elmorfudwell's Profile

As an Apple store employee, I can say that I share in the frustrations that are being written about here. Though in our store, I think that we do a good job in recognizing a customer as they enter, something that I've often wondered about. There have been some cases, after a shopper enters, where I've heard two or three successive "howduya doos". I've wondered if the person felt overwhelmed. They do have a tendency to acquire a very sheepish look. My impression is that they want to look. Switchers have a tendency to look embarrased. With regard to the registers, our store just doesn't have it going, and it's my feeling that it pervades across the locations. There are just not enough registers to take into account the customers that sometines have stood in line for up to ten minutes (major promotions like the iPod3 garnered such lines.) Honestly, I'm surprised that we have not lost more sales, might have. Though I suppose a line of customers is better than no line. I know of several instances that another register has been requested and rebuffed. After awhile, I've found it's better to leave it (the topic) alone. Along the same idea of register, is the telephone, could they have been placed in a worse location? As one person is trying to ring up a client, the phone will ring. It becomes a balancing act trying to maintain access to the keyboard while dancing out of the way of a person answering a call, not to mention breaking up the service and attention being given to the person standing in line. Going back to the original topic, I wonder if Greg and others might've entered the store right after opening and seeing a group of people gathered? One of our daily procedures is a Daily Download. I've seen this played out more times than I had wished. The download begins for the opening staff just minutes before the doors swing open. I've seen many customers walk in, see a mass of orange shirts standing together, and kinda look "why are they not ready for business?" To me this is extremely bad taste on Apple's part. One of the staff always turns around and does a howduya doo! Though it doesn't excuse our bad manners. If the download is of that much importance, which from the actions that I've seen it is supposed to be, then why is it not performed before opening so that the manager has our full attention, gives us our goals, and discusses notable topics. Bumfuzzles me why wait to do this as just as doors open, phones ring, and customers request the excellent customer service we are expected to perform. I've learned to keep quite, suggestions are not appreciated. From my experience in retail, it's paramount to be ready to do business as the door openes, period. Trust me, this is a hot button for me. All in all, I think that these topics need to be discussed. Hopefully, someone at Apple corporate will take notice.