Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Apple's Customer Service Hire Comes from Company with Bad Customer Service

    By Rebecca Greenfield | The Atlantic Wire – Tue, Jan 31, 2012
    Apple's Customer Service Hire Comes from Company with Bad Customer Service

    In a rare out of company hire, Tim Cook has appointed John Browett, current chief executive of British electronics retailer Dixons, to head up Apple's retail arm. Browett will oversee Apple's retail operations, with Cook selecting him for his focus on premium customer service. "Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else we've met," Cook said in the company press release. "We are thrilled to have him join our team and bring his incredible retail experience to Apple." But, Dixons, the number two U.K. gadget seller doesn't have all that great customer service.

    RELATED: Tim Cook Is Just the Face Apple Needs


    As Yankees who have never shopped at Dixons, we were tipped off to this reputation by Financial Times consumer tech journalist Jonathan Margolis. "#Apple has hired bloke from Dixons to run retail. Tim Cook very excited about this as he's Mr Customer Service. Has he been to a Dixons?" he tweeted. A little Internet reporting confirmed the dig. Though Dixons didn't disappoint in overall service, as the graphic below via customer review site reevoo shows, the company seriously lags in the customer service department. 

    RELATED: Tim Cook Got a Very Nice Signing Bonus


    RELATED: How Apple Is Protecting the iPhone 5's Secrets


    Another ratings site, TrustPilot, confirmed the bad rap, giving the place two stars, including shaming anecdotes titled "Should be no stars because they are 100% useless." Google also reveals insightful discussions like "Is Dixons Customer Service That Bad?" leading us to believe this is a thing. At least, enough of a thing to worthy blog-rants.

    RELATED: Tim Cook Is Ridding Apple of Some of Steve Jobs's Evils


    Though, some think that Browett shouldn't take the blame for this shortcoming. "Can't blame Browett; he's done a great job at Dixons and Apple is too good an opportunity to pass up," tweeted retail analyst Neil Saunders. Browett gets credit for "leading a transformation of Dixons' fortunes through store revamps and service improvements," The Wall Street Journal's Jessica Vascellaro tells us. Though, we're not sure what kind of transformation the company had, considering Dixons's shares have lost more than 30 percent of their value over the last year, reports The Guardian. And, under his leadership, Browett closed 77 of its 177 locations, notes The Verge.

    RELATED: Apple CEO Says Company Cares About Every Worker


    As senior vice president of retail, Browett will head up Apple's successful Apple store strategy, including its Chinese expansion. As Cook's first hire -- he promoted iTunes wizard Eddy Cue a few months ago -- hopefully Browett will prove he had not much to do with all the company's decline. With all the bad Foxconn related press, Apple doesn't need someone to tarnish their pristine reputation for customer service. 

     

    5 comments

    • jason
      jason  •  Aguanga, California  •  3 mths ago
      And this is what happens when the visionary, the dreamer and the creator of the company dies. Since Jobs has died the company has been in a freefall
    • Bass Man
      Bass Man  •  3 mths ago
      Apple's idea of customer service is, "You are experiencing problems with your iPod? We could send it in for repiars which will take six months and cost you almost the price of a new one.....or you can buy a new one." or "I'm sorry Sir, that model iPhone is no longer supported. You can buy the current model now...which will be outdated and no longer supported in 6 months."
    • MT_33
      MT_33  •  3 mths ago
      Apple is in free fall. The fact is, somehow Steve Jobs built up this cult of personality so their overpriced, outdated crap kept being called "innovative". But now that their moves are being looked at in the same light as every other company the cracks are starting to show
    • A Yahoo! User  •  3 mths ago
      I'm not sure what the news story is here. I mean, Cook says he's impressed with the guy's customer service skills...the skills are awful, but still enough to impress Cook. I'd say that that, alone, should tell you how Apple feels about their customers...but then, as they sit there and release a slightly modified version of the same hardware over and over, you'd think that'd be enough to tip anyone off...
    • Max Fubar
      Max Fubar  •  3 mths ago
      Real Customer Service comes from the fact that satisfying the customer may cost some money in the short run, if executed properly, that same customer returns for additional purchases. Proper execution means for every dollar the company spends satisfying that customer, returns 8-10 dollors per dollar spent. SO, if you could throw $1 million in to the stock market and pull back $8 million in short order, in th e matter of 3-6 months, would you do it? If not, you are an idiot and likely one of the reasons this country is going down the drain as the rats circle and grab what they can.
     Post a comment
    [ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
    [ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
    One money saving tip you probably haven't tried
    Add your ideas and help make it happen. Join the conversation.
    Episode 11: Hard times for Hometown Hardware
    Should Bill and Donna take on more risk to boost their business?
    One small business owner surprises Bill and Donna
    How Josh's comment on a Remake America video laid the groundwork for something bigger.
    Learn more about Remake America »
    Loading...