Katie MarsalAll 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.
"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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49 Comments
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.
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?
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.
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.