Incredibly Bad Shopping Experience...

[contacos]

I HATE the Apple Store experience. I used to like it but nowadays it's like going for a doctor's appointment.

The guys standing by the entry are especially useless and of no help. I went 3 times recently and each time they would have sent me away and asked me to come back on another day. I simply ignored them and walked in and found myself a "Genius" and suddenly it was no problem at all.

I also hate the whole waiting by a table for them thing. It always makes me feel like I am unwanted, forgotten and then they start shouting names, looking for the person they are supposed to assist next. Totally inefficient.

Don't even get me started on their "support". Since they always leave you waiting by those tables, you hear a lot of their conversations with other customers cuz privacy who? and the things you hear them say ... Last time a Russian couple walked in and the guy had "issues" with Apple Pay on his Apple Watch and the "Genius" went through a list of trouble shooting, including asking him to reset his iPhone and Apple Watch without restoring from a backup to see if it helps. At this point I had enough and jumped in (while I was STILL waiting for someone to SHOUT out my name btw ...again, privacy who?) Sir, Apple Pay does not work with your Russian card because there are sanctions against Russia, try adding a non Russian card aaaaand here we go.

I don't even remember when it changed but back in the day, there was an actual genius bar with a counter that you checked in to on its own floor. Now it's all mixed together with people that only want to make a purchase. It's a true mess. I hate it.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I HATE the Apple Store experience. I used to like it but nowadays it's like going for a doctor's appointment.

The guys standing by the entry are especially useless and of no help. I went 3 times recently and each time they would have sent me away and asked me to come back on another day. I simply ignored them and walked in and found myself a "Genius" and suddenly it was no problem at all.

I also hate the whole waiting by a table for them thing. It always makes me feel like I am unwanted, forgotten and then they start shouting names, looking for the person they are supposed to assist next. Totally inefficient.

Don't even get me started on their "support". Since they always leave you waiting by those tables, you hear a lot of their conversations with other customers cuz privacy who? and the things you hear them say ... Last time a Russian couple walked in and the guy had "issues" with Apple Pay on his Apple Watch and the "Genius" went through a list of trouble shooting, including asking him to reset his iPhone and Apple Watch without restoring from a backup to see if it helps. At this point I had enough and jumped in (while I was STILL waiting for someone to SHOUT out my name btw ...again, privacy who?) Sir, Apple Pay does not work with your Russian card because there are sanctions against Russia, try adding a non Russian card aaaaand here we go.

I don't even remember when it changed but back in the day, there was an actual genius bar with a counter that you checked in to on its own floor. Now it's all mixed together with people that only want to make a purchase. It's a true mess. I hate it.

Interesting because my first and only time at an Apple Store was so bad, I vowed never to step foot in another one ever again. My experience pretty much mirrored yours. I made an appointment for 11am. I figured I would get attended to immediately, you know because I made an appointment.

I counted 3 people standing at the entrance chit-chatting. One of the employees at the entrance of the Mall asked me for the purpose of my visit. I said I had an appointment. I was told to go to the front of the store and wait at a table. Except the table already had 15 people crowded around this table like they were watching a Poker game taking place.

So I stood aside and patiently waited until several more people showed up to the same table with two Apple employees helping answer tech questions. I began to ask myself, am I at the right table? Meanwhile more employees from the backroom were bringing out products. So I barged my way in and told an employee I had an appointment. I was instructed to wait at a bar table at the front of the store, the width of the store. It took me close to 45 mins before I talked to someone for help and I had an appointment. Meanwhile the 3 at the entrance were still chit-chatting as I left.

I vowed NEVER to step foot in one of their lousy Stores ever again. It was so bad I was asked for a review and I gave them a terrible review, no one followed up from Apple.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

I don't even remember when it changed but back in the day, there was an actual genius bar with a counter that you checked in to on its own floor. Now it's all mixed together with people that only want to make a purchase. It's a true mess. I hate it.

I've noticed some of that difference on some days in the Apple Store at the Galleria in Roseville, California. On busy days there years ago, even with a lot of customers in the store, there seemed to be a little more sense of organization than now, in how customers were handled once they were handed off by the greeters. The greeters and others on the floor at my local store are still usually good at quickly seeing and approaching people who have just walked in looking for help, and knowing where to direct them, but usually you're directed to stand aimlessly waiting at an intake/help table until another worker is ready to see you. Sometimes the wait times are a little long on crowded days, which is to be expected I guess, but then I get the itch to wander a little to look at what's new, which I usually do once I'm in the store anyway, but while doing that I keep worrying if I'll lose my slot if whoever comes looking for me doesn't find me at the table, or if I don't hear my name called. I don't know of a better way to handle foot traffic in an Apple Store on a busy day, but I just seem to remember there might have been something more organized about how this was handled some years ago. Maybe I'm imagining that.

It's possible you're now asked to stand waiting at the intake/help table, rather than to remain seated at a Genius Bar, to actually encourage you to start wandering and looking at what's available. And/or Apple may have found people got more anxious sitting and waiting.

That said, I still get good service at my local Apple Store, and except for maybe one visit, the wait times for me haven't been excessive, even on busy days, when store employees seem to come out of the woodwork to handle the overflow.

 

[contacos]

I've noticed some of that difference on some days in the Apple Store at the Galleria in Roseville, California. On busy days there years ago, even with a lot of customers in the store, there seemed to be a little more sense of organization than now, in how customers were handled once they were handed off by the greeters. The greeters and others on the floor at my local store are still usually good at quickly seeing and approaching people who have just walked in looking for help, and knowing where to direct them, but usually you're directed to stand aimlessly waiting at an intake/help table until another worker is ready to see you. Sometimes the wait times are a little long on crowded days, which is to be expected I guess, but then I get the itch to wander a little to look at what's new, which I usually do once I'm in the store anyway, but while doing that I keep worrying if I'll lose my slot if whoever comes looking for me doesn't find me at the table, or if I don't hear my name called. I don't know of a better way to handle foot traffic in an Apple Store on a busy day, but I just seem to remember there might have been something more organized about how this was handled some years ago. Maybe I'm imagining that.

It's possible you're now asked to stand waiting at the intake/help table, rather than to remain seated at a Genius Bar, to actually encourage you to start wandering and looking at what's available. And/or Apple may have found people got more anxious sitting and waiting.

That said, I still get good service at my local Apple Store, and except for maybe one visit, the wait times for me haven't been excessive, even on busy days, when store employees seem to come out of the woodwork to handle the overflow.

I don't understand why you don't just get a number with your reservation or at the latest when you check in and a display somewhere in the store shows what numbers are up next so you don't worry if A, your check in was even registered and B that you haven't missed it or being forgotten. If they don't want to install some "distracting" displays, they could integrate a "current queue" system in the Apple Store app that you have only access to, once you have physically checked in, at the location.

They could actually send you a push notification when your number is up next. Would give you time to explore the store and you may even and up buying things you didn't really need instead of sitting by those tables, not moving and wondering when it is your turn. Win win for both sides

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I don't understand why you don't just get a number with your reservation or at the latest when you check in and a display somewhere in the store shows what numbers are up next so you don't worry if A, your check in was even registered and B that you haven't missed it or being forgotten. If they don't want to install some "distracting" displays, they could integrate a "current queue" system in the Apple Store app that you have only access to, once you have physically checked in, at the location.

They could actually send you a push notification when your number is up next. Would give you time to explore the store and you may even and up buying things you didn't really need instead of sitting by those tables, not moving and wondering when it is your turn. Win win for both sides

That or those with an appointment get priority. That's how most places do it. Appointments come first. Those without appointments are given a number and told to wait after those with appointments have been served. Here's another suggestion, why in the hell are there 3-4 people at the entrance chit-chatting instead of helping customers with support issues? One person should be enough. 🤓

 

[johnsawyercjs]

I don't understand why you don't just get a number with your reservation or at the latest when you check in and a display somewhere in the store shows what numbers are up next so you don't worry if A, your check in was even registered and B that you haven't missed it or being forgotten. If they don't want to install some "distracting" displays, they could integrate a "current queue" system in the Apple Store app that you have only access to, once you have physically checked in, at the location.

They could actually send you a push notification when your number is up next. Would give you time to explore the store and you may even and up buying things you didn't really need instead of sitting by those tables, not moving and wondering when it is your turn. Win win for both sides

Any or all of those things would work for me! Maybe Apple thinks it might make being in the store feel like being at the DMV and watching the big screens and listening for your number to be called, but I'm guessing Apple could come up with something more elegant that would still work.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

That or those with an appointment get priority. That's how most places do it. Appointments come first. Those without appointments are given a number and told to wait after those with appointments have been served. Here's another suggestion, why in the hell are there 3-4 people at the entrance chit-chatting instead of helping customers with support issues? One person should be enough. 🤓

Sounds good, and didn't Apple do things that way years ago?

The reason Apple wants more than one worker at the entrance is they don't want just one there talking to themselves, which would look weirder.

But to be serious, even if there's some reason for them to be there, like anticipating a number of customers walking in at the same time and needing direction simultaneously, I wonder if Apple realizes that those entranceway conversation klatches, which I've seen too, just look like employees who aren't performing any real function at the moment, and are just cluelessly hanging out away from the floor activity?

 

[jlc1978]

but usually you're directed to stand aimlessly waiting at an intake/help table until another worker is ready to see you.

The greeters are trying to space people out to avoid a bunch at one table, and employees are directed to the location when their turn comes up. If someone walks away from where they were asked to wait, the employee is wandering looking for them based on a description.

Most stores I've been to has 2 greeters, since they also taking reservations, asking some basic questions before sending someone to the Genius Bar, etc. Two people usually leave one open to greet people.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

The greeters are trying to space people out to avoid a bunch at one table, and employees are directed to the location when their turn comes up. If someone walks away from where they were asked to wait, the employee is wandering looking for them based on a description.

Most stores I've been to has 2 greeters, since they also taking reservations, asking some basic questions before sending someone to the Genius Bar, etc. Two people usually leave one open to greet people.

Sure, but sometimes when things are pretty busy in the store, so that I'm standing at the table for an unknown length of time, I start to get a little edgy, so I feel like spending my time more productively by wandering the store and poking at things. The ideas suggested by Heat_Fan89 above, with some kinds of alerts telling you when you're up, might help take the edge off waiting, and also allow some people to get some impulse shopping done.

In my local Apple Store, it's not unusual to sometimes see three or four employees conversing inside the store, just to one side of the entrance, and not seeming to be greeters, but you're not immediately sure. Maybe we shouldn't be concerned about this since they're just finding a way to have some conversation time with their fellow workers during the day, while still being on the floor if needed, but it still seems a little unprofessional and disorienting when you walk into the store, not immediately knowing if you're supposed to break up their conversation to get a greeter to help you, or whether you should wait few more seconds for someone who's actually working as a greeter at the moment.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

The greeters are trying to space people out to avoid a bunch at one table, and employees are directed to the location when their turn comes up. If someone walks away from where they were asked to wait, the employee is wandering looking for them based on a description.

Most stores I've been to has 2 greeters, since they also taking reservations, asking some basic questions before sending someone to the Genius Bar, etc. Two people usually leave one open to greet people.

And that's precisely what took place, an overly crowded table with people sitting in all the chairs and more people standing around the same table. I tried to be patient until I saw another 4 individuals show up to the table. By that time there were about 20 people huddled around that table and I had an appointment but how would an employee know that with all the chaos taking place? It was maddening to say the least. I expected more from an Apple Store, like actual organization, instead of what appeared to look like a giant free-for-all.

I was ready to leave but I had driven 40 mins to get there. There was absolutely ZERO organization. The whole thing looked like a Chinese Fire Drill and that's being disrespectful to a Chinese Fire Drill.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I loathe going to Apple Stores for any reason at all

They've been awful for over a decade now

Folks that weren't around for the beginning of the stores and the early years truly don't know what they are missing

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't buy much of anything in person.... what's the point? Apple has a great website, and you don't have to deal with anyone

If one has a question about an Apple toy, your time is better spent on MR, in my opinion.

 

[colodane]

The best Apple SHOPPING experience is their online store. You can get any current product easily configured to your liking and shipped quickly at no charge.

The physical Apple store is great for LOOKING at new products and for picking up orders from the online store.

 

[jlc1978]

I loathe going to Apple Stores for any reason at all

Fortunately, there is a solution - do everything online or over the phone.

They've been awful for over a decade now

Folks that weren't around for the beginning of the stores and the early years truly don't know what they are missing

I've been around since day 1 and find the experience to be fairly consistent; not always great but overall very good to great through the years. No store is perfect, every experience great, and every employee not an expert, but Apple certainly, IMHO, created a formula that works, as evidenced by their sales/sq ft numbers. If it were so horrible people wouldn't go there.

Of course, YMMV. HAND

 

[turbineseaplane]

I've been around since day 1 and find the experience to be fairly consistent;

It's nothing to do with consistency, it's a wildly different experience and support level now (way way lower) vs the early days.

It's mostly expected with the company ballooning in size since then, of course

They just can't hire and pay at the scale they'd need to in order to have very well informed, technically savvy staff.
It's also a retail position that isn't that interesting to many who'd be amazing to have as resources there.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

If it were so horrible people wouldn't go there.

And that became apparent to me because I will never step foot in one of their stores ever again.

 

[jlc1978]

It's nothing to do with consistency, it's a wildly different experience and support level now (way way lower) vs the early days.

I just haven't experienced that, but then again I generally don't need support beyond getting something fixed if I break it. When I do have a question, I have no problem getting a good answer.

It's mostly expected with the company ballooning in size since then, of course

That's always a challenge, but I think Apple has done it pretty well.

They just can't hire and pay at the scale they'd need to in order to have very well informed, technically savvy staff.
It's also a retail position that isn't that interesting to many who'd be amazing to have as resources there.

Yea, really good tech folks aren't going to do retail, but Apple doesn't really need them for what the store is designed to do; which is provide 1st level support for customers. They aren't there to get into deep analysis of specs, setting up a server, etc. Apple does have that support, but it's a whole different ballgame aimed at business customers.

From what I've seen, it's a pretty good retail job:

• Above average pay for retail
• Good benefits - medical, stock purchase/401k/options, PTO, etc.
• Education benefits

I suspect a long term employee, with stock alone, is doing pretty well for a retail job. Most of the ones I know have been there a long time, especially by retail standards.

 

[turbineseaplane]

@jlc1978

I'm glad you like the stores

If one is remotely informed, experienced with Apple products and tech savvy, they are completely useless if not infuriating experiences

I avoid going there at all costs

 

[Heat_Fan89]

@jlc1978

I'm glad you like the stores

they are completely useless if not infuriating experiences

I avoid going there at all costs

Totally agree. If it wasn't for the fact I drove 40 mins to the Store, I would have walked out as soon as I saw the crowded table I was told was the check-in area. The whole experience was a disaster and one I will never go thru again.

 

[jlc1978]

@jlc1978

I'm glad you like the stores

If one is remotely informed, experienced with Apple products and tech savvy, they are completely useless if not infuriating experiences

Well, I would consider myself " remotely informed, experienced with Apple products and tech savvy," and do not find them "completely useless if not infuriating experiences." I guess it depends on one's expectations and experiences; and that shapes one's opinions.

I avoid going there at all costs

Sounds like that works for you.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

I want an M4 Mac Mini so tonight I popped into my local yellow-and-blue Big Box electronics retailer. Walked to the Apple section and a sales rep approached me. I asked if he was their Apple guy... yep. I said I want to buy the new Mac Mini. Blank stare... he'd never heard of such a thing. He said I must mean an iPad Mini. I said nope, it's a desktop Mac. He said oh an iMac... I said nope. He said he'd never heard of a Mac Mini and he was sure they didn't sell them. Meanwhile there was a display model sitting on the table next to him -- which I used to determine they had no units in stock. I said thank you for the assistance, Apple guy. Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.

Sorry for wasting everyone's time with this stupid story but I had to share it with someone. Ugh.

There’s a reason they have the name “Worst Buy” all these years later.

 

[Rainshadow]

you might be expecting a bit much from minimum wage workers

That’s a joke. That’s a defeatist attitude scoffing at the abilities or cares of those in low wage jobs.

I worked minimum wage for years. It never ever occurred to me to not offer my full effort in any place of employment I found myself working at. Anyone who doesn’t is simply lazy or entitled. You agree to the wage before getting hired. I would consider any agreement I enter into to receive my best effort - not my life or soul - but certainly my best effort.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Never had a bad experience at Apple Store. I usually take appointments, check in, wait at designated area. In and out in 10-15 mins, had my AW6 replaced under AC. Genius Bar rep told me they will ship it and I should get it in 7 days. Apple shipped me back replacement in 4 days.

 

[jlc1978]

Never had a bad experience at Apple Store. I usually take appointments, check in, wait at designated area. In and out in 10-15 mins, had my AW6 replaced under AC. Genius Bar rep told me they will ship it and I should get it in 7 days. Apple shipped me back replacement in 4 days.

Sorta like my consulting approach. If I am fairly certain I can deliver a project in x weeks, I tell them x+2 weeks. That way I have a buffer I I run into. problem and when I deliver in 4 the client is happy.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Never had a bad experience at Apple Store. I usually take appointments, check in, wait at designated area. In and out in 10-15 mins, had my AW6 replaced under AC. Genius Bar rep told me they will ship it and I should get it in 7 days. Apple shipped me back replacement in 4 days.

It would have been nice if that was my experience but it was the total opposite. It was a certifiable poop-show and it's the one and only time I will step into one of their Stores.