Apple At-Home Advisor...

[AngryGerbil]

Much unlike you though, I don't feel a bit of stress about it. Screw 'em. I'll take the paychecks until I find something better.

That's pretty much my approach. I'll always have mediocre Northstars, lousy AppleCare sales and I'll never be a member of the "Apple is awesome" fan club. I've got more apathy than empathy and there is only so much crap I'll take from a customer.

As far as getting canned, I think you'd have to consistently tell customers to **** off and die before they'd fire you. On the flip side, if they keep pushing remote advisor down my throat I may fire them and then promote myself to Tier 2 unemployed person.

Let me add something. I'm certainly not a model employee from a manager's perspective but most of the customers like me because I'm easy to talk to and I typically fix their problem. My csats, low handle time and zero escalation got me to Tier 2... Also, I think my T1 team manager wanted to get rid of me Seems I can be a little anti-authoritarian.

 

[Stoodo]

I had my third interview Monday and I haven't heard back... After reading some of these messages it is probably all for the best.

 

[MrMacMack]

...

 

[WelshDog]

The 5 to 15 minutes of time in between each call. I don't sit in my chair and stare at the screen or at the phone with my hand hovering over it waiting to grab it the second it rings.

Yeah, see that's exactly what I did do, because I felt that was what they expected me to do. It's interesting to read that some of you don't worry about the metrics, Northstar etc. Not once during training did I ever get the sense that I could be that cavalier about the rules. The fear of "getting promoted to customer" was always in the air. Now, my CSAT was zero after two weeks of taking calls and I had no doubts that it would have stayed that way since I was rarely connecting with customers. I also consistently forgot to empathize, which was getting me "needs improvement" in the evaluations. Apparently, I was also wrong to take that assessment seriously as well? So I assume that CSAT is the one metric they do take seriously?

I would have been fired eventually, but I just couldn't take another moment of "Thanks for calling AppleCare, my name is <X> can I start by getting your first and last name please?" Followed by angry, weird, sad, peeved, drunk and or creepy behavior on the part of the customer.

I am going to miss being eligible for unemployment however.

 

[AngryGerbil]

Yeah, see that's exactly what I did do, because I felt that was what they expected me to do. It's interesting to read that some of you don't worry about the metrics, Northstar etc. Not once during training did I ever get the sense that I could be that cavalier about the rules. The fear of "getting promoted to customer" was always in the air. Now, my CSAT was zero after two weeks of taking calls and I had no doubts that it would have stayed that way since I was rarely connecting with customers. I also consistently forgot to empathize, which was getting me "needs improvement" in the evaluations. Apparently, I was also wrong to take that assessment seriously as well? So I assume that CSAT is the one metric they do take seriously?

I would have been fired eventually, but I just couldn't take another moment of "Thanks for calling AppleCare, my name is <X> can I start by getting your first and last name please?" Followed by angry, weird, sad, peeved, drunk and or creepy behavior on the part of the customer.

I am going to miss being eligible for unemployment however.

I can't blame you... Lord knows I came close to packing up the iMac more than once. It took a good 6 months before I adjusted to saying,"Thanks for calling Apple, my name's angrygerbil... blah, blah, blah.".

I also would not advise anyone that really cares about the job to ignore stats and Northstars, I did because my metrics were good enough without ever focusing on them. And I really think you have to mess up pretty bad to actually get fired. I see a lot of people with consistently bad metrics month to month.

If I had a normal job to walk into, I'd quit this one in a heartbeat... but I don't right now.

 

[mariapplesauce]

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[1AppleNoOrange]

Got some of my equipment today!

Never mind! Got the iMac

lol did you open it ? why do they tempt us like this.

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has anyone ever opened the equipment and been canned ? what is the stupid reasoning of waiting until the last minute????!! They don't have some type of buzzer that will ring at the apple office when the box is opened, do they ? ( im being sarcastic) but I did figure that maybe the TM will call everyone via facetime or skype and require to see all of our boxes that morning to ensure we followed the rules. If you aren't turning the computer on, then what is the freaking problem?!

 

[mariapplesauce]

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[RydiaRelm]

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[xquarkofborgx]

I've spoken to several people who have this job, they left our old job to do it, they said just set everything up. They told you do to it before you even sign in anyway, and they have NO WAY of knowing you set it up ahead of time.. leave the boxes in the room if you wish. I received all my stuff today and have set everything up, just left the computer unplugged LOL. They WILL NOT be phoning with facetime to check the boxes before you unpack them, that's a bit outlandish LOL

Got all my equipment today as well

 

[gwen1o]

I just had to chime in here. I've been with Apple for just under two years. Started as a part time AHA. I was offered a rotational position before the end of my first year, then promoted to a full time T2 AHA advisor. Hoping to move into another department, as AHA, soon.

I love my job and am here to tell you that the opportunities are endless for somebody that is willing to watch, listen, and learn. It really is what you make of it.

If you are offered a position, take it, then decide for yourself if the job is right for you. No amount of reading on this forum will match the experience itself.

 

[imacallday]

training

8

 

[AppleJunkie86]

.

 

[AngryGerbil]

can I PM you a question?

Wouldn't it have been easier just PM'ing a question rather than asking in a thread if you could PM a question? I'll answer any question as best I can but given your username, you might not get the answer you're looking for.

 

[east85]

Generally how long do they take to get back to applicants?

Is training online?

 

[TokenMac]

Finally got my first first call yesterday! Passed though to the next round pretty easily. Next interview will be mid September and expected start is in Nov. I am assuming in the next few months they will be hiring up with new iPhone, iOS 7, and the holidays all coming together.

 

[AppleJunkie86]

.

 

[4mrAHA]

I love my job and am here to tell you that the opportunities are endless for somebody that is willing to watch, listen, and learn. It really is what you make of it.

If you are offered a position, take it, then decide for yourself if the job is right for you. No amount of reading on this forum will match the experience itself.

I disagree with your statement that "It really is what you make of it". I went into the job willing to watch, listen and learn. I passed through training with flying colors and couldn't wait to get on the phones. Each day there were more challenges to overcome, which I did my best. I worked over the holidays, and they put me in the English speaking EMEA queue. We had a quickly assembled training session to handle those calls and then were dumped in the queue. Taking calls with only 9-10 seconds between calls, dealing with a totally different repair process, and then getting dinged for escalating to T2 became the norm for about 8 weeks straight.

Maybe if this had been my first job, or I had come from a previous call center environment, it would have been different. There would be nothing to compare it to. But I have over 20 years experience doing IT tech support (not resetting passwords or reinstalling iTunes), and it became very clear, very quickly, that this was not a technical support position, but customer service. That is fine for those who do well with that. It just wasn't for me.

My reason for posting in this forum is simply to share my experience in the AHA position and to give a realistic viewpoint from someone who has been there. And you are right "no amount of reading in this forum will match the experience itself". I still love my Apple devices, but am glad I don't have to support them!

 

[AngryGerbil]

But I have over 20 years experience doing IT tech support (not resetting passwords or reinstalling iTunes), and it became very clear, very quickly, that this was not a technical support position, but customer service.

I'm with you on that one. In the course of a year I've probably had 5 or 6 calls that were actually tech support. AHA is customer service.. no matter how far up the AHA food chain you get, you'll still be doing customer service.

If you like customer service, you're good to go. If you're like me and have a solid IT background the job will(most likely) prove to be disappointing. I'm still doing AHA but I'd much rather be back in a server room fixing an Apache install or something.

Tier 2 does get some stickier issues to deal with but it's more about knowing the idiosyncrasies of the logging software than it is solving a technical problem. I suppose the CPU queue is a but more technical in nature than iOS but ultimately, AHA is all about keeping Apple customers happy.

 

[rugbygirl]

question what kind of desk

Wondering what kind of desk i would need everywhere i have read has said they will tell us during training, but i would like to have it all set up by then, if anyone can let me know what you guys have and such that would be great.

 

[AppleCiderGuy]

Wondering what kind of desk i would need everywhere i have read has said they will tell us during training, but i would like to have it all set up by then, if anyone can let me know what you guys have and such that would be great.

you need a desk that has lots of leg room, is the correct height...arms parallel with top of keyboard surface with shoulders relaxed. no drawer in the middle. you can have a hutch, but only if your eyes are aligned with the top of the screen of your computer when all of the other stuff lines up correctly. they will go over it with you, so i'd wait just to make sure. chair is very important as well with alot of stipulations.

 

[famous600]

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[xquarkofborgx]

Wondering what kind of desk i would need everywhere i have read has said they will tell us during training, but i would like to have it all set up by then, if anyone can let me know what you guys have and such that would be great.

This is the desk I bought. Cheap and free shipping and it is perfect.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Glass-Computer-Desk/9193530

 

[JaxxBing]

Should have gotten the wooden L desk from Staples - only $50 and much larger.
See:

 

[rugbygirl]

Do you think something like this would work for a desk with the hutch? my friend is getting rid of hers http://www.staples.com/Altra-Chadwick-Collection-Corner-Desk-Nightingale-Black/product_918493