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by Shalomboy5 hours ago |
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upvoteby gandreani5 hours ago|
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Wow props to that sales rep. Not many would pass on the opportunity to sell something more expensive. I'm assuming they make some sort of (paltry) commission
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upvoteby mixdup4 hours ago|
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That assumption would be wrong, and is why you get that kind of service from them. They may have targets of units sold but the real target is customer satisfaction and part of that is getting the customer into the right product so they're happy with it
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upvoteby kccqzy2 hours ago|
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Targets of units sold is a better metric than targets of total revenue, if a company is focused on customer satisfaction.
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upvoteby articulatepang4 hours ago|
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I've had a similar experience with Apple Store employees many, many times: I walk in and vaguely describe what I want, and they steer me to the cheapest item they sell that could possibly meet my stated requirements.

I've also returned Apple products multiple times, once (recently) without the packaging, and once several days past the return window. They refunded me every time, no questions asked.

This makes me wonder if it's part of their training?

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upvoteby angulardragon034 hours ago|
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It is - you’re not trained to upsell, only to give the customer what they need to do what they want.

Can be a little annoying (an employee actively tried to downsell my partner, even though they knew what they wanted), but overall it’s a nice practice.

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upvoteby MagicMoonlight2 hours ago|
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Yeah they always try and talk me out of battery replacements, saying it doesn’t need it because it’s on 81% durability rather than 80%.
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upvoteby newsclues4 hours ago|
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I worked in AppleCare and even we support techs had incentives to sell products.

Incentives matter more than training.

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upvoteby dghlsakjg4 hours ago|
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Apple Store reps don't make commission.

My experience is that they are more focused on finding the right product for your needs. I've been there more than once where they happily downsell a customer.

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upvoteby goatforce513 minutes ago|
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At some point in the 2000s I was buying a laptop at an Apple retail store, and just before we processed the transaction the salesperson asked if I was a student.

"Umm, I kinda look like a student."

"Good enough for me!"

I got a student discount.

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upvoteby bdavbdav3 hours ago|
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I’ve found that experience fairly common at our Apple Store. They’ve talked me down.
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upvoteby tedmiston4 hours ago|
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no commission
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upvoteby newsclues4 hours ago|
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Does not mean no incentives.
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upvoteby alwillis3 hours ago|
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> This is such a better deal than I had growing up, Apple has to be taking a bath on these.

Apple doesn't sell anything where they're taking a bath; their margins have been high 30's to low 40's for many years. All of the technology in the Neo already existed; they didn't have to create anything new.

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upvoteby hobofan2 hours ago|
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To me the price seems to be so uncharactaristically low for Apple during a time where hardware prices are rising across the board that this almost feels like an attempt to try and capture the desktop market. During a time where Microsoft is fumbling with Windows on every front, having a competitively priced Macbook even for budget-concious people seems like a smart move that will pay off even without direct high margins.
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upvoteby AndriyKunitsyn3 hours ago|
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USB 2 in a type C form factor is pretty novel.
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upvoteby mjlee2 hours ago|
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Apple has been doing that on their base spec iPhones for the last 3 years.
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upvoteby kccqzy2 hours ago|
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How so? Buy a newish keyboard it has USB 1.1 in type C form factor.
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upvoteby socalgal21 hours ago|
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> Apple has to be taking a bath on these.

Why? Lots of companies sell Windows Laptops for under $200 (a 1/3rd the price of this). Personally I'd expect Apple's costs to be lower. Plus, Apple gets services money (iCloud, AppleTV+, ...)

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upvoteby einpoklum1 hours ago|
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> My high school required students to bring their own laptops to school when I started in 2010. Their shopping list suggested

How could they make you buy your own laptops? What if you didn't have one? ... Was that a private school maybe?

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