the wrong iTrip (one for first generation iPods and I have a 3rd generation iPod). The employee who was ringing me up warned me that this would not work with the new iPods. I looked closer to realize the photo of the iTrip showed exactly what the connection looked like.
The two versions of the iTrip are significantly different from one another. I'm surprised as well, and if you were questioning it, didn't you see the picture on the box? I'm not trying to insult you, but perhaps it was a miscommunication?
Macsith
Registered
brianleahy said:
Have you ever told a customer "I don't know"? In my broad experience when you say "I don't know" they look at you like you have just hit their family pet with your car!
It takes 'two to tango' and also keep in mind and accept that they may not know. Will you accept I don't know??? If you do you will be on person I have never served...
Macsith said:Have you ever told a customer "I don't know"? In my broad experience when you say "I don't know" they look at you like you have just hit their family pet with your car!
It takes 'two to tango' and also keep in mind and accept that they may not know. Will you accept I don't know??? If you do you will be on person I have never served...
It may take a lot of honesty to tell "I don't know". But I rather get an answer "I don't know, but let me try to find it out .." than some answer that is improvised - and that is just plain wrong.
I don't mind if people tell me they don't know. And sometimes the questions are such that you can't lie if you odn't know - one example is "how is the US Spanish keyboard layout?" I know what the standard US and standard Spanish Spanish are - but an improvised answer e.g. in that case just would not do. So many times it is very helpful if the employees can at least know where to find the info fast. If they don't have the US Spanish keyboard in the store (they never had had one), at least they should know where to find a picture of the layout.
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
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". ;-)
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". ;-)
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
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.
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
Registered
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?
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
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.
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.
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
Ah, well then, your issue is with 033, who originated the thread, and thus, gave it that name.