What it was, what it is, and what it is not..(;!)

Historical text from HellasProject (2009–2014). It is not current advice or a present-day service.

Greetings to the Apple society. Why do I put it that way? Basically because lately in Greece the well-known company with the “apple” has risen in sales percentage. With that peak come the farces as well.
And yes, the blog post below will have complaints and more, not service stories.. those have been covered by other sites and commenters.. whoever does not want to read them because you may consider the following a waste of time, be my guest and do not continue…

Although they were decades late, in recent years even the Greeks managed to have an Apple representation, of whatever form, because it is not absolute. We also have authorized dealers as well as authorized support centres. Of course that does not automatically make it absolute.. and why do I repeat that word? Because in the effort, which is respectable, somewhere they lost the game. But you will say why put them in one sack.. let’s split them then.

Let’s take first know-how in relation to sales and marketing. Fine, the stores consist of capable staff who know the subject, but they have been led to sell the machines without asking the customer’s needs. Here I would like to give an example:
you have a customer you see browsing, approach him as you well know how, talk to him, ask what he wants, OK fine, then do not talk to him immediately about a 17-inch high-end MacBook Pro; look, from his frenzy he may even buy it because the “apple boxes” sell themselves, but afterwards he will say I paid a lot, I do not need one that big, I am short of cash, I wanted it to surf, etc. Then the usual sites fill with ads, prices simply unapproachable because they are in need, they keep them up to a year and sell them at a “killing”. So, shopkeeper friend (because that is where staff sales policy starts), the customer leaves the “magic world of Apple”, and it is expected he will return to a PC-compatible!! Suggestion: ask the customer but actually weigh what he is asking for and propose a matching machine; that way he will have the “appetite” to also take “that” accessory you will never sell however much you put it first on the stand, he will want to pass by again because you did not exploit him etc.!
The next, again related to the stores, is the excessive attitude and the I want and I will contradict you. Let’s analyse those too since I have one time:
Apple, with the well-known shops around the world and its air, demands, and it is right to, that staff have a specific “attitude”. Fine, correct, it gives prestige and makes sales. What happens when it goes too far? There are times when the customer will tell you you know I want this, there is no “yes but…” when someone is specific and you have it in stock; respect the fact that the customer searched and knows what he wants, knows you have it and wants it now. Do not grab him by the neck, do not try to play history; some people do not put up with much. Also come down a bit, we are not “puny humans”, and in no case when someone is trying to tell you what he wants do you interrupt him to throw your line. And most important, smile pal, from all that posing you will get a cramp… Relax kids, you are an Apple store, or you are trying to be; you are not Steve’s evangelist!

In general I personally am not disappointed; service is good, we do not have ugly stores or odd staff. We are Greece and that we have reached what we have we should feel lucky, right?!

What I mention is from isolated events I have gathered in conversations and I give a bit more weight; sauce, no, I do not exaggerate at all; caustic yes, of course as much as I can while I am “still” a consumer.

Comments welcome (though I do not know if many will see it; traffic on the site has dropped and I know I am at fault), swearing welcome too, I do not care a bit! Conversation is the point…

Good night!!

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