“But I was surprised at how efficiently it went. The store had been set up differently, with tables strategically placed where purchases could be made. Rather than face a long queue at the back of the store, shoppers worked with store clerks who swiped credit cards on a mobile device and printed out a receipt,” Silverman reports. “What I thought would be serious hassle was almost pleasant.”
Silverman reports, “In fact, an African-American gentleman who had to have been in his late 70s was in line beside me, and finished his transaction. He looked at me with a big grin and said, ‘The best damn retail experience in America!'”
Full article here.
At least someone is doing it right!
You should never have to wait to pay.
What the fark does being black have to do with the story?
Blacks can have apples products too I thought?
Agreed. Who cares that he’s black? Is it implies racism that blacks only buy loud stereos??? Did he comment no the Asian woman buying a hello kitty iPod case? Or the rich white kid whose butler carried his bags??
He didn’t say Black and in fact I have white friends from Africa and they are African-Americans too.
He also indicated gender and age….. how terrible is that… Just horiffic…
Boy are we getting overly PC these days…….
er…. no….. the other PC. 🙂
Just a thought,
en
Gotta love the South.
Meh, Michael.
He never mentioned black – just African -American gentleman & you two whipped out yer antiracist hats & jumped straight in.
Why don’t you both jump on the fact that it was a gentleman & not a lady & bring the feminists in as well.
A couple of sado’s if ever l saw em!
Relax dudes. He was black. He was in his 70s. He had a big grin. They are just descriptions. Get over it. There was nothing negative about it except your perceptions.
Very sensitive. Why? Silverman is just describing the many years of personal experience that the “gentleman” had. Some good and some may have been very bad. If it was a young beautiful girl dressed in Apple gear with an Apple iPod in her ear, she would have been either a repeat customer or one with very little historic shopping under her belt. We would have thought “So what does she know?”
Lighten up people.
OK folks, try to calm down. Sometimes, when we make an effort to be all inclusive we come off as awkward or (unintentionally) inappropriate. I think that’s all this is. I doubt there was any slight intended. No need to cut his head off. It was probably a very honest error in wording.
What does being in late 70s have to do with this story? Old people are supposed to be shopping at the Dollar Store
The militant “what-did-you-mean-by-that” crowd that pounces on every little thing they can find are becoming very….. predictable, and boring.
I saw a white man in his mid 40’s in Houston the other day trying to sell computers. He didn’t have a clue no one wanted to buy his shit. I think his name tag had the name ‘Michael Dell’ on it. A simpleton looking white man.
Getting back on topic, the Apple Store is also the best retail experience in the UK too.
I wanted to buy an iPod touch for a friend at Christmas and knew I would be passing an Apple store, but didn’t have time to spare. I parked outside and rushed in. The assistant asked me if she could help and I said what I wanted to buy and that I didn’t need any sales talk, just the fastest sale possible. She had the whole thing done and dusted on her wireless terminal ( including stock brought out from the back room ) in well under two minutes.
It often takes me longer than that to buy a newspaper.
I recall going into a Verizon store a while back to buy some accessory, and when I left I had quite a few 4-letter words to say in addition to damn.
I went to KFC today and bought all white meat lunch. Does that make me racist?
Relax people, it’s just so you can visualize the scene.
There are no African Americans. You’re one or the other.
@Jeremy
I agree.
You overly-sensitive types make it very difficult to conduct normal, rational conversation. Methinks the overly-sensitive types are the ones who are closet bigots.
@meh –
Good point! You’ve started a great discussion among our
fellow readers.
All yall european-americans oughtta shut it, bieaaatch.
I agree with the person who said, “You should never have to wait to pay”
It always amazes me when other stores have a few cashiers open with long lines. The hard part is done in that the customers found the items that they want to purchase. All that’s left is to do is collect money from customers but they make people stand in line to hand over their cash. Unbelievable!!
FWI, it is unethical to go out of the way to mention someone’s race, when that person’s race has nothing to do with the topic at hand.
Not that I’m offended, I’m just pointing out the mistake.
I think the fact this gentleman was in his 70’s indicates he has had a lot of experience and that adds credence to what he said.
@kayan
Who says?
@HughB, I sensed a hint of agism in your statement. You went out of your way to mention his age. /sarcasm
Another point of view:
A person that’s seen more then their fair share of BS in their lifetime states that THIS is right.
Geez, political correctness is running amok. Life’s too short to run around looking for things to be offended by.
LIghten up.
I am reading this on an iPad. The link to the article opens in a window rather than launching safari – is this a relic from pre-multitasking? At any rate it is hard to navigate and I resorted to my Mac to email a link to the article… Am I missing something?
A 70yr old African American was born in the 40’s, in an era when, in many parts of the country, he was obliged to ride in the back of a bus and likely to enjoy a secod rate education, and a significantly lower standard of living than his white counterparts. Perhaps the author was surprised, even delighted, to find an elderly African American both in an Apple store, and loving it. Or perhaps he was just adding detail to his story… Would anyone have commented if he had described an aged woman with a thick Jewish accent? Or a young Mexican migrant?
restaurants in Europe have long had the ability to bring the kiosk to the customer… the thing is, the only need for the line is for cash transactions… otherwise, a gentleman in his 70s hanging at an Apple Store… NO WAY he would be in a Microsoft Store.
Apple is The Greatest American Company Ever!
…”A 70yr old African American was born in the 40’s”
Actually, if he was born in the 40s, he still wouldn’t be 70 yet. Not important, though, as the point is still valid.
The author of the text has explained what made him specifically describe the guy as a black old man. Here’s his response (quoted from his blog):
I used his ethnicity for two reasons: To paint a word picture of the scene, and to emphasize that he was not the stereotypical Apple Store customer – i.e., a hipster who’s more concerned about cool than price. I probably could have told the tale without it, but it framed the scene with more detail to have it.
I’m reading this on my white MacBook
Kill all da whitey.
You know, stating the gentleman’s race only reemphasized the fact that there wasn’t any stereotype at all in the treatment that he received. Everyone should be treated as an equal unless they otherwise choose not to be. Stating that the article was racist or that race shouldn’t have been brought into it is as stupid as saying what I did in my previous post. It only helped describe the scene with more detail. I wasn’t offended, why are you? I think some people are just looking for an argument.
He could have just said he was an old guy with a big dick, he didn’t have to mention race.
Just waiting to pounce on someone whose political correctness sensitivities do not match mine.
Watch out . . . here it comes . . . . . . .. GOTCHA!
Now bend over and flail yourself with a cat-o-nine-tails, you racist bastages! (said with dripping sarcasm)
@ Rob:
“I went to KFC today and bought all white meat lunch. Does that make me racist?”
Short answer: yes. You didn’t know?
Peace.
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Olmecmystic
“He could have just said he was an old guy with a big dick, he didn’t have to mention race.”
Just saying he had “a big dick” would automatically imply that he was black. What the hell is wrong with you?
Don’t you see? The South just can’t get past the race thing. I think they need another smack-down, if you ask me. The one from 1862-65 didn’t take.
I always get great service at the Apple store, even though I am easily twice as old as the Apple store employee serving me and usually not the same race either.
I must say though that Apple is the world’s technological Jennifer Aniston darling of sorts right now. They can do no wrong.
I’ve been looking for an opportunity to tell this story. My folks are in mid 80’s, Dad a long time PC user, Mom – computer phobic. Bought her a PC laptop with hopes she’d at least learn how to email with Dad there for support. Never touched it 🙁
One day while on phone with Mom, she says, “guess where I’m going tomorrow? To the Apple store for my first Apple lesson!”
But wait there’s more…
Turns out my Dad decided out of the value to get an iMac! And brought Mom along to pick it up. Initially she was terrified with all the activity in the store and found a place to stand away from everyone.
But a helpful blue T-shirted Apple rep approached her. She burst out with, “I know nothing about computers, they scrare me, I’m just here with my husband picing up his new computer.
The rep was either trained or just a genius in dealing with older comp-phobes and switched modes instantly and asked, “do you have a lot of family photos?”
She said, “yes and they’re all in boxes and one day hopefully I’ll get to organizing them,”
The rep said, “want to see something really cool.” To which now warming homage said “yes” and he escorted her to an iMac and demo’d iPhoto for her. It was instant love at first site. Fear be gone!
Mom signed up for the $99 one-on-one lessons and got a MacBook Pro!
I was/am blown away with how intuitive and effective the rep was in overcoming my 84 yr old mother’s fear and ushering her into getting a Mac along with lessons.
I fully agree with the gentleman’s comment that Apple is the best damn retail experience in America.
And with all the PC users that have purchased an iPod, iPhone or iPad, they now get tomexperience either an Apple Store and/or AppleCare customer service or the Genius Bar or Discussions Forum on the Apple Website all of which are top notch in knowledge and customer care… So when it comes time to buy their next computer they just might want the same level of care they have been exposed to for their iDevice(s).
This how Apple is increasing market share: making delightful to use hardware and software and providing excellent support at a ridiculously low price and even for free at the Genius Bar.
Plus… No viruses!
Silverman reports, “In fact, an African-American gentleman who had to have been in his late 70s was in line beside me, and finished his transaction. He looked at me with a big grin and said, ‘The best damn retail experience in America!'”
Was it Samuel L Jackson?