Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Retail
Putting the Apple Store geniuses to the test
Challenging customer service folks in retail stores is pretty much shooting fish in a barrel-- sure, Apple claims to have a great retail environment, but if those Geniuses are getting paid as little as I was when I worked in retail, there's no real reason for them to know the difference between the Apple ][ and the Apple //e (that's what you have TUAW for).Still, Laptop's writeup on their trip inside the Apple Store is pretty entertaining anyway. The Genius confirms what we all knew about the Macbook Air (it's a "supplemental computer, like, if you already have a desktop at home"), and messes up some specifics on HD-DVD and processor speed and size. My own Apple Store experience wasn't much better-- I had to explain what a KVM switch was (to switch between my Mac mini purchase and my gaming PC). But just like Laptop's experience, my person was helpful and quick, and what more can you really ask from a retail experience?
Long story short, do your research at home, and show up at the Apple Store (or the Best Buy, or the Circuit City, or wherever) only when you know what you really want to buy. The guys and girls with nametags on at the store know a lot about how to sell stuff, but they just don't get paid enough to make your choices for you.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
gozer said 8:09PM on 2-13-2008
wtf? the genius bar isn't for sales.
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Big John said 8:51PM on 2-13-2008
Moreover, why are we grilling a Genius about HD-DVD?
doc said 3:26PM on 2-14-2008
I agree with gozer et. al.
It's true the Genii do not usually handle sales but if you must know something really techie before you buy my Apple store guys tell me come with them while they ask a genii or if it's really busy they ask if i mind making a presales genius bar appointment. I feel if it is that important of a question i'll make an appointment and wait for a good answer. It's not cool to make a bogus a quiz show at the apple store to prove I'm smarter then some college kid trying to pay for school, or someone trying to make ends meet. I have been shopping there and most other retailers and watched some poor salesperson deal with some blog-reading asshole who is grilling them with silly questions and laughing while the poor employee goes to get help or struggles to answer. I will normally inject my help to save them and chase off the bully by actually answering the lame questions and asking why it was relevant.
Grow up people.
P Stuart said 9:14PM on 2-14-2008
But you have to supplicate and grovel (make an appointment) to talk to a guru (oops, genius!). The "sales" people are too absorbed in keeping the furniture clean to actually help. It is good this stuff just works.
Random said 8:12PM on 2-13-2008
The people on the floor are not Mac Geniuses (Genii?). They are salespeople with only enough training to sell the product. Geniuses are the tech support staff sitting at the Genius Bar.
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Publius said 8:16PM on 2-13-2008
I just think you analysis is off here. While it may be true that not every Apple Retail employee has 100% knowledge of every product, my experience has been that they are much much more knowledgeable than the average retail employee. The training is extensive as is the application process.
To claim that you must go in there pre-researched is just poorly representing the knowledge of the Apple staff and the time they, as non-commission employees, are willing to spend with each customer, regardless of purchase potential.
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JJ Forde said 8:15PM on 2-13-2008
I have had my computer looked over by all Apple Stores in Washington and most in the LA area and there is a huge difference between Geniuses. It took 3 trips and 4 different Geniuses to realize somehow virex had gotten back onto my machine and was causing the processor to freak. That being said though they do tend to know the macs very well and I have always been very happy with the service available. The retail side of things is a completely different story. If you read any apple blog regularly you probably know as much or more than any of them. Despite my ranting, the apple store is always my favorite place in any mall.
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krye said 8:24PM on 2-13-2008
I had the dreaded 1418 error on my 5g ipod. I tried everything to fix it. Everything! The genius had no idea what it was, bedsides all the complaints to apple from other users, the forums, the web sites, he tried to restore it (duh!) and when that failed he said I needed to buy a new iPod.
Nice, huh? Thanks for trying, buddy.
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Big John said 8:50PM on 2-13-2008
...and it's people like you that make retail workers stop trying. Just because you read the blogs so often (and thus should have known there wasn't much the Genius could do) doesn't mean everyone could.
Chuck said 8:54PM on 2-13-2008
It obviously varies from store to store, but in general, the level of product knowledge and overall support is, in my opinion, higher than that of a standard retail store.
If you want to compare Apples with "apples" (sorry, I didn't intend for the pun...), just compare to Best Buy or Circuit City's computer & tech support departments. The differences are huge.
I had a strange and eye-opening experience with a printer rebate a couple of months ago. One of the Apple Store managers just was flat out wrong and made an honest mistake about a rebate form and the process. In all, I needed to go back to the Apple store 3 times. However, the attention to helping me get my issues resolved in a reasonable manner was excellent. The store was so busy, in fact, that the ultimate result was that the store manager just stepped up and offered me cash rather than dealing with piles of paperwork for the rebate. I'm sure that wasn't standard procedures for them, but they truly went out of their way to make a correction to an honest mistake.
Can't say that about all retail establishments: http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/12/woman-files-54m-lawsuit-against-best-buy-for-losing-laptop/
Chuck
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Pismodude said 8:36PM on 2-13-2008
I used to have a Pismo, (the only black laptop apple made other than the black macbook) and after I upgraded the RAM the screen was stuck black.
I couldn't do anything, so I went to the genius bar and lone behold, he taps it with the frickin' magic iScrewdriver and the screen works to this day. No joke. (Free service too) :-)
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punkassjim said 1:32PM on 2-14-2008
If you think the Pismo is the only black laptop Apple ever made (besides the black Macbook), then you need to bone up on your product history. Pismo is the third iteration in the chain: Wallstreet, Lombard, Pismo. All black. But the Pismo had copper-colored/transparent keys.
punkassjim said 1:32PM on 2-14-2008
If you think the Pismo is the only black laptop Apple ever made (besides the black Macbook), then you need to bone up on your product history. Pismo is the third iteration in the chain: Wallstreet, Lombard, Pismo. All black. But the Pismo had copper-colored/transparent keys.
Big John said 8:49PM on 2-13-2008
Wow, Mike. For having worked in retail, you should have a little more reverence for those that do try to do their job to the best of their abilities in that opening paragraph. For the 99 jackass customers I deal with a day, I take solace in the knowledge that one I helped had a better day because I eased their experience.
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doc said 8:15PM on 2-14-2008
Thanks Big John for that tid bit as i too feel the same when i know i help someone who really needed and appreciated it.
One
abitdark said 8:57PM on 2-13-2008
Being an Apple employee this is kind of offensive. of course I have no qualms about it being printed or anything and its good that you did. but the whole line "They know a whole lot about selling stuff, but they just don't get payed enough to make your desicions for you." Apple emplyees are not commisioned based, the whole point is to get you what YOU want and not to just sell things to you, we are there to educate (to the extent of our knowledge of course) and to get you the best possible solution for you and your needs. Honestly pay doesn't factor into it one single bit. I have not met one Apple employee that doesn't love just being there. if one Mac specialist did know something then they will sure know how to find out. And we do have extensive training, but we arn't going to know everything, No one, Apple or not will ever know everything. Not too mention that the Genii don't sell, they are there for tech support. and of course why would any one care about making your desicions for you especially an Apple employee? We don't they are yours too make, we are just there to help you make your desicion.
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Kell31 said 9:37AM on 2-14-2008
Of course you know as an Apple employee you are not allowed to post here. That was part of training!
Ed said 8:58PM on 2-13-2008
Patronising. Very patronising.
I work for an APR (Apple Premium Reseller) and day in, day out, we do our best to not only sell Apple computers but assist in any way we can with any technical questions.
If we don't understand the question or know the answer we'll google for as much instant information we can find, or take down a number and phone the customer back once we've done some research.
Not to blow my own trumpet, but in many cases we know better than a very high proportion of self-proclaimed Apple 'experts', even those in well paid support roles. The idea that people think of us as dumb Sales Assistants is insulting.
There is also a certain talent involved in analysing a customers technical understanding, and adjusting your vocabulary and responses accordingly - This isn't a case of writing an easy to follow tutorial for TUAW, this is completely on the fly. One minute you'll have a customer that thinks they can put more RAM into their computer by inserting a CD and 'clicking the pointer twice onto the icon that says install', the next you will have someone asking for written instructions on how to bless a system folder using the Terminal.
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krye said 9:08PM on 2-13-2008
Sour grapes Big John? Sorry, I worked retail for 10 years too before I got a real job so I know what's it's like. And yes, for $10 an hour I probably wouldn't give a crap about my broken iPod either. It's just that I the guy didn't even try. Come on, restoring with iTunes? Your average 12 year could have told me that. This guy had no idea if my hdd was bad or if it was the logic board. I thought geniuses were supposed to be these Apple-know-it-all-tech-gurus? When I was in retail the philosophy was: "I might not have the answer for you, but I can find someone who does." He just told me to drop another $300 and have a nice day.
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Micah said 9:34PM on 2-13-2008
News Flash:
Wondering if it is a hard drive or logic board doesn't matter.(Is there even a logic board in an iPod). Either way to fix it at the Apple Store will result in the Genius walking to the back room getting a replacement ipod for you and charging you whatever it cost (assuming it wasn't under Applecare). I doesn't matter to him if the problem is caused by a failing hard drive or something else because his actions will be either give it back to you or replace it. Why should he waste his time trying to answer an unnecessary question.
The Genius did his job, you are just pissed because you were dumb enough to buy an bang your iPod around and now you have to buy a new one.