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Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

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Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#121

Post by chadcmulligan »

geerlingguy wrote: post #113
chadcmulligan wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I guess waiting for Genius appointments I'm convinced this is deliberate - the apple store is full of blue shirts and people waiting for their appointments / devices to be fixed. It makes the shops look like they're busy, most shops would not make people wait around like that for things to be fixed, but apple gets away with it somehow. It's all very clever - I call it apple theatre, and yes I participate myself. I'…

Last time I went in to get my PC laptop repaired at Best Buy it was about a 45 minute wait just to drop it off . Then three days before the repair was made. I have also dropped off Macs at a local non-Apple-Store authorized repair shop and it was 20-30 minutes before I was helped. I think it's just how things are with support/repairs.

Oh ok, that hasn't been my experience, we don't have Best Buy here (Australia), so maybe the difference. I had to drop off my Mac to a non apple place when they were all closed, due to corona. It was 5-10 minutes tops for drop off and pick up - but an unusual situation.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#122

Post by reaperducer »

Cyph0n wrote: post #80
AlphaWeaver wrote: post #21

This is a real shame. We have (had?) a Microsoft Store in the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham), and my visits to that store were always really enjoyable. I made several warranty claims in-store, and they went above and beyond to help me out, even when my grounds for a claim were kinda shaky. Microsoft did a really good job of hiring diverse talent, and every store-clerk I ever interacted with was smart, nice, and seemed to…

A fellow Raleigh-Durham-ite! The Microsoft store in Southpoint is/was indeed pretty great... But, the Apple store nearby always has much more traffic.

I don't spend a lot of time in malls, but I've passed Microsoft Stores maybe six or seven times. My observation has been that they're always located as close to the Apple Store as possible, and that they are virtually empty, compared to the Apple Store.

I remember one day it was particularly stark. There was a line to get in at the Apple Store (not a launch day), and there were only employees inside the Microsoft Store. It was then I realized that the Microsoft Store wasn't about selling things, it was just a branding exercise.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#124

Post by donarb »

spunker540 wrote: post #83

When I was in a high school busking band, we went to the local mall to make some money playing Christmas songs. We set up in front of the Apple store and within 10 minutes we’re kicked out by security. As we were leaving, someone from the fledgling Microsoft store told us they had a stage we could play on in front of their store the following day (our first “paid” gig, they gave us gift cards). The joke was on us tho…

Most malls don't allow buskers, solicitations or petition signing within their properties.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#125

Post by [deleted] »

reaperducer wrote: post #118
philshem wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I made several warranty claims in-store, and they went above and beyond to help me out, even when my grounds for a claim were kinda shaky. Maybe having a physical store that lowers the barrier for making warranty claims, especially “shaky” ones, isn’t a profit maker. ;)

Maybe having a physical store that lowers the barrier for making warranty claims, especially “shaky” ones, isn’t a profit maker. Cost to fix a shaky piece of kit: $100 Future sale made because someone is happy with your service: $1,000 While I like to blame this sort of myopic thinking on SV, it seems like an entire generation, or two, has forgotten that if you make someone happy today, you've made a customer for lif…

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#126

Post by lotsofpulp »

canada_dry wrote: post #114
lotsofpulp wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Disappointing news for him and for me, although I can understand the business justification. Understanding the business justification is why I don’t understand why people think Apple products are overpriced. Not a single other tech organization wants to provide customer service other than Apple, even one with as much cash as Microsoft. Why should I not reward Apple for putting their money where their mouth is? Obvi…

> Not a single other tech organization wants to provide customer service other than Apple That's a stretch. I'd argue the level of support they're providing is the of the lowest-hanging-fruit level (e.g. how do I transfer my contacts, setup the device). Support forums are full of stories (and from my own experience) where hardware related issues are dismissed and rejected at their stores.

That lowest hanging level fruit is the most valuable for my parents.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#127

Post by reaperducer »

gipp wrote: post #93
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is purely anecdotal. Take it with a grain of salt. We have a "high-end" Simon mall, in a town near where I live. It's quite "upscale," with Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, etc. It has an Apple Store near the South entrance, and a Microsoft Store, near the center. The Apple Store is always packed. I haven't been there in a few months, so I have no idea what's going on with it at the moment, but it has always be…

Sure, but a large portion of the Apple store crowds has always been people just hanging around and goofing off on the laptops. IIRC it's policy in those places to always let people do that however long they want, even if there's clearly no intent to buy anything. I've always wondered what portion of those crowds are actually customers. EDIT: Yes, everyone, I understand the marketing and lifetime-value reasons for doi…

I've always wondered what portion of those crowds are actually customers.

It doesn't really matter, though, because as the OP pointed out, Apple Stores are massively profitable. This is well known in retail circles.

Landlords fall all over themselves to get Apple Stores. Real estate developers will include Apple Stores, or Apple Store lookalikes in their renderings even before the buildings are built, just to get people interested in their projects.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#129

Post by k12sosse »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #96
gipp wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but a large portion of the Apple store crowds has always been people just hanging around and goofing off on the laptops. IIRC it's policy in those places to always let people do that however long they want, even if there's clearly no intent to buy anything. I've always wondered what portion of those crowds are actually customers. EDIT: Yes, everyone, I understand the marketing and lifetime-value reasons for doi…

That happens in many stores. I call them "store groupies." Around here, vape stores have them in droves. I remember them hanging around Science-Fiction bookstores; often using the back rooms to have D&D games. I think that every one of them becomes a customer, eventually. Many of them become evangelists, which can sometimes be even more valuable.

and store employees call them "loiterers". A herd of human waste, with no money or no intent to purchase anything.

Re: Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores

#130

Post by mrguyorama »

blibble wrote: post #112
yellowstuff wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20121218-00/?p=58...

that's one of the pathetic excuses I've ever read they're an OS developer and they can't spend a day figuring out a floating point bug? maybe redirect some of the time integrating Candy Crush

They don't own the code
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