iPhone X So, a man walks into an Apple store.....

[stafil]

That's bullsh*t, I had the same experience when I went past Wed to buy a phone with a friend of mine. They made us wait in a line outside the store for more than 30minutes. The line was only 4 people long, but their selling rate was extremely slow. If you wanted to buy anything else(I got a charger for my macbook) you were in and out in less than 5 minutes. For the iPhone XS the process was much lengthier for some reason and could only be handled by 2 of the tens of employees.

My take is that they artificially try to create the impression that there is high demand. Despite the facts saying otherwise; never before I could have imagined you can find a newly launched phone available in the apple store the week after the launch.

 

[dstew201]

...

My god man. I used to wait in line outside of an AT&T store for 18 hours to get an iPhone on launch day.

But, why???? It's a nice device, but not essential..


Full disclosure here, I've stood in line for 8 hours for the first iPad, just for the experience, would never do it again!! And definitely not a badge of honor.

 

[AppleHaterLover]

That's bullsh*t, I had the same experience when I went past Wed to buy a phone with a friend of mine. They made us wait in a line outside the store for more than 30minutes. The line was only 4 people long, but their selling rate was extremely slow. If you wanted to buy anything else(I got a charger for my macbook) you were in and out in less than 5 minutes. For the iPhone XS the process was much lengthier for some reason and could only be handled by 2 of the tens of employees.

My take is that they artificially try to create the impression that there is high demand. Despite the facts saying otherwise; never before I could have imagined you can find a newly launched phone available in the apple store the week after the launch.

If you can't find the phone, then it's supply chain mismanagement, let's hang Tim Cook on the wall of shame.

If you can find plenty (even if it's selling millions just like last year), then the device flopped, they overestimated demand, and then it's also supply chain mismanagement, let's hang Tim Cook on the wall of shame.

 

[Diorama]

I THINK he simply did not want to stand around for 30 mins! Why couldn't they (Apple) provide a ticket, number, whatever, so he could come back at the alloted time, and retain his place???
And if he came back 30 mins too late, well then out of luck...

The customers who come back late and are ‘our of luck’ cause a lot of trouble. Its not worth it for Apple to deal with this. It’s also hard to predict accurately exactly when it will be possible to serve you, things happen, as I’ve explained in my unread previous posts.

 

[dstew201]

The customers who come back late and are ‘our of luck’ cause a lot of trouble. Its not worth it for Apple to deal with this. It’s also hard to predict accurately exactly when it will be possible to serve you, things happen, as I’ve explained in my unread previous posts.

Understood, but I if they were to explain to the customer if they're not back within the 30 min timeframe with their TICKET, then yea.... "too bad,so sad!". It's still based on first come first serve (via numbered ticket) AND I have the option to freely roam and not feel chained to the store.

I've seen this done a number of times during black friday sales... Apple can institute a policy, but they choose not to, in order to perpetuate this mystic that you're getting the privilege to bask in their aura! Please! Also, with the hopes that you'll find something else to drop ya heard earned $$$ on!

Yes, as you can tell I have a problem with companies inconveniencing me while trying to take my $$$$$!!

 

[adammull]

People buy things in person at Apple stores? Weird.

 

[archer75]

We reserve a time slot online and then just go in at that time. Pretty easy.

 

[dstew201]

We reserve a time slot online and then just go in at that time. Pretty easy.

Interesting, so how is that different than reserving it in person??

 

[Diorama]

People buy things in person at Apple stores? Weird.

So you are saying you never visit physical stores of any kind?

 

[1144557]

So you are saying you never visit physical stores of any kind?

Twice here total; zero by choice. Once for Genius Bar swap maybe 5 years ago and one to pick up a 7 Plus when ATT preorder got screwed up.

Who wants to stand in the herd and lines if you dont have to?

 

[archer75]

Interesting, so how is that different than reserving it in person??

You don't have to stand there and wait.

 

[Diorama]

Twice here total; zero by choice. Once for Genius Bar swap maybe 5 years ago and one to pick up a 7 Plus when ATT preorder got screwed up.

Who wants to stand in the herd and lines if you dont have to?

I mean any physical stores. Supermarket, Best Buy, liquor store.

 

[dstew201]

You don't have to stand there and wait.

LOL... Good one!

 

[m0sher]

People buy things in person at Apple stores? Weird.

I know exactly what you mean. ROFL

I only go in there to get service on the phone that isn’t working properly otherwise all my purchases are done online or through the Apple App Store directly.

With AppleCare going into a store is much better than any Samsung alternative.

The wait time is definitely an inconvenience but it’s not the end of the world. The people are generally nice and willing to help you once they do give you their attention.

 

[davedvdy]

Understood, but I if they were to explain to the customer if they're not back within the 30 min timeframe with their TICKET, then yea.... "too bad,so sad!". It's still based on first come first serve (via numbered ticket) AND I have the option to freely roam and not feel chained to the store.

I've seen this done a number of times during black friday sales... Apple can institute a policy, but they choose not to, in order to perpetuate this mystic that you're getting the privilege to bask in their aura! Please! Also, with the hopes that you'll find something else to drop ya heard earned $$$ on!

Yes, as you can tell I have a problem with companies inconveniencing me while trying to take my $$$$$!!

I'm kinda torn on this one. I see both sides, really. What they do seems the best mix though.
You're basically holding your place in a line without standing in a physical line, but they need you there when called.

At least you have free reign of the store instead of physically standing in one place in a line the whole time outside of the store.

 

[dstew201]

At least you have free reign of the store instead of physically standing in one place in a line the whole time outside of the store.

LOL, Marketing 101....the longer they keep you in the store the higher chance you'll tack on more purchases...

I forgot this IS a trillion dollar company!!!

 

[Krayzkat]

I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything in an Apple store, although I’ve been to plenty on my worldly travels.

Why does it take so long to buy an iPhone in the Apple stores? Isn’t just a case of finding a member of staff, tell them what you want, they check their little iPod touch/ card scanner thingies to check stock, they go collect the item from the stock room, then you pay and go home. Could even do 2 customers at once to save time going to the stock room and back.

 

[ET iPhone Home]

egged on by his wife, who insists she buy him a new iPhone XS for his significant birthday. They look at the phones and play with them. They notice there are very few staff about, but lots of people just standing around as if waiting for a bus. They decide to approach the member of staff who is manning (womaning in this case) the front door. She explains to them that to buy the XS, they have to be given a time slot. They are given a time slot of half an hour from now, and it will expire half an hour after that. Fair enough, so we say we will go and do some more shopping and return at the allotted time. She says if we leave the store we will not be seen when we return. WTF! So now they realise why all the people are standing around, apparently not waiting for a bus, but waiting to give Apple heaps of cash. We are not happy with this Apple attitude and told the staff member to cancel the appointment and left the store.
Now I must tell you that I am an Apple person. All our tech is Apple, if at all possible. We like Apple products and are (usually) prepared to pay some of the extortionate costs involved in having those products. But you know what, that experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I would sell all our Apple kit and go over to the other side. Or would I?
I wonder if all those iSheep are all still herded together in the store? And yes, I am probably an iSheep as well.

After reading your story, I wonder if it's all for "marketing". Keeping the people in the store, preventing them from leaving by cancelling their appointment if they do, as onlookers pass-by make the store look busier than it really is. The majority of people in the store are really just waiting around.

 

[m0sher]

I thought this thread title was going to start with “ So a man walks into a Apple store with a priest and a rabbi......”

 

[dstew201]

I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything in an Apple store, although I’ve been to plenty on my worldly travels.

Why does it take so long to buy an iPhone in the Apple stores? Isn’t just a case of finding a member of staff, tell them what you want, they check their little iPod touch/ card scanner thingies to check stock, they go collect the item from the stock room, then you pay and go home. Could even do 2 customers at once to save time going to the stock room and back.

Because if they did that, it would reduce them to being another "box store".... It's all part of the experience...

 

[5105973]

Did you at least get a birthday cake?

 

[Apple_Robert]

Much ado about nothing.

 

[predation]

How-to-run-a-business-101.....

Create an artificial crowd to make your business look more busy.

I do it at my clubs all the time.

 

[Steve686]

But, why???? It's a nice device, but not essential..


Full disclosure here, I've stood in line for 8 hours for the first iPad, just for the experience, would never do it again!! And definitely not a badge of honor.

Because these (iPhone, 3G, 3GS) were the first real “change the game” iPhones and that was the only way to get one on launch day.

Standing in line for “the experience” or a “badge of honor” is not what it was about for me. It was about what I referred to in an earlier post i wrote in this thread....Will and Desire.

Since that time our culture has gotten very used to click on demand in every facet of life. We get our news instantaneously. We shop with overnight deliveries a click away. People take pictures and post online with immediate validation. And of course we voice our problems or displeasures with Apple products here on a forum with very quick social interaction/solutions. What we are has become a very impatient and entitled culture that can’t simply accept the fact that some things in life are going to take a precious tick-tock on our prized Apple Watches and our daily lives.

Fact is, even if the Apple representative told the OP not to leave, he and his wife could have left, shopped for about twenty minutes, then returned to the Apple store and taken a shot at seeing a specialist in their original 30 minute time frame. One thing that doesn’t make sense is the Apple specialist telling the OP that their time slot reservation expires 30 minutes after the original 30 minute window. If that didn’t work, they were originally originally not going to wait regardless.

Why would she say this if she is going to tell them not to leave the Store? She essentially gave them 60 minutes. I mean, what is going to happen. They call your name and you are going to walk around or wait in the store for another 30 minutes? No. Everyone waiting is watching the iPad carrying associate and listening for their name to be called as they also group you in a somewhat specific area/line in the store while you wait.

 

[Q-Dog]

My nearest apple store is over an hour away. Easy ro just order online and it shows up the next day or so.