Apple has slowed down its hiring of technical support Geniuses in some of its retail stores. Although Apple has not announced a hiring freeze, the Cupertino-based company has not filled some Genius positions vacated due to employee departures.
Apple Genius Positions Are Not Being Replaced
Bloomberg reported that Apple has not filled some Genius positions after workers’ departures. This has left several positions vacant at some Apple retail stores across the U.S. The report said that this led many people to believe Apple hopes to decrease staff from stores that are no longer as busy as before the pandemic. Interestingly, aside from leaving vacated positions open, the report stated Apple has even retracted previous verbal offers for some Genius roles.
As a refresher, the Genius role has been a part of Apple’s retail store hallmark since 2001. Apple has started eliminating the Genius Bar many locations, instead enlisting technical experts to roam around retail stores and serve customers’ technical needs.
Apple Outsources Mac Repair Services
Additionally, Bloomberg reported that Apple has contracted out much of its Mac repair service. The report said that repairs are now being done in remote depots. This usually happens when Apple Geniuses fail to fix Mac problems. Clearly, Geniuses are still vital when it comes to troubleshooting, managing product repair pickup, and providing general assistance in stores.
Aside from the slow down in hiring Geniuses, the report also mentioned the same about the hiring of Creative trainers. For the unfamiliar, these trainers are in-store staff who teach classes and help customers with projects. People with knowledge of the cutbacks stressed several concerns. These include growing problems in providing customer service and avoiding prolonged wait times at the retail stores.
Apple did not comment on the Bloomberg report. However, it still continues to advertise Genius positions on its website