Thoughts on Angela Ahrendts.

[OptnShiftK]

1. The horrible experience in the store on April 10th, Apple store employees knowing very little of what was going on.

2. Ridiculous price of the gold watch

3. Only online orders for Apple Watch and Macbook.

4. Giving first preorders a window period of 4/24-5/8?!? Don't remember that happening for first batch of preorders.

4. One thing that really ticks me is that Apple/Angela are giving out Apple Watches to Celebrities. Some of whom don't even know how to wear the watch properly! (Ex: Red band upside down) Apparently they have enough to give out to celebrities... When ever new products have come out, everyone usually gets it on launch day, everyone is treated equally.

5. Why do Celebrities get different treatment and different bands that the general apple community can't buy? Are they trying to put us down by showing all these new bands that we can't buy? Can't even buy these bands at launch day...

Hiring Angela is one of the best moves apple has made in the time that I have been there. I think she is Apple as much as the rest of the executive staff.

to answer your points:
1) apple has always been secretive about their products, this includes retail employees. However, with apple watch there has been more preparation then any other product in recent memory. If you had a less then pleasant experience, that would be more of a reflection of that employee then of Angela.

2) She does not set the price of apple products, and to be quite frank, $10,000 is quite inexpensive for an 18K watch.


3) thats how iPad launches have happened. Its nothing new, however, its been quite improved on thanks to Angela

4) Apple has a history of under promising and over delivering.

4x2) Im sure PR/Marcom/Special Projects (Marketing & Communications) are responsible for giving those out. But if you dislike that apple watches were given out I'm sure you wouldnt be a big fan of us also providing 24/7 butlers who can make sure that the apple watch is being worn properly at all times.

5) I'm sure if you did something special like provide an album exclusively through iTunes which started a trend for other artist you would like the gesture too. stop being a sour puss

Its okay to vent. I get it, you want your watch just as i do. Be patient. Meditate. Ill come soon. But please stop the anger, maybe eat a snickers.

 

[yalag]

I would bang her

 

[ElctrcJellyfish]

I'm a little baffled as to how it's Angela's fault that there isn't stock in the stores. The only thing in her purview that I can see that would affect that is if she made the in-store customer experience so bad that everybody canceled their preorders.

It's her job to communicate supply-chain failures and manage the retail store in light of them.

I seriously doubt that Tim Cook just let her go and do her own thing. I seriously doubt that they said, "Hey, Angela, you figure out the demand curve and tell us how many watches you need, and if it's not enough, well, good bye!" All of this was part of a larger executive decision. If you don't like this, blame all the higher ups at Apple, not just her.

 

[yalag]

I'm a little baffled as to how it's Angela's fault that there isn't stock in the stores. .

DUDE, you gotta be completely blind to not realize that they completely fscked up the launch day by first declaring that the "Watch is coming on the 24th" and then finding out that there is no possible way to buy one on the 24th AND THEN changing all the websites to remove that line.

Wake up.

 

[jlmac17]

DUDE, you gotta be completely blind to not realize that they completely fscked up the launch day but first declaring that the "Watch is coming on the 24th" and then finding out that there is no possible way to buy one on the 24th AND THEN changing all the websites to remove that line.

Wake up.

So how is this bad? Are you saying they will lose customers? They sold all their initial batch, how's that bad for them?

 

[lk400]

The celebrity early access screams Beats. I expect we'll see a similar style of marketing for some products moving forward.

Soon we will even see glowing apple logos appear on props in Hollywood movies and television programs!

 

[jediuia]

I have been a huge apple fan boy for many years. Always get the new products on Launch day. But for some reason this time, I have an uneasy feeling of the whole process of getting an Apple Watch.

Everything from:

1. The horrible experience in the store on April 10th, Apple store employees knowing very little of what was going on.

2. Ridiculous price of the gold watch

3. Only online orders for Apple Watch and Macbook.

4. Giving first preorders a window period of 4/24-5/8?!? Don't remember that happening for first batch of preorders.

4. One thing that really ticks me is that Apple/Angela are giving out Apple Watches to Celebrities. Some of whom don't even know how to wear the watch properly! (Ex: Red band upside down) Apparently they have enough to give out to celebrities... When ever new products have come out, everyone usually gets it on launch day, everyone is treated equally.

5. Why do Celebrities get different treatment and different bands that the general apple community can't buy? Are they trying to put us down by showing all these new bands that we can't buy? Can't even buy these bands at launch day...

I feel like all these slight changes are all because of Angela Ahrendts. I want to appreciate that she is trying to make the Apple Watch a new luxury item that the super rich want. But I feel like its too much change and too much chaos that she is causing. I personally don't think Angela Ahrendts has done anything ground breaking at Apple besides rough a few feathers of the Apple Community...

Just my two cents...

Actually seeing Beyoncé wearing the watch makes me want it a little less, but I doubt she knows how to wind it on so I'm ok now.

 

[jlmac17]

Soon we will even see glowing apple logos appear on props in Hollywood movies and television programs!

Where have you been? I recall seeing Macbooks on shows like House. They are using Apple products current shows like Elementary.

 

[ElctrcJellyfish]

DUDE, you gotta be completely blind to not realize that they completely fscked up the launch day by first declaring that the "Watch is coming on the 24th" and then finding out that there is no possible way to buy one on the 24th AND THEN changing all the websites to remove that line.

Wake up.

There are two questions.

1. Is it bad that there isn't stock in the stores?
2. Whose fault is it that there isn't stock in the stores?

Your point goes to #1. Now explain how it's Angela's fault. Dude.

 

[alia]

Obviously I know it won't affect me from getting my watch but just the fact that with every product they launch, everyone gets it on launch day. They should be treated like everyone else. They should not be privileged to get it earlier. All of us on this forum were waiting and constantly checking to see when Apple Watch will come out. Apple should first be loyal to its fans.

You are completely naive if you think no celebrities get advanced iPhones/ipads/macbooks... they have since the beginning. Stephen Colbert would flaunt them. He took an unreleased iPad to the Grammys one year.

 

[Rogifan]

DUDE, you gotta be completely blind to not realize that they completely fscked up the launch day by first declaring that the "Watch is coming on the 24th" and then finding out that there is no possible way to buy one on the 24th AND THEN changing all the websites to remove that line.

Wake up.

How is any of this Angela's fault? She doesn't set product launch dates and she isn't responsible for supply chain.

Wake up.

 

[iamMacPerson]

I think Angela is doing a much better job then her predecessor. The whole retail experience started going into the toilet after Ron Johnson left and it's just now starting to pick up and I think a big part of that was because of Angela.

 

[applesith]

I think she is doing a good job considering the supply constraints. This seems to be more of a supply chain issue. I'd blame that on the COO.

 

[Rogifan]

*lack of communication between supply and retail staff
*no display model in store for macbook
*no hand-on experience with apple watch before pre-order starts.

Have you ever had hands on experience with an iPhone or iPad before pre-orders start? No. Were you required to pre-order before you tried on a watch? No. Even if try-ons started a week before pre-order many people still wouldn't have their watch by the 24th. Also many Apple stores did have display models for the MacBook. I'm not sure why some didn't/don't but that's hardly something she should be flogged over.

 

[alia]

I think she is doing a good job considering the supply constraints. This seems to be more of a supply chain issue. I'd blame that on the COO.

Yeah, I don't see anyone cursing Jeff Williams' name!

 

[Paulshaqz]

I think she kinda lied a tad saying most people who got 4/24-5/08 dates are gonna get them on Friday since I still haven't seen a charge/email confirmation.

 

[yalag]

How is any of this Angela's fault? She doesn't set product launch dates and she isn't responsible for supply chain.

Wake up.

She decides what happens to the retail store at launch day. She told people to come to the store on the 24th and then decided to backtrack. So she ****ed up up big time.

Open your eyes.

 

[applesith]

Yeah, I don't see anyone cursing Jeff Williams' name!

Of course not. The guys on here bashing Angela are probably the same ones who make post after post about "is the blue watch band or gold macbook too feminine for me?"

So many insecure guys on here that can't handle seeing an established and successful woman run part of their beloved Apple.

 

[alia]

I think she kinda lied a tad saying most people who got 4/24-5/08 dates are gonna get them on Friday since I still haven't seen a charge/email confirmation.

Wasn't that an internal e-mail to the employees of Apple? How is that misleading the customer?

 

[ElctrcJellyfish]

She decides what happens to the retail store at launch day. She told people to come to the store on the 24th and then decided to backtrack. So she ****ed up up big time.

Open your eyes.

If you honestly think that the only person at fault here is Angela Ahrendts, I really have to question your judgment. Do you honestly think she said to the operations people, "Naw, let's not have stock in the store, but tell people to buy the Watch there--our customers LOVE that. WHAT A GREAT JOKE. Just shoot off enough of these things for the online preorders and we're good?"

It looks to me like she's been handed the short end of the stick and is the one who has to deliver bad news. Only someone with the analytical capacity of mildewed dry wall says that because she's the messenger, we'd all be better off if we shot her quickly.

Any miscalculations here are the fault of the entire top of the organization, not just Angela.

 

[pavanluvin]

Of course not. The guys on here bashing Angela are probably the same ones who make post after post about "is the blue watch band or gold macbook too feminine for me?"

So many insecure guys on here that can't handle seeing an established and successful woman run part of their beloved Apple.

I recall plenty of bad experiences with the retail experience during product launch (including my stories of waiting in line in the rain overnight multiple times, not to get the product I wanted to buy);yet I don't recall any post naming the head of retail as responsible for this, including the disastrous John Browett.

I think you're calling her out because she's a woman.

If anything, I have found the experience less stressful, not feeling pressured to stand in line to get the product faster; and having a chance to try out the product before it's released, etc...
The process is not quite what it could be yet, but I like some of those experiments.
The product launches were broken, it's been largely documented that these past few years, most of the people standing in line were feeding the black market, while people really interested in the product had a hard time getting their hands on one; I like that they try to fix it.

be careful, any negative view on Angela here people will accuse you of hating women.

my thoughts on her?? Well, I have none, what I have is utter hatreds on how the the Macbook and Apple pre-order have been handled.

and since she is in charge of of retail, I guess I don't like her either.

I don't know where you guys get off by saying that it has to do anything by her being a women?!?! WAKE UP IT'S 2015! HILARY CLINTON IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT!

It has nothing to do with being a Women... You guys are living in medieval times.

 

[balzmcfearson]

Soon we will even see glowing apple logos appear on props in Hollywood movies and television programs!

Giving celebrities early access to unreleased hardware is a bit different than unsponsored product placement.

 

[Paulshaqz]

Wasn't that an internal e-mail to the employees of Apple? How is that misleading the customer?

Yeah it was kinda figured it was all the same plus I'm just getting impatient.

 

[Knowimagination]

This thread has made me incredibly aware of the fact that a lot of people have no idea what Angela Ahrendts job actually is...

 

[jaydee24601]

I would’ve gone with Lansbury or Cartwright!