Comment Why apple was forced to open their own stores. (Score 1) 125
I agree, it's nearly the same position VW was in just after they came out with the new Beatle. During the 80's and most of the 90's they'd have some very serious declined and had stopped their dealership design standards for a host of reasons. Well as the became a more high profile car maker again they now had all these dealerships that looked like they should be selling Yugos or something. Of course dealerships are extremely expensive properties but their working with them to improve and modernize. They have also reinstated design standards for new dealership, and set a number standards ALL dealerships must follow including standard modern VW signs, uniforms for the techs., ect.
Apple in many ways was very similar position, most of the resellers I've been to were in small strip stores and looked like a place you'd go to buy a $200.00 used computer. 70% of them were rude, pushie, uninterested, or just jerks. I'll bet Apple looked into trying to work with their resellers like VW is with their dealerships but realized that -
1) Most resellers didn't have the capital to improve their stores to the level Apple needed
2) Apple still would be at the mercy of resellers customer service policies
3) Resellers may carry more than one line and have the potential to steer customers to other computer options.
Plus VW has built in ways to control their customer service experience that I'm not sure Apple could implement and would probablly be so costly as to make them beyond impossible at Apple product price/profit points unless we all want a 20% increase of end price of Apple's product line.
I really don't believe apple had any choice but open stores of their own. As far as I'm concerned the resellers need to get with the program and realize where Apple is today. No one wants to buy a iMac in a place that looks like a Goodwill computer donation site ( which is what the local resellers reminds me of). Please remember Gateways stores and what a flop they were profit wise, Apple took an awe inspiring risk opening their own stores (ya its worked will but it could have bombed and lost millions/bllions?).
One last point and then I'll let this topic go - REMEMBER COMPUSA, BEST BUY, & CIRCUT CITY - these stores are nice open clean places with the kind of store fronts Apple needed/needs, you'd think they'd have been doing OK with Apple but as most of you should know they've been a total flop with everything but the iPod. It coming down to steering, poor associate knowledge of products, poor product placement, and the fact apple isn't the very profitable for them. Only one still sells apple's computer line in all of their stores, COMPUSA. I could write a small novel about what's wrong with COMPUSA handling of Apple products. I won't bore you with the whole thing but the main points would be -
1)Steering
2)Product Placement
3)Steerin
4)Staff Knowledge
5)Steering
6)Customer Service
7)Steering
8)Lack of Advertizing
9)Steering
10)Staff lazy lack of interest and vacant gaze.
I could write alot more about this and if you guys are interested just post but I don't want to bore you all if no one cares about the business end of why Apple had no choice but to open their own stores.
Please excuse my spelling, I don't know how to get a spell checker to work with this and I've misplaced the dictionary.
Apple in many ways was very similar position, most of the resellers I've been to were in small strip stores and looked like a place you'd go to buy a $200.00 used computer. 70% of them were rude, pushie, uninterested, or just jerks. I'll bet Apple looked into trying to work with their resellers like VW is with their dealerships but realized that -
1) Most resellers didn't have the capital to improve their stores to the level Apple needed
2) Apple still would be at the mercy of resellers customer service policies
3) Resellers may carry more than one line and have the potential to steer customers to other computer options.
Plus VW has built in ways to control their customer service experience that I'm not sure Apple could implement and would probablly be so costly as to make them beyond impossible at Apple product price/profit points unless we all want a 20% increase of end price of Apple's product line.
I really don't believe apple had any choice but open stores of their own. As far as I'm concerned the resellers need to get with the program and realize where Apple is today. No one wants to buy a iMac in a place that looks like a Goodwill computer donation site ( which is what the local resellers reminds me of). Please remember Gateways stores and what a flop they were profit wise, Apple took an awe inspiring risk opening their own stores (ya its worked will but it could have bombed and lost millions/bllions?).
One last point and then I'll let this topic go - REMEMBER COMPUSA, BEST BUY, & CIRCUT CITY - these stores are nice open clean places with the kind of store fronts Apple needed/needs, you'd think they'd have been doing OK with Apple but as most of you should know they've been a total flop with everything but the iPod. It coming down to steering, poor associate knowledge of products, poor product placement, and the fact apple isn't the very profitable for them. Only one still sells apple's computer line in all of their stores, COMPUSA. I could write a small novel about what's wrong with COMPUSA handling of Apple products. I won't bore you with the whole thing but the main points would be -
1)Steering
2)Product Placement
3)Steerin
4)Staff Knowledge
5)Steering
6)Customer Service
7)Steering
8)Lack of Advertizing
9)Steering
10)Staff lazy lack of interest and vacant gaze.
I could write alot more about this and if you guys are interested just post but I don't want to bore you all if no one cares about the business end of why Apple had no choice but to open their own stores.
Please excuse my spelling, I don't know how to get a spell checker to work with this and I've misplaced the dictionary.
