“Microsoft is beginning to look to Apple for more than just inspiration for its retail stores, the company is now also starting to hire away its retail employees,” Jim Dalrymple reports for The Loop.
“People that have spoken to The Loop on condition of anonymity confirm that Microsoft has contacted a number of Apple’s retail store managers to work in their stores. In addition to ‘significant raises,’ the managers have also been offered moving expenses in some cases,” Dalrymple reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Certainly derivative Microsoft ought to offer “significant raises” for the massive risk such a stupid move would entail. A few years from now, you’ll need an actual store in which to work in order to earn your “‘significant raise.” Microsoft has a history of abandoning things that don’t work. Retail stores packed full of Windows PCs and Zunes do not sound very attractive at all; repellant is more like it. When the time comes, these traitors shouldn’t bother re-applying to Apple.
Dalrymple reports, “Once hired, the ex-Apple employees are then contacting some of the top sales people in the Apple retail organization offering them positions at Microsoft retail.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Who the hell would want to go from proffering delight to peddling dreck? Then dealing with the dissatisfaction, frustration, and problems that Microsoft Windows quickly and inevitably engenders? Any Apple employee that would make such a move was a bad hire and isn’t worth keeping anyway.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Edward W.” for the heads up.]
Wow.
“Would you like to quit your job at one of the coolest tech companies on the planet whose products are a joy to use, to come and work for a convicted monopolist whose products only bring misery to anyone who has the misfortune of buying them?”
Gee, where do I sign?
Raiding Apple personnel is how Microsoft “aspires to excellence”!
And by “significant raises”, I’m sure they mean “danger pay”, as the Guru Bar staff should be working behind bullet-proof glass, wearing kevlar vests, helmets and chain-mail butcher gloves, while dealing with all the “happy Windows customers”.
This is what happens when apple tries get away with paying people a low hourly wage for all the computer knowledge and education they have. I would have loved to work at an apple store, but they pay crap at the local mall location
Please tell me that absolutely no one is surprised by this move from Microsoft.
Nah, these guys aren’t traitors, just double agents. I bet Apple’s retail managers saw this coming and planned ahead to let MS hire them. Then they make a few extra bucks for a while, but all they do is point people back to the Apple Store as soon as anyone walks in.
As soon as the stores fail, they can just head back over to their Apple jobs.
The microsoft parachute – if you can’t cut it at Apple, you can always drop easy into Microsoft. It’s what they call being a king/queen amongst paupers…
A pretty chandelier in on out house doesn’t change the problem. It is still an out house! You were “top sales people in the Apple retail organization” because you were selling something people really wanted.
This is called “Innovation by Microsoft”. It must be the easiest way to copy they think. But how can they hire somebody loyal to them that wasn’t loyal to Apple? This sounds so absurd. – But hey, I’m curious. After the Zunes worldwide success…
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“traitor” is a pretty strong word…
Maybe these people crossing over are double agents.
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@Eddy
I agree with your point. Hopefully this move will help increase remuneration for all Apple Store and Microsoft Store staff.
But I have to say, I am looking forward to the YouTube videos of MS Store customers ranting and shrieking at the MS Store Guru Bar staff.
Videos likely shot with iPod Nanos.
A comment from another board which I think hit the nail in the head:
“So, Microsoft is going to hire a bunch of people who are really knowledgeable about Mac and OS X and have them answer questions about Windows…
Sounds like a winning plan!”
I can’t wait to see these stores. I haven’t had a good laugh in a while but these will fill that void. The question is what will fill the void in the malls when these stores fail?
The Microshaft stores will have HUGE LINES….
At their version of the genius bar called: The Guru Bar? LOL!
Can you imagine the lines of pissed off people going into that store only for SERVICE work! Thats one LONG bar to be sitting at…
good riddance to bad trash
Who said anyone had actually crossed over? All the article said was that Apple Store managers have been contacted, probably by a third party recruiter working for Microsoft, to come work for the evil empire for significantly more money. Nothing said anything about anyone actually accepting the offer.
Though Michael S. hit my first thought spot on. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple encouraged one or two people to pursue the position to work as spies.
While I agree that anyone who makes this kind of move and then find themselves out of a job when the MS Stores fail, I feel little pity.
BUT ….. it is true that when Apple opened the stores the pay was higher then if you were to take a full time job now. There are a lot of really smart people who bring their ‘own’ experience that Apple did NOT pay to train. And they get paid for crap. It is more like ‘I REALLY want to work for Apple so I will except crap pay for the glory”
Apple is totally taking advantage of these people and their professional experience.
I should know, I applied and was offered and I turned it down. Sorry Apple, the ‘Glory’ doesn’t feed my family.
I’m happy because I’ve always had the feeling that some Apple employees weren’t ‘real’ Apple people. It’s unfortunate that, just like marriage, and parenting, certain people can’t comprehend the gravity of such life-changing situations. Working at Apple, then Microsoft is life-changing especially if you’re management. Risking your livelihood for more money at an unproven retail store could have disastrous consequences. This is exactly what the recession is all about, people risking a lot, for a little. If these managers don’t stay at the Microsoft retail stores for years, they will be doomed. They won’t be able to go back to Apple, their resumes will show leaving Apple to go to Microsoft (which will be odd to anyone familiar with Apple, and probably show poor judgement), and, there simply may be no other jobs available for anyone anywhere. I would not quit steady employment at a very reputable company any day of the week.
That’s right…Apple doesn’t abandon anything. Hey has anyone seen my Newton, iSight camera, or Apple Hi Fi speaker….
Everyone makes changes to their business plans to meet market needs.
just my $0.02
How much is the ‘significant raise’?
Where is the location?
Where would you rather live?
Nothing is forever. Especially jobs in this economy.
@ Ray – The difference is, Microsoft has no qualms about shafting people in the process. Can you say “PlaysForSure”? Their “partners” who got Zuned sure haven’t forgotten.
Time will tell who wins the battle of corporate loyalty.
@ Money Talks :
Are you sure you didn’t tell them you “excepted” the job, and they assumed you were turning it down?
Apple retail stores pay boo. I’ll betcha MS doubles their $ — perfectly good deal if you ask me.
This is so pathetic. Microsoft can’t even hire and train on their own? Can’t Microsoft think and act on their own?
I hope they have thick skins – the number of angry, frustrated Vista/W7 users who’ll stomp through their doors looking for help/an argument will be enough to induce stomach ulcers in the most hardened of retail employees….
…maybe Microsoft will pay them danger money?