“It’s no secret that Apple has been pushing iPhone upgrades like never before over the last several months,” Chance Miller writes for 9to5Mac. “Yesterday, however, I visited an Apple store to have my iPhone XS Max serviced, and I realized just how far Apple has taken its iPhone upgrade pitch.”
“As anyone who visits an Apple store knows, you’re first greeted by a friendly person with an iPad at the store’s entrance. I told the greeter that I had a Genius Bar appointment for my iPhone XS Max, and she asked for a brief description of my problem,” Miller writes. “I explained that my device was randomly shutting down and wouldn’t come back on for several hours. As soon as I finished the explanation, the greeter said, ‘Have you considered upgrading to a new iPhone recently?'”
https://twitter.com/ChanceHMiller/status/1094022864414666752
“Bloomberg reported something similar earlier this week: ‘Apple asked retail employees to promote the new iPhones using methods not seen before. Technicians were told to push iPhone upgrades to consumers with out-of-warranty devices. Senior sales staff had to make sure other retail workers were suggesting upgrades, and easels offering generous trade-in deals for the iPhone XR were erected in stores,'” Miller writes. “If Apple wants to turn its retail stores into selling machines akin to car dealerships, that’s its prerogative. In my opinion, however, there’s a certain line that shouldn’t be crossed.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Sounds like a direction that wouldn’t sit well with a former Burberry CEO who had already amassed more than enough money to last several lifetimes. It also sounds like yet another reason (along with over-crowding and noise) to avoid Apple Retail Stores, the very places we used to seek out and make special plans to visit.
SEE ALSO:
Now is the time for Apple to re-think its retail priorities – February 13, 2019
Ron Johnson: Apple Retail Stores ‘are a victim of their own success’ – February 12, 2019
Apple’s new retail head needs to fix the biggest problem with Apple Retail Stores – February 8, 2019
What’s next for Apple’s Retail Store empire? – February 8, 2019
New Apple retail chief Deirdre O’Brien receives stock grant worth up to $8.2 million – February 8, 2019
Angela Ahrendts’ Apple departure points to wider mystery – February 6, 2019
Examining Angela Ahrendts’ five-year tenure as head of Apple Retail – February 6, 2019
Apple CEO Cook thanks Angela Ahrendts in company-wide memo to employees – February 6, 2019
Apple names third retail chief in seven years – February 6, 2019
Apple’s Angela Ahrendts to depart in April; Deirdre O’Brien named senior vice president of Retail + People – February 5, 2019
Apple’s Angela Ahrendts has a plan for next-gen retail – January 29, 2019
Why Angela Ahrendts left Burberry for Apple – June 20, 2018
Ralph Lauren to add Apple’s Angela Ahrendts to Board of Directors – May 9, 2018
Angela Ahrendts is again Apple’s best-paid employee – December 29, 2017
Apple now requires CEO Tim Cook to fly only on private jets – December 28, 2017
Apple CEO Tim Cook paid close to $102 million for fiscal 2017 – December 28, 2017
Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Powerful Women: Angela Ahrendts #13, Laurene Powell Jobs #14 – November 2, 2017
Deirdre O’Brien named Apple’s vice president of People – July 21, 2017
Tim Cook took home $10.3 million, Angela Ahrendts earned $25.7 million in 2015 – January 6, 2016
Apple’s Angela Ahrendts emerges as highest-paid U.S. woman with $83 million – May 5, 2015
Apple’s retail chief Angela Ahrendts paid $73.4 million in cash and stock last year; BoD member Drexler steps down – January 22, 2015
Apple’s new retail chief Ahrendts granted $68 million in restricted stock – May 6, 2014
Beancounters will be the death of Apple as a desirable brand.
Yep, 2 anecdotes = new global policy. Seriously people?
Is an Apple Store a “store” or is it some sort of holy place where the employees are not allowed to suggest a customer buy a product or upgrade, because that would be too upsetting for the snowflake?
For the price you pay for Apple products you expect them to act like a luxury car dealership where they don’t push the next model on you over helping you with the problem with your current one. Now compare that to a Kia or similar level and you might have a point to keep pushing a new purchase after 3-5 yrs.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Apple needs to move product. Wall Street hates it when consumers hold on to older products. It’s always out with the old and in with the new. It has to do with greed outweighing the ecology. When I was growing up, my parents stressed product longevity. The better made a product was, the longer we could keep using it. That’s what we called ‘getting out money’s worth.’ Not anymore. Consumers are expected to dump their older products when new ones come out. It’s a foolish way to live to have expensive products disposable.
All my Apple products have always lasted a long time and I’m happy with that. I’m not running out to buy new products every year. There is something conflicting, though. iPhones support OS upgrades for many years, so what would be the point of pushing upgraded hardware every year, except to please big investors.
Nothing wrong with giving a customer the OPTION to repair or trade in an older iPhone for a new one. Repair centers can ONLY fix an iPhone. Apple has the luxury of being able to repair an iPhone or present the customer a way to save some money and buy a new iPhone. It’s amazing that so few people don’t realize that they can actually buy a fully functional connected iPhone at an Apple store. MDN, help spread the word, YES YOU CAN BUY AN iPhone AT THE APPLE STORE THAT IS FUNCTIONAL WITHOUT GOING TO YOUR BIG 4 CARRIER!!!!!!!