NY Times profiles Apple stores
From BusinessWeek predicting they wouldn't work to the New York Times writing a piece lauding Apple Stores as 'community centers' for the neighborhoods in which they are situated. The article points out that Apple now makes 20% of its total revenue from Apple Stores (not too shabby), and highlights some of the unique features of the stores themselves: the architecture, the staff, and the general feel of the stores.The article also points out that some other high profile technology company's brick and mortar stores aren't doing nearly as well as the Apple Stores.
Sound off in the comments with your best Apple Store experience.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ecnal said 7:19PM on 12-27-2007
I admire the idea of the shopping concierge at Apple stores, but my own experiences as someone who'd rather not have my hand held every step of the way is that I'm "in the way" when someone else is being helped. I frequent the Apple store in downtown San Francisco and particularly during the busy Xmas shopping season, I've been reached around and talked through by "smiling Apple employees" as they up-sell someone else as if I was an invisible annoyance. Not one of them ever said, "excuse my reach," or "sorry, but can I get in here?" Nope, they just kind of shove on through and I was nothing but wallpaper. It was more weird than frustrating since I didn't want or need their help, but some semblance of recognition would have been appreciated.
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Collin Ruffenach said 7:32PM on 12-27-2007
I like to just sit outside the store every once and a while and watch my stock go up as people exit the store. Beautiful.
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Kurt Zenisek said 7:42PM on 12-27-2007
I sadly live in Iowa. Where the closest Apple Store is hours away and in a mall... *tear* lol
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Allister said 1:07AM on 12-28-2007
My heart bleeds. I have to get on a plane or boat to get to an Apple Store. Not sure if there is one in Australia yet but there is unlikely to ever be one here in New Zealand. So, my best experience? A friend just went to New York before Christmas and described it to me.
Alan said 7:48PM on 12-27-2007
Eh, the apple stores are a pain in the arse. They are crowded places where it seems I am the only who does not get help when needed. To have to go to a crowded storejust because thats where the Genius Bar is to get my iPod, iPhone, or Macbook Pro fixed is ridiculous, thats why I call Apple when something breaks and they send me a box to send them whatever is broken. It comes back fixed, Never have to get up off of my arse.
:]
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cristian said 8:02PM on 12-27-2007
There is no Apple Store nearby :(
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Rhywun said 9:52PM on 12-27-2007
That BusinessWeek article was priceless. It's fun to read an article years later and see how completely, totally wrong they were. I was skeptical myself, especially before I switched last year--until I bought an Airport Express sometime last year and I didn't have to wait in line to buy it. From that point on I was sold. I live in NYC--can't wait to check out the new branch some time.
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mikull said 9:59PM on 12-27-2007
I live in NY, and have been to several Apple stores in the area. Stores in New Jersey, Staten Island and Long Island are all your typical Apple mall-shops. Nice if you want to try out the new products or get some help, so-so for accessories, with a few people sneaking through to peek at their email.
NYC is a different beast, at least the times I was there: The place was swamped with people, but I would venture a guess that at least half of them weren't buying anything. All the machines out seemed to be in use for checking maps, bank accounts, e-mail, stocks... whatever. A lot of people were in there because they were wandering around NY in the first place just to... see things.
Personally, I rarely go to the Apple store- I just purchase items online. I can see the value of the stores, but they are really not someplace I like to go to.
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Johnny said 11:52PM on 12-27-2007
For the most part, the hipster employees are pleasant. Every now and then you run into the pompous NY hipster.
A month or so ago, Apple covered the replacement of my MacBook's "topcase" because some cracks had developed on the edge of the gray plastic panel surrounding the keyboard. They said that this was a common problem among the MacBooks.
The other day, the gray plastic panel surrounding the LCD screen began to crack in the same manner. This part is made from the same kind of plastic, so I figured that they could fix it.
Well, the next day, at the new W14th street store, no luck. The kid at the Genius bar very politely explained that SINCE THIS PART IS NOT CURRENTLY UNDER RECALL, IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. Furthermore, the kid said that he'd never seen this problem on other MacBooks. Interestingly, he also said that if they see enough people coming in with the same problem, maybe they'd change their mind. That's a load of bull$#!+, don't you think?
SO, my question is... Does a part have to be under recall in order for it to be repaired under warranty? Does it have to be a predetermined issue before they will acknowledge that this is a workmanship problem? I'd like to think that the nice kid made a mistake, or that there was some sort of miscommunication because I'd like to be loyal to Apple. But this experience left me pretty p!$$ed off at the way they handled my situation.
PS: The last time I had gone to the Genius Bar, the guy tried to sell me that preferred customer thing. He smiled like a used car salesman and explained that with the preferred customer status, my computer would be fixed ahead of everyone else's. When I declined, he said that he'd do everything he could to handle my repair quickly anyways, but the next time, I might not be so lucky. I had to wipe all the slime off my computer when he was done with it. What do you think is going on here?
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gazerbeam said 2:13AM on 12-28-2007
wow, did M BERK graduate from high school?
my experience at the Apple store (5th ave NYC) has been that Apple fills the store with warm hipster bodies who have a crappy level of product knowledge and a very big hair salon budget. they just absolutely LOVE their iphone and ipod and imac! can I show you one!?! it's tragic.
the day Apple updated the ipod touch firmware to support calendar edits and entries, I went to the Apple store only to find that none had been updated. I asked a manager and was met with a blank stare and a "well this store is open 24 hours so it's hard to bring the units offline to update them" answer.
Bulls*it, Apple.
The bottom line is that Apple was started as a company that wanted to help people, and now they are a company that wants to make a lot of money. who can blame them? it's just sad that the creative, fun users of Apple products are now lumped into the pseudo-hip consumer base who buys Apple products... and selling these products seems to mean hiring purple-haired morons.
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Dreadnought said 12:01PM on 12-28-2007
I've been going to Apple Stores since they first opened, and yes - the experience has changed. Some for the better, some for the worse - mostly to do with sales personnel.
The store I most often frequent has a core of long-time sales people and a lot of fly-by-nighters. Most of the time, when I go to The Store, I have no trouble getting all the help I need, but a few times, in the months between the iPhone release and Leopard's release, I had a hard time getting the attention of any of the sales staff. It wasn't that The Store was too busy, it just seemed that there wasn't anyone on the floor. The third time that happened, I sent a complaint to Apple and oddly enough, the following week the Conceirge plan was announced. Since then, I haven't had any issues with getting the assistance I needed.
The only real issue I have now is that this particular store is too small to accomodate the sales traffic, the Genius Bar traffic, the One-To-One training, and the casual visitors who want to spend some time surfing and checking their email.
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M BERK said 5:19PM on 12-28-2007
i've worked at an apple store for the last few months. the stores are run on a shoestring. No benefits,inadequate restrooms and lockers and no break room. Also on an 8 hour shift you receive no break. One actual cash register in the store which creates undo frustration for customer and employee? The stores are so noisy your brain starts to melt in a few hours.The staff are a revolving door. Apple doesn't care about there employees. At xmas you bearly get a thank you? Apple has developed a fantastic operating system 10.5 and i life 08. Everything is made in china buy a third party. so maybe buy applecare. But there stores are out of control. Buy online or at Bestbuy...now i need some aspirin after a day at an apple store.
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M BERK said 7:00PM on 12-29-2007
Excuse the double entry the iphone screen and this comment block fit oddly together making typing difficult.
gazerbeam
What are referring to about my education? I am Mac specialist(salesman) and have a 4 year college degree.
I currently own a 15" Mac book pro, iphone and a 2nd gen nano. My first Mac was a 85 Mac se. I also am a happy stock holder for the past great years! I love apple products and there software !
If we all remember several years ago there was a great cow company with incredible customer (Iowa) support and warranty service. They also opened elaborate retail stores
the cow boxes were being shipped everywhere ,customers were very happy! Then the bean counters were hired and phone support went to India, phone sales went to India, no more Iowa! Consumer reports took Gateway from top of the list for a consumer computer to the bottom on the list in one years time.
Dell hopefully has caught it in time because they lost everybody from outsourcing to India.
So you say what is my point ?
Everything made for Apple is made in China! Everything in China is copied, forged, black market , you name , no rules !
Unfortunately many many long time apple customers are now going thru the same thing that happened to the Gateway and Dell customers !
Applecare connects you after long wait times, to a third world out sourced country, India. The support goes from bad to worse? They dont have a clue about leopards new install problems? Customers are told to take there computer to the nearest mobbed apple store, when you arrive you are politely greeted by a concierge and asked if you had an appointment? No one mentioned you needed an appointment from applecare? You are put on terminal “stand by” only finally allowed to see a mobbed genius ! Remember your head is exploding by now from the roar of the crowd and the genius’s mind must be fried with the continues bombardment of guestions ? Then you are told to leave the computer for several days and apple would call you when ready! And yes they have the nerve to try to up sell you to procare for quicker service ?
Apple better wake up soon because they pay there employees poorly, treat them worse, and the great years for apple tree could crumble down the road ! The way of the cow…..hmm
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