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Do apple employees get paid commission?
- Thread starter Cole JM
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Apple employees do not make commission. They are underpaid employees that are part of the cult.
Truest description I've read!
I know it's retail, but considering the gluttonous profits Apple makes, they really should pay their employees more.
Why? It's a retail job. From what I've seen their wages are completely comparable to other retail wages in the store's respective area. Even if Apple Retail employees as a whole demanded higher wages they would just be fired; because Apple knows it has thousands of other sheep to fill the ranks that are willing to work at "just" the going rate for the "distinction" of being an Apple retail employee.
Why? Should all employees be paid based on how profitable a company is? Should a well paid employee then be expected to take a pay cut because management made some crummy decisions?
If you've lived in a capitalist society (at least one in US), you are paid based on the usualy supply and demand. Because there are loads of "kids" lined up ready to stand arround chatting to customers, you will be paid based on at least minimum wage plus as little they can get away with. "Profit sharing" is usually reserved to the upper tier "white collar" workers where their skills are in high demand. Because you want to keep that worker happy so that they don't "jump ship" and hence you will have to bring the new highly skilled worker up to par with the original (who knew the ins and outs of the work). If you "cut an important (well paid) employee's pay", you better make sure that it's worth the risk of potentially losing that employee. It happens though...as well as complete lay-offs.
If they got paid commission I'd work there in a heartbeat. I used to make a ton on commission at Circuit City before they ended that in 2003ish 
Plus whats with all the Apple bashing? If you talk to people who actually work for Apple they claim its one of the best companies to work for.
Plus whats with all the Apple bashing? If you talk to people who actually work for Apple they claim its one of the best companies to work for.
Yep.... know all that. My question was to the Queen of Spades, who seems to think that what an employee is paid should be tied to the profit margin of a company...... we need a smiley for "indignant snort, with a touch of righteousness", eh?
The only thing I notice that's distinguishes Apple retail employees apart from others is perhaps that they seem to be "better looking" on average...perhaps rivaled by the "makeup counter" employees. This may have something to do with the "fad" of working at Apple from a young hipster so they have the most applicants to choose from. And in sales, good looking ppl help make sales so.
What some ppl confuse about corporations is that they think that corps really actually "take care of the employees". Corps "take care of" the shareholders. Employees are just a tool to make profits. And as with any tool, you try to get the best tool for the best bargain. And no better example of this was demonstrated in the recent "Great Recession"!
Memory is pretty hazy but I'm 90% sure I got paid commission for selling items when I worked for AppleCare phone support...
...which I hated. I hated that we were massively pushed to sell hardware (we were expected to make a minimum $ value every week). I found incredibly offensive to the customer that an everyday scenario was:
Support: Sorry sir, you're ATV really does seem buggered, and as you dont have AppleCare Protection Plan, you are no longer covered by warranty...
Customer: $&^*&&*
Support: Yeah....By the way, want to buy another one?
I mean, how would you feel if you rang up a phone helpline with a hardware problem with no solution, and then asked to buy a new one?
I had no problems selling to people who rang up with inquiries and wanted to buy there and then. I remember fondly the day I sold a pretty much a top of the range mac pro to a guy in the UK.
...which I hated. I hated that we were massively pushed to sell hardware (we were expected to make a minimum $ value every week). I found incredibly offensive to the customer that an everyday scenario was:
Support: Sorry sir, you're ATV really does seem buggered, and as you dont have AppleCare Protection Plan, you are no longer covered by warranty...
Customer: $&^*&&*
Support: Yeah....By the way, want to buy another one?
I mean, how would you feel if you rang up a phone helpline with a hardware problem with no solution, and then asked to buy a new one?
I had no problems selling to people who rang up with inquiries and wanted to buy there and then. I remember fondly the day I sold a pretty much a top of the range mac pro to a guy in the UK.
Haha, hardly think so. It might not be the worst retail job in the world, but it certainly isn't the best. While there is horror stories for every retail company out there, Apple is especially anal with things that make employees' lives more difficult. Especially if you are a Genius..
I've worked in a few retail companies, and I'd avoid working for Apple. I loved selling Macs in an authorised reseller, but I could never bring myself to be part of the bs 'cult' - such as clapping and cheering because they now sell iPad 2s, or being so fakely happy to every customer. There is being kind to customers, and there's what Apple expects it's employees to do - retail is crap as it is.
They're probably contractually obligated to say that... just knowing how Apple operates, anyway.
I've been surprised at how little Apple employees try to sell me anything.
I went into a store to buy my MBP the other day and was soon approached by a nice salesman. I asked if they had an MBP with X features. He said, "yeah, we do." We chatted a while about other stuff and after a while I asked, "so, do I go to the front and order it?" He said, "Oh, you want to buy it now?"
What did he think I was in there to do!? Well, I've encountered a similar attitude in other locations. It's actually quite refreshing when compared to someplace like PC Richards and Son (don't shake my hand and talk me up! I don't want to hear about your store history and philosophy!). That place is a cult.
Anyhow, nice experiences all around as a customer. And, of course, Apple stores are just a joy to go into in the first place
I went into a store to buy my MBP the other day and was soon approached by a nice salesman. I asked if they had an MBP with X features. He said, "yeah, we do." We chatted a while about other stuff and after a while I asked, "so, do I go to the front and order it?" He said, "Oh, you want to buy it now?"
What did he think I was in there to do!? Well, I've encountered a similar attitude in other locations. It's actually quite refreshing when compared to someplace like PC Richards and Son (don't shake my hand and talk me up! I don't want to hear about your store history and philosophy!). That place is a cult.
Anyhow, nice experiences all around as a customer. And, of course, Apple stores are just a joy to go into in the first place
Apple Stores blow me away.
You're probably all used to that sort of service in the US but to have people this friendly in the UK is a joy
Very well trained staff.
You're probably all used to that sort of service in the US but to have people this friendly in the UK is a joy
Very well trained staff.
Apple Stores blow me away.
You're probably all used to that sort of service in the US but to have people this friendly in the UK is a joy
Very well trained staff.
LOL. Used to good service in the US? Only if you can get people off the phone, catch their attention while they are texting, or get them to stop gossiping with one another (seems to be surprisingly widespread--men and women of all ages).
The Apple shops in Japan and the US, besides being cool places, usually have friendly staff. Strangely, I have not been as impressed by the kiosk staff in Best Buy in the US and their counterparts in Japan. My guess is that training is run differently for Apple store and Apple kiosk staff.
I've been surprised at how little Apple employees try to sell me anything.
I went into a store to buy my MBP the other day and was soon approached by a nice salesman. I asked if they had an MBP with X features. He said, "yeah, we do." We chatted a while about other stuff and after a while I asked, "so, do I go to the front and order it?" He said, "Oh, you want to buy it now?"
What did he think I was in there to do!? Well, I've encountered a similar attitude in other locations. It's actually quite refreshing when compared to someplace like PC Richards and Son (don't shake my hand and talk me up! I don't want to hear about your store history and philosophy!). That place is a cult.
Anyhow, nice experiences all around as a customer. And, of course, Apple stores are just a joy to go into in the first place
...I wouldn't go that far, especially the stores in my town (London)
Not sure what it likes in the weekday when young folks are at school, but visiting an Apple store on the weekend can often be one big frenzy! hoards of people, mainly young teens just hanging about surfing the net and watching youtube and music vids. Its enough to put me off from entering the store...Gee I sound like a moany old git...i'm not honest
I do all my apple shopping online, which is another reason you'll never see me line up outside for a product release.
...I wouldn't go that far, especially the stores in my town (London)
Not sure what it likes in the weekday when young folks are at school, but visiting an Apple store on the weekend can often be one big frenzy! hoards of people, mainly young teens just hanging about surfing the net and watching youtube and music vids. Its enough to put me off from entering the store...Gee I sound like a moany old git...i'm not honest
I do all my apple shopping online, which is another reason you'll never see me line up outside for a product release.
There are bums in there or homeless ppl who go there to use the computers. They smell pretty bad.
Completely inaccurate to what a Specialist is paid. The Apple Store Leader Program is designed for a future Apple Store Leader.
http://www.apple.com/jobs/us/leaderprogram.html
They're not contractually obligated to say that, lol, but like someone else mentioned, there are thousands of individuals interested in becoming part of the cult.
If you look at an Apple store in the month of January and then check back in the month of December you will see the majority of the staff is completely new.
Apple USED to pay their employees well, years ago, but they are screwing their highly talented individuals over.
Apple prides itself in saying they hire the highest caliber of people, but do you hear them say anything about a competitive pay package?! You really can't compare Apple to any other retailer. Their employees are expected to do so much for so little.
It's really disappointing "crapple" is gone, the majority of it's content was right on target!
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
People really don't know what they're talking about until they're in the shoes of those individuals that work there.
It is VERY political, like every thing else out there.
http://www.apple.com/jobs/us/leaderprogram.html
They're not contractually obligated to say that, lol, but like someone else mentioned, there are thousands of individuals interested in becoming part of the cult.
If you look at an Apple store in the month of January and then check back in the month of December you will see the majority of the staff is completely new.
Apple USED to pay their employees well, years ago, but they are screwing their highly talented individuals over.
Apple prides itself in saying they hire the highest caliber of people, but do you hear them say anything about a competitive pay package?! You really can't compare Apple to any other retailer. Their employees are expected to do so much for so little.
It's really disappointing "crapple" is gone, the majority of it's content was right on target!
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
People really don't know what they're talking about until they're in the shoes of those individuals that work there.
It is VERY political, like every thing else out there.
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i have had good and bad experiences in apple stores, but to be honest i only remember the bad ones!!
1. question to staff member, can i find the imei number for my iphone in itunes. answer 'no sorry u can't'
i then googled the question and got the answer!!! OMG, how hard was that!!!
(OK i was on holiday at the time and lost my iphone and had no internet connection until i went to the apple store)
2. after purchasing an apple accessory at £19.99 that wasn't suitable i had to return it.
i returned to store with the item, its packaging, my receipt and my penny change. i explained the situation and the assitant was very helpful in giving me my refund. however, he refused to take the penny and insisted that he give me £19.99 from the till. i tried to explain that if he took the penny and put it in the till he could give me a £20 note. he told me that the till wouldnt let him do this and he had to give me the proper amount of the refunded on £19.99. i explained the situation again and even slower and yet he could not understand.
MUPPET!!!
1. question to staff member, can i find the imei number for my iphone in itunes. answer 'no sorry u can't'
i then googled the question and got the answer!!! OMG, how hard was that!!!
(OK i was on holiday at the time and lost my iphone and had no internet connection until i went to the apple store)
2. after purchasing an apple accessory at £19.99 that wasn't suitable i had to return it.
i returned to store with the item, its packaging, my receipt and my penny change. i explained the situation and the assitant was very helpful in giving me my refund. however, he refused to take the penny and insisted that he give me £19.99 from the till. i tried to explain that if he took the penny and put it in the till he could give me a £20 note. he told me that the till wouldnt let him do this and he had to give me the proper amount of the refunded on £19.99. i explained the situation again and even slower and yet he could not understand.
MUPPET!!!
I think it's important to understand that Apple itself is successful because it makes products that ppl like. That's the CORE of the business. When you think about it, the Apple Store is just like any other store, be it Best Buy, PC Richards, etc. but it just sells and markets Apple products. They don't "make" anything there. As a matter of fact, you prolly need a better quality salesperson in that other stores because they have both Apple products and all the rest so you need more knowledge, memory, etc. If you want to be part of the big business of Apple and be one of the "quality employees", you go get a computer science / engineering degree and work up the ladder from there. Or defect from Intel or Dell or some other place that actually makes electronics/computers. They aren't going to treat you with any significance if you're a store employee. They are a dime a dozen.