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The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

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Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#101

Post by bobbles »

pud wrote: post #56

The kids knew sign language? The kids went and bought stuff (incl laptops) at multiple stores? And wasn't there a long line at Apple? How'd they make it to so many other stores? The kids physically go to the store to buy school computers? The kids are such good actors that they fooled the author & all other salespeople? A teacher would actually allow kids to pretend that they're disabled? No bulk discount or pre-arra…

And just who were these mysterious evil people that apparently hate deaf kids..

ed: woop my bad, you covered that

Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#102

Post by dmlorenzetti »

ebbv wrote: post #93
pud wrote: post #56

The kids knew sign language? The kids went and bought stuff (incl laptops) at multiple stores? And wasn't there a long line at Apple? How'd they make it to so many other stores? The kids physically go to the store to buy school computers? The kids are such good actors that they fooled the author & all other salespeople? A teacher would actually allow kids to pretend that they're disabled? No bulk discount or pre-arra…

I had the exact same reaction. This story has all the telltale signs of typical internet fiction trying to pass as a real story. Lack of details (no names of the school, teacher, etc., no date) combined with an implausible "this doesn't happen to anyone" story line is the biggest giveaway. It's unfortunate that people are so eager to believe a happy story that they will suppress their bullshit detectors. The truth is…

Admittedly in a few regards the story sounds not-quite-right. However I think if it was "typical internet fiction" then it wouldn't have ended with the revelation that the kids weren't deaf after all. Why deflate the punchline like that?

If pure glurge fiction, it would have ended with the narrator, or more likely the Apple store manager, receiving a note from the school, relating how the deaf kids had been treated poorly at every other store. Better yet, one of the deaf kids would have had a powerful father who went to the Apple store and lavished rewards on all the employees there. Father might even work for Microsoft. Let your imagination run wild.

Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#103

Post by wilfra »

rdl wrote: post #82
azurelogic wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regardless of the questions about the story, as a former Apple retail employee, I can tell you that this isn't an unrealistic story. I had a few interactions with people who were deaf that worked much like this. It was always a memorable and uplifting experience to find ways to use our demo units for more productive purposes.

There's also the "use Google Translate to talk (in writing) to someone in a foreign language, without a language in common" that I've done several times.

This is how I communicated with banks when I lived in China. Baidu translate. They were trained to do this with foreigners.

Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#104

Post by tamersalama »

pud wrote: post #56

The kids knew sign language? The kids went and bought stuff (incl laptops) at multiple stores? And wasn't there a long line at Apple? How'd they make it to so many other stores? The kids physically go to the store to buy school computers? The kids are such good actors that they fooled the author & all other salespeople? A teacher would actually allow kids to pretend that they're disabled? No bulk discount or pre-arra…

Hugs and tears?

Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#106

Post by unimpressive »

pud wrote: post #56

The kids knew sign language? The kids went and bought stuff (incl laptops) at multiple stores? And wasn't there a long line at Apple? How'd they make it to so many other stores? The kids physically go to the store to buy school computers? The kids are such good actors that they fooled the author & all other salespeople? A teacher would actually allow kids to pretend that they're disabled? No bulk discount or pre-arra…

Obvious shitthatdidnthappen.txt

And what's more, it's taking up the top spot on HN, which could be used for a real story that might have better social justice advice than "don't be a dick".

Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#107

Post by nsp »

mistercow wrote: post #77
pud wrote: post #56

The kids knew sign language? The kids went and bought stuff (incl laptops) at multiple stores? And wasn't there a long line at Apple? How'd they make it to so many other stores? The kids physically go to the store to buy school computers? The kids are such good actors that they fooled the author & all other salespeople? A teacher would actually allow kids to pretend that they're disabled? No bulk discount or pre-arra…

Also, Mac Specialists at the Apple store don't go in the back to fetch inventory. They call it back.

They did at his store - it's substantially faster than waiting

Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#108

Post by jdmichal »

webwielder wrote: post #64
pud wrote: post #56

The kids knew sign language? The kids went and bought stuff (incl laptops) at multiple stores? And wasn't there a long line at Apple? How'd they make it to so many other stores? The kids physically go to the store to buy school computers? The kids are such good actors that they fooled the author & all other salespeople? A teacher would actually allow kids to pretend that they're disabled? No bulk discount or pre-arra…

And why were there tears at the end? Was everyone so moved at the theoretical plight of real deaf kids that they broke down? Also, I imagine real deaf people don't have a habit of walking up to salespeople and assuming they know sign language.

And even if they did, I think they would get the hint pretty quick that the other side doesn't understand it...

Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#109

Post by unreal37 »

hkmurakami wrote: post #35
niggler wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised the school didn't work with Apple's education group (which you have to do over the phone)

Well there was a significant secondary motivation to see how salespeople reacted to the faked "deafness", so in this case contacting the Apple education group would have rendered this secondary purpose moot.

I doubt many schools would forgo saving $1500 of expenses (15 laptops at $100 savings each plus whatever free software the Education group throws in) for a small pointless lesson like this.

Also if I was a student, knowing this experiment wouldn't affect my grades at all, I'd be rebelling against this forced lie and talking out loud "accidentally".

Re: The Coolest Experience I Had as an Apple Store Employee

#110

Post by ebbv »

dmlorenzetti wrote: post #102
ebbv wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the exact same reaction. This story has all the telltale signs of typical internet fiction trying to pass as a real story. Lack of details (no names of the school, teacher, etc., no date) combined with an implausible "this doesn't happen to anyone" story line is the biggest giveaway. It's unfortunate that people are so eager to believe a happy story that they will suppress their bullshit detectors. The truth is…

Admittedly in a few regards the story sounds not-quite-right. However I think if it was "typical internet fiction" then it wouldn't have ended with the revelation that the kids weren't deaf after all. Why deflate the punchline like that? If pure glurge fiction, it would have ended with the narrator, or more likely the Apple store manager, receiving a note from the school, relating how the deaf kids had been treated p…

Without that bit the story would've been "Hey some deaf kids visited my store." It still would have been unusual but that last crazy detail is what makes it a remarkable story, and it's the part that makes the narrator a hero.

It's also the part that goes from pushing the boundaries of believability and bursts full on into being obvious fiction.

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