Apple Employee Reveals How It Is to Work at Apple’s Retail Store

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 29 May 2016

Apple-Store-Burssels-2

An Apple retail worker has provided Business Insider details on how it really is to work at an Apple retail store in the UK. The interview paints a picture that is not as rosy as what one might have been led to be believed.

Apple makes its retail store workers sign an NDA agreement on the first day of the job, so it is surprising to see a retail worker reveal so much during the interview.

The anonymous retail worker, who worked at Apple’s retail store from 2011 to late 2015, reveals that Apple pays its retail store workers £8 per hour, which is not even sufficient for them to buy the very products that they sell. To make matters worse, the company does not give any bonuses to its employees, even if they sell thousands of pounds of devices every day or get some enterprises customers onboard. The only bonus that Apple gave its retail workers in return is recognition.

As if this was not already bad, Apple’s internal policies make it tough for part-time workers at its retail workers from being promoted into the management positions within the company. Instead, the company prefers hiring managers from other companies.

The employee also shares his experience of working at Apple’s retail store, which was thankless and were he/she was treated like “shit.” The employee reveals that about 60% of the customers who walk in with some issues don’t usually have a genius bar appointment booked or have looked about it online. And then, they complain about the device and just act rude to the retail employees.

The employee also recalls an experience where he/she received a death threat for an out-of-warranty fix. Since the employee refused to fix the product within warranty, the customer threatened him/her and said that they would run him/her down with their car. The employee says that retail employees routinely receive death threats from some customers.

There are some benefits to working in Apple’s retail stores though. Beside a generous discount on Apple products, employees are also given a 15% discount on APPL shares, and in some cases, direct access to CEO Tim Cook.

Oh, and are you wondering what happens when an Apple employee walks in with a Samsung smartphone? Nothing! Most retail staff look at him/her weirdly, but they are not forced to switch to an iPhone or ditch their phone.

[Via Business Insider]