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Saturday, July 26, 2008, 12:00 pm
Apple stores now open at 8 A.M. to handle iPhone 3G demand
All of Apple's US retail outlets are now in a permanent launch mode and will open as much as two hours earlier each day to accommodate the unprecedented demand for the new iPhone. Also, at least some locations are now giving customers rainchecks for the day's iPhone 3G stock.The company's availability page now tells customers that stores that normally open at 10 A.M. will now open at the new time and are adding new employees to their ranks to process customers at a faster rate.
"To accommodate demand for iPhone 3G, all Apple Retail Stores will now open at 8:00 a.m. every day but Sunday," Apple says. "We're also adding staff to help you get up and running as quickly as possible."
While the change will do little to alleviate queues at the company's flagship stores -- many of which already open earlier -- the move gives Apple more time to clear queues for iPhone 3G at its locations that often continue to last for hours even two weeks after the official launch.
Additionally, AppleInsider has confirmed first-hand that at least some stores are changing their approach to selling iPhone 3G.
While Apple until now has only promised iPhones to customers as long as they stay in queue at the store, the company is now pre-qualifying customers who line up at the store and will set aside an iPhone 3G to be picked up later, when it's more convenient for them to do so. In many cases these buyers have until 6 P.M. to collect their purchases.
The method should stagger the appearance of iPhone customers throughout the day and head off potential disappointment from customers who may have to quit the line early due to other commitments.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider 
The method should stagger the appearance of iPhone customers throughout the day and head off potential disappointment from customers who may have to quit the line early due to other commitments.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
The method should stagger the appearance of iPhone customers throughout the day and head off potential disappointment from customers who may have to quit the line early due to other commitments.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Thank god. I don't know why no one ever considered the idea of taking a number or keeping a list, but eventually, the glory of waiting in line for 4 hours wears off. Why not let people take a number and then come back at an estimated time, so they don't have to sit and do nothing for 4 hours?
Quote:
Originally Posted by cameronj
Thank god. I don't know why no one ever considered the idea of taking a number or keeping a list, but eventually, the glory of waiting in line for 4 hours wears off. Why not let people take a number and then come back at an estimated time, so they don't have to sit and do nothing for 4 hours?
Thank god. I don't know why no one ever considered the idea of taking a number or keeping a list, but eventually, the glory of waiting in line for 4 hours wears off. Why not let people take a number and then come back at an estimated time, so they don't have to sit and do nothing for 4 hours?
I think Apple really thought the demand would not persist so strongly beyond the first weekend, even factoring in the extended purchasing process time. This poor forecast would also explain the severe stock-out last Sat and Sun, in that the ramp was totally insufficient. Though it finally looks great (over 90% of stores have at least 2 of the 3 models).
But I am glad that they're changing the process. Now it's almost like Fastpass at Disney World.
The other nice thing when I (finally) got my phone this morning - they are going to start doing only one shipment a day, and once they have sold out, that is it.
This at least means that they will have some phones at each store every day, and you don't have to keep calling back during the day to see if they will get more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mark2005
I think Apple really thought the demand would not persist so strongly beyond the first weekend, even factoring in the extended purchasing process time. This poor forecast would also explain the severe stock-out last Sat and Sun, in that the ramp was totally insufficient. Though it finally looks great (over 90% of stores have at least 2 of the 3 models).
But I am glad that they're changing the process. Now it's almost like Fastpass at Disney World.
I think Apple really thought the demand would not persist so strongly beyond the first weekend, even factoring in the extended purchasing process time. This poor forecast would also explain the severe stock-out last Sat and Sun, in that the ramp was totally insufficient. Though it finally looks great (over 90% of stores have at least 2 of the 3 models).
But I am glad that they're changing the process. Now it's almost like Fastpass at Disney World.
The demand has persisted past the first weekend because they had nowhere near enough phones to satisfy the initial demand. I got up at 5 am on the day of the introduction and lined up outside a Fido store in Toronto. When the doors finally opened at 10:30, the store manager claimed that he had been instructed to sell only to new customers and refused to sell me a phone. As a result, I had to phone in and place an order after all the supplies available that day were sold out.
I'm still waiting for my phone. I called Fido yesterday and they say that they haven't received any more shipments of 16GB iphones since the first day. So after two weeks, no new deliveries and customers like me who tried to get them on the first day are still waiting.
If they haven't even cleared up the first day demand, obviously it will be a long time before they can meet ongoing demand. Its good for Apple that they're selling so many phones, but bad for customers that they underestimated demand so badly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mark2005
I think Apple really thought the demand would not persist so strongly beyond the first weekend, even factoring in the extended purchasing process time. This poor forecast would also explain the severe stock-out last Sat and Sun, in that the ramp was totally insufficient. Though it finally looks great (over 90% of stores have at least 2 of the 3 models).
But I am glad that they're changing the process. Now it's almost like Fastpass at Disney World.
I think Apple really thought the demand would not persist so strongly beyond the first weekend, even factoring in the extended purchasing process time. This poor forecast would also explain the severe stock-out last Sat and Sun, in that the ramp was totally insufficient. Though it finally looks great (over 90% of stores have at least 2 of the 3 models).
But I am glad that they're changing the process. Now it's almost like Fastpass at Disney World.
Of course the demand caught them by surprise, but every store manager should have had the common sense to look at the line and say gee, is there any way I can make these people happier? Get a deli-style number ticket machine and give people numbers so they can go off and do their business rather than sweat all afternoon.
At some point the cachet of having long lines outside your stores has to turn into shame at not being able to help your customers any faster and putting them through a wasted day IMO.
After making three disappointing trips to the Apple Store to find out that either their web site availability was wrong, they sold out before I could get down to the store, or the line was 3 hours long to purchase and activate the iphone, I've come to my senses and decided to wait indefinitely. There are just too many people competing with each other to get these things, and the ability to supply them is constrained.
There are two bottlenecks that people have to consider: iPhone availability for the model you actually want, and the activation process itself which allows for about 20-25 activations per hour. The current system has been designed to constrain the purchasing process, which only hypes the purchasing experience (good or bad).
As a proponent of Apple products, I'm very happy for Apple and the faithful customers that are willing to wait.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clrcut
After making three disappointing trips to the Apple Store to find out that either their web site availability was wrong, they sold out before I could get down to the store, or the line was 3 hours long to purchase and activate the iphone, I've come to my senses and decided to wait indefinitely. There are just too many people competing with each other to get these things, and the ability to supply them is constrained.
There are two bottlenecks that people have to consider: iPhone availability for the model you actually want, and the activation process itself which allows for about 20-25 activations per hour. The current system has been designed to constrain the purchasing process, which only hypes the purchasing experience (good or bad).
As a proponent of Apple products, I'm very happy for Apple and the faithful customers that are willing to wait.
After making three disappointing trips to the Apple Store to find out that either their web site availability was wrong, they sold out before I could get down to the store, or the line was 3 hours long to purchase and activate the iphone, I've come to my senses and decided to wait indefinitely. There are just too many people competing with each other to get these things, and the ability to supply them is constrained.
There are two bottlenecks that people have to consider: iPhone availability for the model you actually want, and the activation process itself which allows for about 20-25 activations per hour. The current system has been designed to constrain the purchasing process, which only hypes the purchasing experience (good or bad).
As a proponent of Apple products, I'm very happy for Apple and the faithful customers that are willing to wait.
Go to the ATT store and put in an order. No waiting. They take your credit card but they don't charge it until the phone ships.
I'm glad a new system has come up--and I can see why it was done from the top rather than having each manager invent his own procedure.
But nobody is MAKING these people wait in line. I want an iPhone too. Maybe I'll get it next week. Maybe another month. I won't perish either way, and I won't wait in lines. Apple's availability tracker is all I need to judge when the rush is ending.
There's nothing wrong if you DO have the time and desire to put towards getting one sooner... but you don't HAVE to.
A: "We've run out of iPhones."
B: "I've got the solution..."
A: "Produce more phones, and get them in the stores?"
B: "No. How about we open an hour earlier?"
A: "What good will THAT do?"
B: "You're right. How about two hours earlier?"
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from what the guys at my local store told me the claim check is ALL stores.
basically at the start of the day, they will pre qual everyone to eliminate issues once the process starts. to avoid wasting customer's time and the staff's time with surprise calls to ATT or calls home because you forgot your account number etc. if you pass that step you get a ticket good until 6pm that day. you can stay or go. but you must be back and have presented your ticket by 6pm. if there's a bunch of folks at any time, there will be a line of ticket holders. no one will be in line without a ticket because exactly the number of phones will be accounted for. so no more waiting without knowing you can get a phone.
it's not quite a waitlist or pre-order but I for one like the idea that I can go and pass the first test before my shift and then come back during my lunch hour to pay up.