DevilsPGD

Can anyone clue me in why there would be 25+ staff at the Apple store
(an impressive number for a store that size) but only one capable of
running credit card transactions?

I remember not that long ago that any rep could run anything through on
their handheld iPod Touches, and the receipt was sent via email, but
that seems to have ended

Either way, aside from the wait (both in line to get to the front, plus
the wait for them to retrieve a pair of headphones from the stock room)
the experience was reasonably painless, which was a nice treat given the
proximity to Christmas.

Even better was the fact that a return was totally painless, they didn't
even open the box to see if the product was there! (and yes, it was)

--
It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to
steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

Michelle Steiner

In article <d2oie75dgh800aksp06i224mf477aqpdga@4ax.com>,
DevilsPGD <Still-Just-A-Rat-In-A-Cage@crazyhat.net> wrote:

> Can anyone clue me in why there would be 25+ staff at the Apple store
> (an impressive number for a store that size) but only one capable of
> running credit card transactions?
>
> I remember not that long ago that any rep could run anything through on
> their handheld iPod Touches, and the receipt was sent via email, but
> that seems to have ended

That's not the case at the two stores nearest me; everyone there, except
the geniuses and "concierges" have those devices. The geniuses have a
terminal at the genius bar, and the concierges aren't salespeople.

--
Tea Party Patriots is to Patriotism as
People's Democratic Republic is to Democracy.

Todd Allcock

At 14 Dec 2011 19:50:17 -0700 DevilsPGD wrote:
> Can anyone clue me in why there would be 25+ staff at the Apple store
> (an impressive number for a store that size) but only one capable of
> running credit card transactions?
>
> I remember not that long ago that any rep could run anything through on
> their handheld iPod Touches, and the receipt was sent via email, but
> that seems to have ended


Yeah, their productivity has gone way downhill since they stopped using
Windows Mobile for their portable terminals...


Kidding aside, I wonder if the EasyPay system or the store's WiFi was
down for some reason that day, and they were just making do with one
offline terminal?

DevilsPGD

In message <michelle-10E3B5.21273014122011@news.eternal-september.org>
someone claiming to be Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> typed:

>In article <d2oie75dgh800aksp06i224mf477aqpdga@4ax.com>,
> DevilsPGD <Still-Just-A-Rat-In-A-Cage@crazyhat.net> wrote:
>
>> Can anyone clue me in why there would be 25+ staff at the Apple store
>> (an impressive number for a store that size) but only one capable of
>> running credit card transactions?
>>
>> I remember not that long ago that any rep could run anything through on
>> their handheld iPod Touches, and the receipt was sent via email, but
>> that seems to have ended
>
>That's not the case at the two stores nearest me; everyone there, except
>the geniuses and "concierges" have those devices. The geniuses have a
>terminal at the genius bar, and the concierges aren't salespeople.

They all have devices (with card readers) and they used to use them, but
on my last two trips they required standing in a queue with one sales
rep working the line with half a dozen reps wandering aimlessly from
customer to customer looking for someone to help.

Last two trips within the last two weeks, to buy headphones, return them
and buy another pair.

I'm mostly just disappointed as I've been using the Apple retail
experience as an example of what should be possible, things like any
agent being able to perform a checkout anywhere, emailing receipts with
asking for an email address when the company already has the credit card
and email address in their database, sufficient staff, accurate stock
levels available to any employee, etc.

--
It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to
steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

JF Mezei

DevilsPGD wrote:
> Can anyone clue me in why there would be 25+ staff at the Apple store
> (an impressive number for a store that size) but only one capable of
> running credit card transactions?

The ipod-touches with the credit card attachement used by the nice blue
shirted folks (*) at the Apple place of Worship does not support chip
cards. Credit Card companies want Apple to use chip cards (at least in
canada). So for now, they use conventional POS terminals at the one or
two conventional cash registers.




(*) At the new apple place of worship at NYV's Grand Central Terminal,
the staff appear to be temporary as they are all red shirts. And we all
know what happens to red shirt before the end of the episode :-)

Chris Blunt

On Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:50:17 -0700, DevilsPGD
<Still-Just-A-Rat-In-A-Cage@crazyhat.net> wrote:

>Can anyone clue me in why there would be 25+ staff at the Apple store
>(an impressive number for a store that size) but only one capable of
>running credit card transactions?
>
>I remember not that long ago that any rep could run anything through on
>their handheld iPod Touches, and the receipt was sent via email, but
>that seems to have ended

Most of the staff seemed to carry those portable authorisation
terminals when I shopped at the Apple Store last month.

In fact I didn't even need to show my credit card to pay for it. I
just gave them my Apple ID and their system remembered my card details
from a previous purchase. I found that quite impressive, but it did
make me wonder a bit about how secure that was.

Chris

Jolly Roger

JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:
>
> Apple place of Worship

Troll

--
Posted from my iPhone.

Michelle Steiner

In article <4ee98e2a$0$20123$c3e8da3$92d0a893@news.astraweb.c om>,
JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca> wrote:

> (*) At the new apple place of worship at NYV's Grand Central Terminal,
> the staff appear to be temporary as they are all red shirts. And we all
> know what happens to red shirt before the end of the episode :-)

All employees who wear blue shirts in all Apple Stores (at least in the
USA) are wearing red shirts for the holiday season, just as they did last
year.

--
Tea Party Patriots is to Patriotism as
People's Democratic Republic is to Democracy.

JF Mezei

Jolly Roger wrote:

> Troll

Yet, I am the only one who answered his question about why
the iPod Touch's credit card reader attachement is no longer valid in
canada.

DevilsPGD

In message <bmsje7564093424a986c547ffsnad11aos@4ax.com> someone claiming
to be Chris Blunt <mail@nospam.com> typed:

>On Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:50:17 -0700, DevilsPGD
><Still-Just-A-Rat-In-A-Cage@crazyhat.net> wrote:
>
>>Can anyone clue me in why there would be 25+ staff at the Apple store
>>(an impressive number for a store that size) but only one capable of
>>running credit card transactions?
>>
>>I remember not that long ago that any rep could run anything through on
>>their handheld iPod Touches, and the receipt was sent via email, but
>>that seems to have ended
>
>Most of the staff seemed to carry those portable authorisation
>terminals when I shopped at the Apple Store last month.

They're carrying terminals, but apparently they don't use them.

>In fact I didn't even need to show my credit card to pay for it. I
>just gave them my Apple ID and their system remembered my card details
>from a previous purchase. I found that quite impressive, but it did
>make me wonder a bit about how secure that was.

Almost as secure as using your credit card; It's not, but it's Apple's
risk, not yours.

--
It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to
steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.