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CONFESSIONS OF AN APPLE STORE EMPLOYEE: We Lie To Customers All The Time

Drag Bunt

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Apple store employees dream to be a genius. The coolest thing is to be at the Genius Bar, and the other Apple store employees work hard and sell hard because they want to be made a genius.

"Geniuses" vs "Geek Squaders" in a cage match - now that I would pay to watch.
 

writerranger

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FLASH: Mazda sales people are taught to sell Mazda!!!

I read the thing from the Apple Store employee the other day and thought, "What's new?" I mean, really, there's nothing new there. Any employee, at any retail store anywhere, could use the same language just filling in the blanks with their product, lines, etc.
 

zorah

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"Employees lie to customers" is the last statement made on the yahoo link, so how does this translate to the lead title then "We Lie to Customers All The Time"? No, maybe they lie SOMETIMES. Or some give incorrect information because they are clueless maybe? Some, not all?
Not very good writing anyway, lol! But still a fun read. I'm just pointing out that it's not a fluidly written title. And I don't know if I would call any of that stuff lying so much as I would call it some of the employees just flat out not knowing what the heck they're talking about. (which of course could be applied across the board to any retail store setting)
PS: I'm not saying this to you ThePhotog, this is aimed at the Yahoo article writer! :D
 
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Superbike81

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It's simply an expression. Have you never said "all the time" even though you don't really do it ALL THE TIME? They don't mean it literally. Kinda like "I have to tell him the same thing all the time and he still won't listen!"
 

zorah

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No, I know that-I wasn't disputing the expression so much as the writing style. As in the writer may as well have just said, we employees lie to customers ALL the time, in the main section point too-that's all-just congruent. May as well as be all sensationalistic the whole way was all I was getting at if they're writing such a piece.
 

col.bris

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I disagree with this on 3 levels. First no one knows about every product that is available in any store regardless if it's apple or a hardware store. With regard to Apple stores( owned. By Apple inc) you may not know but each employee must undertake not only on line training regarding products they sell but also attend training sessions on Apple and third party products. Within a store you will find 3 levels of sales staff the highest level will be have the highest knowledge of technical knowledge plus usually have been in it for some time. Then you get the second level whom are trained on certain products only such as iPhones and or iPods iPads etc. Or MacBook pros etc. The 3 rd level are usually trainee staff to fill in the holes look after customers and process orders if they need assistance in a specific area they go to the next level whom have more experience in that area.

My back ground is some 30 years with Apple and I have been in every level of retail sales including owning my own Apple Var business and I know what Apples requirements are for training regardless if it is an Apple store , Bestbuy, or a Var..

I agree some of the staff are geeks but that's ok some consumers love it. I also agree some staff in ANY store have no idea but you find they do not last long. The point I am making Apple has done a great job with their retail stores unfortunatley at the cost of many VARs. ( Valued added Resellers like myself ) it is working for Apple as they sell heaps of computers and iproducts and do very well thank you. If you do not like the experience of stores like Apple, Sony, and others then buy on line it is that simple. hope this is helpful to all of you...
 
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RAC

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This is not aimed at Apple Stores in particular, it is a universal comment on retail sales people.

I never ask "does it have whatever feature" because the answer will never be no even when it is the correct answer.

Research on the Web is your best defence, but even that is not foolproof. There is an example with the Apple web site in relation to the iPad, though I don't single Apple out on this.

It says that GPS is available on "WiFi + 3G". This can easily be misinterpretted as WiFi & 3G models, especially by European readers. Is this intentional? I think probably not.

It just shows that you purchase a product with certain expectations and find out what you actually got as you explore it's features.
 

Seadog

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Nine times out of ten, I know more than the sales person in the Apple store. Guess what, I also know more than the car dealers I see. Sales people are not hired for their expertise, but for looks and speaking ability. They also know that their chances to move up are enhanced by how good a job they do at selling. So they do what they think is necessary. I sometimes will help them out when I am in a store playing with the devices. If I see someone that is new to the system is standing next to me, I will give them an honest, but enthusiastic evaluation of what they are looking at. Many customers of my generation get put off by the youngsters technobabble, and hearing from someone closer to their world tell them how simple it is, can be a big help.
 

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