snobs
AskAsa
1/4/2012 4:57:04 PM
The staffing at Apple stores is often made up of effete techno snobs. It's a huge turn-off. A condescending attitude does not go with the territory. I've been in places like B&H Photo (one of the nation's largest photo equipment dealers) and found trained sales people who know enough to be excited about both the product and the potential customer.
Re: Customer Service Key
Bargain Bin
1/4/2012 1:57:43 PM
Not to mention the ridiculous wait times that you're subjected to for the simplest matters. If I never go into an apple store again, it'll be fine by me.
Well, in fairness, the buyer is obligated to pay state taxes if state taxes are owed on the purchase, whether or not the seller collects it.
In New York State, for instance, you can either keep track of all your online purchases, or do what is called a safe harbor calculation, which estimates the sales tax you owe on online purchases based on your AGI.
I can understand Amazon's reluctance to collect and remit on behalf of buyers, because there is no uniform state sales tax rate in NYS. To complicate matters, the same zip code can have different tax rates. For instance, at my address, the combined state and local rate is 7.375%. But other addresses in the same zip code (but located in an adjacent city) pay 8.375%.
These kinds of calculations can create a logistical nightmare for a business. Why not place the responsibility on the buyer to pay up? We all have to file a state tax return each year anyway.
Re: Amazon from Two Perspectives
Rod Raynovich
1/4/2012 11:37:40 AM
Amazon may provide great service but they have already decimated bookstores and are now attacking Best Buy. And why can't they pay state taxes? I heard a pundit say their family gets 2-3 packages from AMZN every day! Just go to the store once in a while.
Amazon from Two Perspectives
Street Smart
1/4/2012 11:31:59 AM
I agree that Amazon customer service is the BEST, and I find myself using Amazon for more and more these days besides media. But I also wanted to comment from the perspective of being an Amazon seller.
My younger son and I became used book sellers a few years back and I still help him with the business. Let me tell you, Amazon runs a TIGHT ship with its sellers to ensure that quality standards are met! Compared to eBay, they not only police the marketplace but support their sellers to an uncommon degree as well.
They communicate; they educate; they offer new business resources, and they pay exactly when they say they will. Although Amazon's every action is predicated on the age-old notion that "the customer is always right," they also build a great sense of community between sellers and buyers that is extremely rare. A class act ALL AROUND!
That's for sure @Dex. Apple has gotten away with this up until now, but at some point there will be backlash.
Re: Customer Service Key
Dex
1/4/2012 10:35:25 AM
I was in an Apple store yesterday for a minor repair and I can tell you this. The woman next to me was none too happy when she was told Apple could not replace the cracked screen on her 2-month old iPhone 4 because the "glass was fused to the next layer of the phone." Issues like that will drive customers to competitors.
Re: Customer Service Key
yalanand
1/4/2012 2:30:13 AM
At least for a while, until they discover a competitor...
@Noreen, I think Apple has already found its competitor, and its none other than Samsung. Samsung shipped 27.8 million smartphones globally during the third quarter of 2011, up from a mere 7.5 million during the same quarter in 2010. That's an increase of 370 percent year-over-year, allowing Samsung to leapfrog both Apple and Nokia. Samsung is selling many versions of smartphones at reasonable cost. Moreover popularity of Android is helping Samsung.
Re: Customer Service Key
yalanand
1/4/2012 2:22:41 AM
Apple is starting to get sloppy with customer service.
@Drivewaygirl, I totally agree with you. Companies like Samsung and Amazon are giving Apple tough competition and if Apple starts to get sloppy with customer service it would definitely impact the Apple revenues. Lets not forget Apple products are more expensive compared to its competitors and people expect Apple to provide excellent customer service.
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