If they start checking my receipt at the door before I leave they can get stuffed.

They are alreday doing that here at the Jordan Creek store.

I'm not sure that it is for security as much as it is for image.

People will pay more for good service.

We've all heard of people who will never return to "XYZ" because they felt that they were ignored, insulted, or mistreated. 20 years later, three mergers, and two name changes and you still can't change thier minds.

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Guest wrote:
If they start checking my receipt at the door before I leave they can get stuffed.

Hah hah, no kidding. The worst offender is Sam's, Walton's, The Wholesale Club, whatever you wanna call it. They make sure you're a member before you even walk in. They won't let you buy if you're not a member, so what's the harm of letting you wander around if you're not already a member.

Anyway, I'm sure the concierge will occasionally be useful. I can't tell you how many times I've stood around just waiting to buy a $4k computer for my business while employees debate the merits of earbuds / inner ear phones. That being said, the Apple stores that have the guys with the roaming, wireless checkout are really rad. I love that service.

The past two or three times that I've gone into my favorite Apple Store, I've been pretty much ignored. Not a great feeling. The store is so darn busy it seems - on week nights there are two or three sales people giving training to One to One subscribers, five or six others already selling to customers, and the rest of the staff is at the cash register or at the Genius Bar.

I must say, I miss the days when I could walk into an Apple store and two or three staff members would be free to help me.

Having the concierge would be a very nice touch.

Apple stores have always had excellent service in IMO. A neighbor told me how much he appreciated the help he received when buying an iPod Touch for his daughter, and he may well go back and buy her the MacBook she wants (THE COMPUTER at my daughter's high school.) I feel a concierge will be a welcome addition to the Apple stores.

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and I'm surprised Apple took so long to implement it.

Actually Apple started rolling this service/position out more than a year ago. Perhaps not at every store, but my local place has had it for at least that long.

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Dreadnought wrote:
on week nights there are two or three sales people giving training to One to One subscribers...

FYI, those people conducting the training sessions aren't specialists (sales people), they're a separate job at the store, much like the Genius Bar staff. Most of the time their time is tightly scheduled around customers. Also, having them around doesn't detract from the rest of the staff scheduling, so having trainers on the floor doesn't mean having less sales folks.

"Concierge."

"Security."

Call it what you will. As long as it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy again, I'm for it.

A hand-dipped chocolate would be nice, too.

Let's just hope the Concierge I get isn't some emo girl with Rocky Raccoon eye makeup and a mohawk haircut. I could handle a nose ring, and maybe a few tats, but nothing more.

Are you listening, Apple?

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Dreadnought wrote:
The past two or three times that I've gone into my favorite Apple Store, I've been pretty much ignored. Not a great feeling. The store is so darn busy it seems...

I have noticed the change since the iPod use skyrocketed. More store space is dedicated to iPods and accessories and less to Mac software and books.

There is still a lot of Macs and Mac stuff, but the store staff is often younger and less Mac savvy than in the past.

I don't care if the Apple Store help is from an iGoth as long as he or she is knowledgeable, friendly, and I don't have to wait too long for the help.

Another position where Apple can take advantage of people. My friend works at an Apple store in Michigan. The store has two full time sales people, and something like 20 part time positions. It is hiring 20 more part time positions. Now an observant person might say, why does Apple just not hire more full time people? Surely, there are some Apple loyalists out there who would sign up in a heart beat. No such luck.

Apple doesn't like full time people because it doesn't want to pay benefits.

Personally I like to go into a store and look around myself. When I'm ready I'll contact or flag a sales associate (or whatever they want to call themselves).

However it usually doesn't work that way.
Either I walk into a store to just look and I'm hounded by eager sales associates.

When I want to get in and get something (fast) - there's no one around to help me and it takes forever to get what I want and get out.

C'est la vie.

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Terrin wrote:
Apple doesn't like full time people because it doesn't want to pay benefits.

This is in ALL retail shops, NOT just apple ! And that is the EXACT reason the customer service SUX, whether it be sales, service or checkout.....

It's because the part-timers that retailers hire have exactly ONE interest....picking up a friggin paycheck every week or 2, so they can go buy some more crak, tattooes, and baggy pants to compliment their utterly disgusting wardrobes!

Granted apple's dress code maybe a little more upscale, but the PT's still dont give a crap about you or your needs, as long as they get that crak money every Friday.......

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Anonymous wrote:

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Terrin wrote:
Apple doesn't like full time people because it doesn't want to pay benefits.

This is in ALL retail shops, NOT just apple ! And that is the EXACT reason the customer service SUX, whether it be sales, service or checkout.....

It's because the part-timers that retailers hire have exactly ONE interest....picking up a friggin paycheck every week or 2, so they can go buy some more crak, tattooes, and baggy pants to compliment their utterly disgusting wardrobes!

Granted apple's dress code maybe a little more upscale, but the PT's still dont give a crap about you or your needs, as long as they get that crak money every Friday.......

I often chat with the staff at the local Apple Store. Many of the part timers there are college students who don't have the time to put in 40 hours of work outside of their studies.

Well. I'm about to be the first concierge on one of the retail shops. Yes. It could be Part Time.. But I assure you, some of these positions can be turned full-time. depending on your way of working. It happens, though. Oh. And I'm no Goth, or emo, or better yet. NOT LABELED! lol. But I know that as long as I work as a Concierge, You will be greeted, degreeted and helped in as much as I can help you. I promise you that.

I too am starting as a concierge in the next couple of days. And really looking forward to dealing with the throngs of people this Christmas... Thats a whole lot of greeting!