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Angela Ahrendts finally readies employees for June Apple Watch retail launch in new video

Apple is finally preparing to start selling the Apple Watch in its retail stores after solely offering the Watch via its online store due to constrained supplies. In a private video message to retail employees today, Apple Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores Angela Ahrendts and Vice President of Retail Operations Jim Bean informed retail staff that training materials for the retail launch are once again being distributed to employees…

Speaking of the imminent retail launch, Ahrendts told employees that “this is where the rubber hits the road, and now we need to make sure that we are above and beyond ready.” She added that Apple needs to “make sure that [it has] the best customer experience and that [this launch] is faster, smarter, and better than [Apple has] ever done before.” Because of the various Apple Watch models, Bean calls this a “different launch” in comparison to past products debuts.

“It’s going to be a little tougher to get everyone the exact [Watch] that they want,” so Apple is using a new “Reserve and Pickup” feature online, according to Bean. This service will allow customers to visit the Apple Online Store beginning at 8AM each day to check if their local Apple Store has the Apple Watch model that they would like to purchase. If the store has the particular version in stock, the customer can reserve it and choose a time to pick it up in all Apple Watch countries.

While Apple had initially planned to launch the Apple Watch exclusively via online reservations and in-store pickups in April, the larger availability of supply will allow Apple to provide an end-to-end Apple Watch sales experience in stores as well. Bean told employees that they will be able to use the EasyPay iPhone system to “run” an Apple Watch over to the customer to purchase in-store. Customers will also be able to reserve models not yet in stock.

“This is our moment to shine, this will be a launch unlike any we’ve ever had before… this is what you were born to do, this is why you are at Apple,” Ahrendts told employees hoping to encourage them to re-review the Apple Watch training materials. Apple is also encouraging employees to discuss the benefits of Apple Pay with customers, which is a core Apple Watch feature. While Ahrendts and Bean did not comment on an exact launch day, Tim Cook told employees at a meeting in China that the launch would occur in the month of June in all of the Apple Watch wave one countries.

Separately, Apple has informed retail employees that they can begin letting customers play with a working Apple Watch demo unit paired to an iPhone in the store, if units are available. Previously, customers could use a constricted store model stuck to the Apple Store table or wear a sample model running a demo software loop. Apple is also preparing employees for new workshops to teach the Apple Watch’s Accessibility features. Before the planned retail launch, we detailed Apple’s Apple Watch retail launch plan, ranging from employees offering customers fashion advice and special perks for Apple Watch Edition customers.

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Comments

  1. dcj001 - 9 years ago

    “they can begin letting customers play with a working Apple Watch demo unit ”

    Apple Watch is not a toy. It is not to be “played with.”

    • Apaches911 - 9 years ago

      One is taking ones self a little seriously today? No?

    • Georgia Symon - 9 years ago

      as Chad said I am amazed that people can get paid $8401 in 1 month on the computer .
      read review on Site …. ow.ly/NJsOU

    • rettun1 - 9 years ago

      Every time I go to an apple store and an employee asks if I need help I say, “no thanks im just playing with the [product]”

    • aukermania - 9 years ago

      Omg. Love this. Picture Stewie from Family Guy or Roger from American Dad saying that. Perfect.

  2. rogifan - 9 years ago

    I hope they don’t get rid of those demo units. I think they’re super cool.

  3. Thomas Massengale - 9 years ago

    “This is our moment to shine, this will be a launch unlike any we’ve ever had before… this is what you were born to do, this is why you are at Apple,” Ahrendts told employees.

    This woman is a tasteless idiot who is changing Apple from a company that embodied quality, taste and elegance into a soulless crass retail experience.

    I was told the other day by the Regent Street store that the incredible difficulty getting a Mac Genius Bar reservation (you have to log onto the site at 8am to have any hope) was down to Apple being a victim of its own success.

    I told that rather it was we, the customers, who were the victims of Tim Cook and Angela Ahrendts being unwilling to allocate the necessary resources to Genius Bar support that that customers might continue to enjoy excellent tech support in store while Apple’s sales numbers (and profits) continue to soar.

    The executive I put this too wound up agreeing with me.

    • Thomas Massengale - 9 years ago

      Apologies from Apple for autocorrect for changing “to” to “too”
      .

      • Yes (@AMillah) - 9 years ago

        Lol. And now you’re blaming Apple for an autocorrect mistake. Listen, everyone gets disappointed from time to time. But lets just calm down a little. She just got there and hasn’t even been able to begin to roll out an overhaul of the retail stores. I’m sure the retail team has their hands full focusing on that, and have very little time to micromanage every little instance of a bad experience in every single one of their retail stores. I’ve had nothing but pleasant experiences at all of my local retail stores. Tell me, what person DOESN’T have unkind things to say about their employer? You tend to view places differently when you start to work for them. So this “executive” (I think you mean manager) agreeing with you is not revelatory.

        The retail team is in the midst of a transition, which in and of itself is a ton of work, and will cause a lot of oversights and mistakes. Lets wait until the ship is back sailing smoothly before throwing around personal insults about people we have never met before.

      • graphicmac - 9 years ago

        The first problem with your screed is that the problem started long before Steve Jobs died. In fact, the stores were only open a few years before they started becoming overrun with teens flooding the floor units for free WiFi time, and every idiot on the planet flooding the Genius Bar because they somehow managed to change their desktop wallpaper and blame Apple for “hacking their MAC.”

        The second problem is that Tim Cook nor Angela Ahrendts seem to be the only two people (amongst the four people in question, including you and “the executive you put this to”) who understands that the stores are a business. And giving away a service that requires the
        use of above-minimum wage employees is bad for business.

    • Although I agree that the retail experience is pretty subpar (I could state some of my bad experiences in Apple Stores), I disagree with her being labeled a tasteless idiot. There are two extremes I’ve seen on this site: 1) Those who support Apple no matter what and make excuses for them and 2) Those who go overboard with their disappointment. Being somewhat in the middle would have people take you a little more seriously.

      • Thomas Massengale - 9 years ago

        What she said in the quote above was just stupid… and vapid.

      • Odys (@twittester10) - 9 years ago

        These quotes was NOT meant to be published by the external source. Although I love this site, I feel some of the reporting Mark does just oversteps the boundaries of meaningful opinion pieces and bluntly leaks internal company day-to-day business. I am surprised, Mark’s “sources” have not been fired yet!

    • rnc - 9 years ago

      Why should we care?

      http://www.apple.com/feedback

    • acslater017 - 9 years ago

      1) If you truly think a tasteless idiot was the CEO of Burberry and SVP at Apple, it says more about you than Angela Ahrendts. Calling a woman you’ve probably never met an idiot, and you think SHE’S crass? 2) She’s been Retail SVP for all of 12 months. Apple Stores have been struggling with crowds for 5 years. Why not blame David Cameron for your morning traffic jam too?

      3) You realize it’s impossible to please everyone, right? Allocate too many workers, and folks complain about “employees standing around”, inefficiency, wasting stockholders’ money, etc. Let people do walk-ins, and those who made appointments complain of cutting and “why did I bother calling ahead?” Everyone wants others to follow the rules and work within the constraints, unless it pertains to themselves. “Throw more resources at it” sounds good unless you’re a retail manager, a stockholder, or actually have a stake in it.

    • srgmac - 9 years ago

      First, Ahrendts hasn’t been at Apple that long — Second, she used to be head at Burberry…I don’t know if you’re into fashion, but I am, and what you have described as a “soulless crass retail experience” is the last thing I would ever think or say about Burberry…

      It *is* hard to get appointments at the Genius Bar though; I needed something done that can only be performed by them last November, I had to wait 3 months for an appointment — that was around Christmas time though…who knows. Either way it’s unacceptable — hopefully they will do something about that…I would think hiring more Geniuses and paying them more would probably fix that issue.

    • sgns - 9 years ago

      I enjoyed reading about your exchange with that polite executive, but I feel you’re making a mess out of the association of Apple Stores and Angela Ahrendts.

      First and foremost, it makes no sense to hurl expletives at her at a time when all Apple Store teams have had their hands full preparing for the Watch release, as well as the upcoming changes for the whole store experience at the same time. What you called vapid was said in reference to something that you haven’t seen yet. So at this point, you’re basically wrong on this issue by default.

      Secondly, and most importantly, many problems can’t be resolved by simply throwing more people, or more money, at them – you have to change the whole model of your problem, or these new people and what that money buys might end up making your problem more difficult to solve and even create new problems. Try to do deal with this at the same time as you’re releasing the most important new product in a decade at a place like Apple – your new employer – and risk destroying lots of other people’s good work, in addition to destroying your chance to make the good contribution you came there to do — no, I get why Ahrendts & Co are pacing themselves, and I fully support it.

      That’s exactly the point of the whole Apple experience: they don’t throw random people/money at things and complicate them without solving them – it takes time to get things right. They prepare their people and their move and only then execute it. Would it be nice to know things earlier? Yes. Would it be nice if they could do things so you could get your Genius support faster without waiting for the overhaul of the stores? Yes. But this is where the size of the beast is a challenge and so I say: give it time.

      P.S. To me, the “this is what you were born to do” is a reference to how selective the process for becoming an Apple Store employee is – which, as you probably know, is to say – extremely selective. So, then, she’s simply saying: this is your chance to do what you were selected for – what we already know you’re very good at. Something which may not have been visible to the world lately, if you’re working in a Store that is overcrowded and hampered by inadequate structures. So this is a message signaling that changes are coming. Again, give it time.

    • aukermania - 9 years ago

      Hatemail. Gosh.

      I feel she did a brilliant job. This is a much more personal device and would have been a disastrous launch if available in store at first. Apple tested the trial process and is now ready to meet demand. Excellent strategy. As long as there is ample supplies it will have been a great launch window. In reality they are fully preparing for the future generations of wearable tech launches.

      • Ready to meet demand?!? Really?!? My order made less than 30 mins into the pre-order (2 weeks before launch! over 50 days ago) which hasn’t moved form “processing” hell, and has an oh-so accurate delivery date of “June” – that’s your idea of ready? And while we’re talking about personal…. that’s not a reference to apple’s comms on the matter, that’s be non-existant (which I don’t believe makes anyones measure of “personal”). The comms we have had have been generic and impersonal company missives. Most people will receive their watches before their delivery date… That one really bugs me, because I can’t believe it was made without knowing that for certain combinations that would not be the case. Generalised inaccurate information… as personal as it gets. I have lost all faith in apple over this launch. It has been done in the most impersonal manner, with no comms, it has been done with lies (available on the 24th with a picture of a steel link bracelet on the advert… when did you actually ship them Apple?) and some of the most unbelievably bad customer support when _you_ contact them (more lies like “it’s due to high demand”… funnily enough their least popular model is the one their not delivering…) or just plain insensitive “we’ll help you set it up for free, just come into the store” – no thanks, I think I can manage, and telling me that, but not actually shipping me one, or even telling me within a reasonable window when you will!

        Obviously your experience has been the polar opposite of mine, and many others!

  4. Aaron Endersbe - 9 years ago

    I asked in the Covent Garden store on Saturday if they would ever be available for purchase in the store? And was told “Never. It will always be online only”.. Thanks for that.

    • aukermania - 9 years ago

      If true that’s bad. Of course it wouldn’t be available in store eventually. Anyone who saw the last keynote should know that.

  5. “She added that Apple needs to ‘make sure that [it has] the best customer experience and that [this launch] is faster, smarter, and better than [Apple has] ever done before.'”

    Absolutely ridiculous. The “launch” was supposed to be 04.24.15, but it was a confusing mess that left most people who wanted, and reserved, a Watch without one for at least a month. Even though I was fortunate enough to get my Space Grey sport with black band on 04.24.15, I know that the majority of people who preordered on 04.10.15 didn’t get it within a month of launch. That was not a good customer experience. Not being able to walk into the store on “launch day” and buy one isn’t a good customer experience. The launch should’ve been delayed for a month.

    I will admit that there was a part of me that felt good being one of relatively few to have an Apple Watch for three to four weeks. I still have yet to see another model exactly like mine, but I know they are definitely out there. The other part, a much bigger part, felt bad for people who had to wait. I’m sure there are people who are still waiting that preordered within the first few days of 04.10.15. As of two weeks ago when I went into one of my local Apple Stores, no employee had a Watch. The store manager had a demo unit on his wrist that just looped images.

    I’m not a longtime Apple follower, but this is the worst launch I’ve seen from them since I became an Apple customer (iPhone 4- release month). The rubber hit the road 04.24.15.

    • uf8ff - 9 years ago

      And then there’s me, ordered at 12:17AM on 04/10 and I’m STILL waiting for it to at least tell me more than just “June.” Ahrendts is an idiot.

      • acslater017 - 9 years ago

        Right, it’s not industrial design, manufacturing, logistics, or marketing’s fault. It’s the retail store, the last link in the chain. /s

    • george264 - 9 years ago

      I agree! Mine is coming today and I’m sitting by the window praying that the next time I blink a UPS truck is coming down my street.

    • srgmac - 9 years ago

      Completely agreed, the Apple Watch product launch was an utter failure in every single aspect — although I highly doubt that any of the problems were her fault, directly. There are a number of things Apple can do to make their product launches better — 9to5 ran a very good article about it and had a lot of good suggestions a few weeks ago. Hopefully she reads this blog and will implement some of those things :P I’m reserving judgement — she hasn’t been there that long, it’s too early to comment.

  6. Jacky Sermeus - 9 years ago

    i hope older people have the chance to explore Apple Watch?? Just curious?????

  7. dafthunk - 9 years ago

    “…this is what you were born to do…” haha wow what a face palm line. How depressing for Apple employees.

    • uf8ff - 9 years ago

      In other words “don’t aspire to much else in life. You’re supposed to give expensive products to people.”

    • roguedog - 9 years ago

      Apparently you dissenters to this line have never attended a motivational seminar, or, been involved in many team efforts, or played any type of team sport….. its par for the course brothers.

  8. Ben Powell - 9 years ago

    This is SO embarrassing. This is supposed to be the woman’s DEBUT!

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

      No, it’s the watches debut. Meaning it’s getting to the point where they’ll let people spend time learning how to use the product. Before, you could only try a non-working unit on to see what size, strap type that fits you best, but the units aren’t working units. They had a demo unit on that pedastal, but it was a demo unit the sales person would do demos when you tried on the watches during a short try-on. now, they are full stock of most models, and they are opening up the abilities to spend more time them. But she has been around for previous product launches, it’s just that the watch is just a different type of product launch.

  9. Milorad Ivović - 9 years ago

    “This is our moment to shine, this will be a launch unlike any we’ve ever had before… this is what you were born to do, this is why you are at Apple,” Ahrendts told employees

    Lots of people have jumped on this line, but I just wanted to point out that she’s (at least internally) admitting that this now is the actual launch, not April 24.

    Calling April 24 a launch was the kind of lie that makes even seasoned liars turn bright red from embarrassment.

    • Ben Powell - 9 years ago

      You have to admit it is quite the maths equation: ‘If Angela had one product launch on April 24th, and one extra product launch ‘now,’ how many product launches does Angela have until the watch appears in an Apple Store?’

  10. As someone who ordered in minutes of store opening for pre-orders in the UK, I have still yet to receive my order (I have “June” as an oh so accurate shipping time) I don’t have much good to say about this launch so far. The communication has been zero. The lies from Apple staff has been shocking “It’s because they are so popular” – really? So I ordered the least popular model, and that’s why it’s the last to ship? The launch date was the 24th April, must be why they didn’t even start to ship that model to mid May. It simple fills me with absolute joy to read these “personal” messages to customers. Apple has my contact details, but as a company who sells communication devices they seem unable to actually use them to contact customers.

    Sorry if this sounds bitter, but to be honest I feel like Apple is going the wrong direction with this launch. It’s been terrible, badly executed, inexcusable lack of comms (Just the odd missive from the bosses “Most people will get their watches before the window” – really? You knew which models would and wouldn’t but you didn’t respect your customers enough to give accurate comms).

    If anyone has any way of getting an honest answer out of apple. please share – I could do with some honest communication and I know people are getting fed up of rants from those of us Apple have deigned us not important to inform or deliver to.

    • Ben Powell - 9 years ago

      E-mail Tim Cook directly.. Then see how fast one of his skivvies takes to get back to you. (A mere hour in my case).

      • srgmac - 9 years ago

        Heh, I did the same thing awhile back when I bought TWO defective iPad 2’s in a row. I was so pissed I emailed Tim Cook and someone called me back within 45 minutes, told me I could go to my local store any time I wanted and open the box before leaving the store to make sure it wasn’t defective. It worked out very well I have got to say…but in this case (with the watch), I don’t think there’s really anything they can do about it…It’s not like he is a minority and the only person in that boat — there are probably hundreds of thousands of people still waiting to get their watch that was promised to them back in April FFS…

  11. acslater017 - 9 years ago

    Funny everyone thinks this is Ahrdent’s fault. I don’t see anyone calling for the heads of Cook, Ive, Newsom, Dye, Horwath, Williams, Schiller, Mansfield, Riccio, or Deneve – you know, the people responsible for DESIGNING, BUILDING, and SHIPPING the damn things.

    It makes very little sense at all to blame Angela Ahrdents for a lack of Apple Watch inventory. Industrial design, hardware, manufacturing, special projects, QA, logistics, and marketing (market research) all should bear responsibility before the SVP of Retail. When you consider everything that goes into a product like this, I can’t think of one good reason why the SVP of Retail is to blame. Do you guys think this all happened because Angela hit the “1 million” button instead of the “2 million” button?

    Why is everyone putting this on her? Because she’s new? Because she’s a woman? Because she comes from a fashion background, not engineering? Do we find her threatening and need a scapegoat? People who jump on her for this seem to be projecting their preconceived bias onto her, rather than thinking about what actually causes a product launch delay. Hint: THE STORE IS THE LAST STOP FOR THESE THINGS.

    • srgmac - 9 years ago

      Agreed…I doubt any of this is Arendts fault. Kind of off topic but I really can’t stand Phil Schiller…I’m never going to forgive him for his “NFC is useless” comments he made at the launch of the iPhone 5 — and then TWO years later, both new iPhones have NFC and the entire Apple Pay retail program is based around NFC…what a fucking numbskull.

    • vandy75 - 9 years ago

      Your comment add new dimension to the term idiot and your analysis, if one can call it that, is totally flawed. To in any way suggest that people are critical of her because she is a woman is simply insane. You say things like “preconceived bias” among other things…..you need a therapist in the worst possible way. Just to make it clear even to you….Angela presides over the retail operation. I can’t remember an Apple product launch that has created more universally negative consumer reaction. Was this because she is a woman? No she seems like an elitist out of touch with the core customer stuck in Burberry plaid which by definition is a confusing mess much like your brain. Jony Ive’s design and the engineering team actually saved the day despite the retail mess. I’ll buy you a membership at match.com..perhaps that will settle you down a bit.

  12. Context and delivery is everything, but the following AA quotes strike me as red flags:

    “make sure that [it has] the best customer experience and that [this launch] is faster, smarter, and better than [Apple has] ever done before.”

    “this is what you were born to do, this is why you are at Apple,”

  13. doonbelieve - 9 years ago

    Reblogged this on naturally informed and commented:
    like Tim Cook, Angela Ahrendts prepares Apple (stores) to move in a new and improved direction (of customer service).

  14. vandy75 - 9 years ago

    “This is what you were born to do?” What a pretentious a—–e. Angela Ahrendts is every bit the elitist shrew this “launch” suggests she is.

    • roguedog - 9 years ago

      Its called HYPERBOLE! SOP in most motivational efforts, team sports, etc. Its not taken literally by anyone, but it certainly does engage the sense of purpose, and value.

  15. Thomas Massengale - 9 years ago

    It’s true that I was coming off a very bad experience with getting a Genius Bar appointment, and so yes, perhaps my comments were a bit of a rant and should be taken in that light.

    That said, it is also true that the Genius Bar experience, at least at the London stores, is rapidly eroding as it has become VERY VERY difficult to get an appointment at any London Mac Genius Bar, and yes, Cook and Ahrendts can rightly be held accountable for that. They have to allocate more resources to meet demand, and they’re not. That does not equate to throwing money at a problem as someone suggested.

    Then on the heels of that to read her vapid and ridiculous comments to the retail staff suggesting that making this a successful launch is “what you (the Apple retail employees) were born to do”.

    In 2014 in Fast Company, Angela boasted that “nobody talked about culture, and nobody talked about brand,” as she was in 2006. Nobody was talking about ‘brand’ in 2006? In the early 90s at Ogilvy, we were calling ourselves Brand Stewards, and along with Ad Week, the most read magazine in the industry at that time was probably Brand Week. Really, I’d expect more from a CEO or an SVP of Retail and Online.

    And no, to be honest, I don’t think much of Burberry fashion. I don’t expect anyone to agree with me, but I find most of their stuff kind of tacky and not very tasteful. To me, Armani does great design. Hermes stuff has a lot of style. Tods makes lovely shoes. But Burberry? If sales equals taste, then Jobs was wrong in the 90s in saying that what Microsoft lacked was taste.

    Anyway, the bottom line is that Apple’s Mac Genius Bar is not getting the funding it needs to meet demand, and Cook and Ahrendts are ultimately responsible for that. It’s a lot more important than getting Kanye to wear a gold Apple watch that is a pretty ugly watch at that.

  16. rshae - 9 years ago

    Clearly this woman does not understand the Apple Customer. She is changing Apple customer service into a bad replica of high Burberry! which is not the Apple culture for the first time I walked into Apple and felt totally uncomfortable when I went to see the Apple Watch! They made me feel like I was some thief on the street coming to take their precious watch. It appears she is changing Apple into a something it’s not and this is dangerous for Apple and its investors! I mean come on man that Apple stock price should’ve jumped …had they had lines outside the store waiting to pick up their watch and leave with their watch the Apple stock would have soared. Mixing this woman into Apple is like oil and water ! I understand that you have a new fancy watch but let’s be clear it’s basically an iPod on your wrist… is not a Rolex! so stop hiring Rolex type people to market it. Apple became special because it made computing simple even for grandma. Now it seems that model is being threatened !

  17. zBrain (@joeregular) - 9 years ago

    john browett was also criticised “months” after he took over apple retail… same like angela ahrendts? does this mean, she won’t stay that long? ;-)

  18. Alec Giusti - 9 years ago

    They said BY JUNE. It is after June. Yet another fail with this launch. This lady needs to be fired. She’s made this the worst launch by far in apple history.