Op-ed: Apple Store may be shifting from customer experience to profit machine

Op-ed: Apple Store may be shifting from customer experience to profit machine:

Amsterdam Apple Store, The Netherlands.

Apple, Inc.

Apple admitted it made a mistake when its new senior VP of retail John Browett slashed staffing levels just ahead of the busy holiday shopping season. But that doesn't necessarily mean Browett won't try to turn Apple's generally well-liked network of retail stores into clones of the near-universally reviled PC World and Curry's chains that Browett managed as CEO of Dixons Retail, according to a new report from ifoAppleStore. And he could be doing it with the full blessing of Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Sources speaking to ifoAppleStore claimed that some of the staffing issues that came to light earlier this month have indeed been reversed. Employees that had been laid off (despite Browett's claim to the contrary) have been rehired. However, overtime hours are still limited, and part-time employees are still only getting the minimum number of hours—as low as 10 per week. Employees that were demoted as part of the "new staffing formula" Browett tried to implement are also not getting their former job titles back.
What's worse, though, is that workshops and training sessions for customers appear to be cut down or eliminated entirely. Spaces devoted to demonstration and training areas are reportedly being filled with shelves for additional accessories, and sales specialists are being directed to increase sales of these miscellaneous items.
Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments


DIGITAL JUICE