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Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

bloomberg.com

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Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#641

Post by aembleton »

bllguo wrote: post #603
magic_hamster wrote: post #542

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You hit the nail on its head. This is HN where mostly everybody knows tech, geek out about specs and learn about devices ahead of time. But Apple sells to a general population that is far less knowledgeable and mostly lives by "new phone good". Either guidance or upsell Apple knows what they're doing. We are not the usual demographic in an apple store.

ill gladly bang the drum about how insulated the HN bubble is, but this opinion specifically is bizarre to me. why does this have to be one size fits all? when someone walks in and says "i know i want this, let me buy it" how is it unreasonable to expect Apple to realize that it can skip the default flow?

Maybe they've found that most of the time the customer is mis-informed and doesn't really know what they want. I don't know, but I expect they've got more data than you or I.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#642

Post by rvnx »

dan-robertson wrote: post #431
crooked-v wrote: post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never had the kind of experience you're talking about at an Apple Store, so I'm very confused about those anecdotes.

I’ve not had such a terrible experience but I’ve had the experience of being confused trying to work out how to buy something and the shop assistant being almost surprised that someone wanted to buy something instead of just looking at things. It was smooth enough after that but I would typically order online after that (which was mostly fine except for an annoying case where they would only deliver if I showed up in…

They are designing it as a show-room where you can buy items, not a self-service shop. More like a car dealership.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#643

Post by mstolpm »

bradgessler wrote: post #578
gizajob wrote: post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah absolutely. Every time I’ve been in my local Apple Store, I’ve basically been talked out of purchasing, or it becomes a huge hassle of upselling and extra worrying charges, and quite frankly, stupidity and lack of knowledge from the pseudo-smart staff. All they can do is toe the party line and what they’ve been trained to say and do, which kind of falls apart when faced with someone who has used Apple computers…

I've given up on simply walking into an Apple store to just buy something for the past few years. The closest you can get to this is by ordering online ahead of time, then walking into the store an hour later and picking it up. I've walked into an Apple Store and told the person triaging people walking in, "I know EXACTLY what iPhone I want". They send me to the iPhone area where I have to wait in a queue behind 5 ot…

Doesn't Apple have this step already? I'm talking about the online store with optional pickup in your Apple Store. I've ordered online whenever I exactly know what I want. No sales talk, no waiting. Pickup in store was fast and hassle free, but that might depend on store and time. Best of all: I know exactly that the item I want is available for me.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#644

Post by post-it »

stouset wrote: post #521
post-it wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're going for the same approach they always do. You don't need word-of-mouth if you have every product placement slot. People won't get hyped on the Vision Pro by their best friend, they'll get hyped on it by their favourite YouTuber.

After decades of hearing about Apple only being kept afloat by their indoctrinated, rabid fan base (whose numbers curiously appeared to grow exponentially with each passing year), Apple “always” making sales only by ad spots and not word of mouth is certainly a hot take.

The ad spots are how they get new customers, the product quality is how they keep existing ones.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#645

Post by cyclecount »

hospitalJail wrote: post #273
georgespencer wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> my marketing class taught us to look at everything Apple does under the view of the best marketers in the world. I think there's a risk that your marketing class is being taught by folks who have a limited grasp of how trivial the discipline of marketing can be when a company's products -- in Apple's case: iPhone, MacBooks Pro & Air, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch -- rank among the leading products in their categories…

This is some blatant rhetoric. I cannot help but to call this out when I see it. > rank among the leading products in their categories by nearly any measure, from consumer satisfaction to performance benchmarks. When you say it generically like this, it has no meaning. Among? Top 50% You could say this about any company. Its marketing jargon from the best in the world at marketing. This is no different than when they…

I'm not sure you understand what rhetoric means...

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#646

Post by staticman2 »

alexdunmow wrote: post #602
pxc wrote: post #574

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This problem (not Apple's fault) makes me pessimistic about the practicability of this process for people with high myopia. I've never ever been able to walk out of an optometry appointment with a pair of glasses. Could an Apple Store possibly be better than an eye doctor?

I only have normal subpar vision but I too have never been able to walk out of an optometry appointment with a pair of glasses. That's a thing? Optometrists keep prescription lens stock on hand?

There's a store chain called Lenscrafters that has a gimmick where, depending on your prescription, you can get glassess in one hour at some stores. So if you have an appointment for an eye exam at the store it can be done. I've never shopped there so can't say what it's like in practice.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#647

Post by penjelly »

hghid wrote: post #197

Slightly tangential rant, but is anybody else becoming frustrated with the process of buying Apple products in Apple stores? For me, it started with the Apple Watch - I knew which one I wanted and was ready just to head down and buy one, but I was forced to sit through an entire "fitting" with patronising explanation on how to use the knob on the the side. Recently, I wanted to buy a new Phone. Again, I knew the one…

maybe the goal isnt only to sell product but also to make the customer think apple is smart and the customer needs them indefinitely to navigate the smartphone world. I wonder how their morning genius briefings go and what their plan is when a customer approaches

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#648

Post by rvnx »

penjelly wrote: post #647
hghid wrote: post #197

Slightly tangential rant, but is anybody else becoming frustrated with the process of buying Apple products in Apple stores? For me, it started with the Apple Watch - I knew which one I wanted and was ready just to head down and buy one, but I was forced to sit through an entire "fitting" with patronising explanation on how to use the knob on the the side. Recently, I wanted to buy a new Phone. Again, I knew the one…

maybe the goal isnt only to sell product but also to make the customer think apple is smart and the customer needs them indefinitely to navigate the smartphone world. I wonder how their morning genius briefings go and what their plan is when a customer approaches

This is the main plan:

A: Approach customers with a personalized warm welcome

P: Probe politely to understand all the customer's needs

P: Present a solution for the customer to take home today

L: Listen for an resolve any issues or concerns

E: End with a fond farewell and invitation to return

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#649

Post by matheusmoreira »

kreitje wrote: post #281
hghid wrote: post #197

Slightly tangential rant, but is anybody else becoming frustrated with the process of buying Apple products in Apple stores? For me, it started with the Apple Watch - I knew which one I wanted and was ready just to head down and buy one, but I was forced to sit through an entire "fitting" with patronising explanation on how to use the knob on the the side. Recently, I wanted to buy a new Phone. Again, I knew the one…

A few years back I bought a MBP online with the pickup option. I picked it up, declined their assistance setting it up and went about my day. I get home later that day, start to set it up and it’s locked to employees of a bank in Canada. Live support is no help so I take it back, only to find out the serial number did not match that on the box. They had their security guard quietly come stand near me until they figur…

So Apple sells returned items back to people as though they were new? What a scam.

Re: Apple plans a slow, appointment-only rollout of Vision Pro

#650

Post by kaiwen1 »

hghid wrote: post #197

Slightly tangential rant, but is anybody else becoming frustrated with the process of buying Apple products in Apple stores? For me, it started with the Apple Watch - I knew which one I wanted and was ready just to head down and buy one, but I was forced to sit through an entire "fitting" with patronising explanation on how to use the knob on the the side. Recently, I wanted to buy a new Phone. Again, I knew the one…

I have bought a ton of Apple stuff for me and my family. Never had this issue. Walk in, buy, depart. Dead simple.
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