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Best Buy + Windows Guru = Apple Store Experience?
CWmike writes "As part of Windows Vista's $300 million marketing rehab, Microsoft will hire an initial wave of 155 'Windows Gurus' to walk around Best Buy and Circuit City stores to answer customer questions and defend Vista's reputation against skeptics, reports say. Gurus will earn $20 an hour or more, plus benefits. (Apply here.) One way Windows Gurus will differ from Apple Geniuses is that they are not intended to be sources of free technical support for existing Vista users. 'The Guru role is to help sell Windows-based PCs. It is not to be an alternative tech support channel for Microsoft as this has no financial return beyond improved customer satisfaction,' Baker said. One reason: Windows Gurus could end up 'lightning rods for customers' frustrations with Vista.'"
We'd... um... like to be like that company... that sells that O/S... that every one like... likes.
So we're going to send out these expensive sales people... to hype our product... but not stand behind it like the other guys do... because that would... be like work, man.
FTA: The good thing is that Microsoft will be able to get Windows explained appropriately on the sales floor.
Oh my God, does this sound ominous. Any Best Buy employee explaining Windows "inappropriately" will be taken out back by a Windows Guru and "evangelized".
I'm a big tall mofo.
Only people in marketing could come up with the term "guru" to mean "someone who can't help, and exists to market to you until you give in".
And Microsoft misses one of the myriad small points in why Apple is seen positively by so many people despite having software release management run by a Crurotarsan.
So existing customer satisfaction isn't important to Microsoft? Who would have ever thought that?
;-)
Well, knock me over with a feather!
More like villagers with torches and pitchforks.
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
So does the $20/hr include danger pay?
I've had some sales experience and, yes, these gurus will most definitely be lightning rods for customer frustration...any customer frustration. It doesn't necessarily have to do with Windows Vista.
I had a guy tell me I was an f'ing idiot because I tried to sell him a warranty (AKA do my job) because his printer just broke (after 5 months, which our warranty would have covered). I wasn't pushy, but, man...that was just rude. I certainly didn't cause his $500 printer to crap out. It was nice when our manager kicked him out of the store and told the guy never to talk to his employees that way.
Some people just like treating other people like crap.
While the application link is a nice touch, for some reason I think Microsoft may be wary of anyone coming in with a slashdot referer.
Given the commercials, I think it would be more appropriate for them to wander around Foot Locker...
I'm not quite sure I understand the tactic here. Best Buy and Circuit City - last I remember - don't sell Macintosh PCs or Linux/UNIX PCs. Therefore, the person would be in the store to shop for PC's loaded with Windows.
/me raises hand
Can I apply??
The Kai's Semi-Updated Website Thingy
That's cool, but do they meditate?
How could selling Vista machines possibly improve customer satisfaction?
I think I speak for us all when I say...
No.
What if I do the same thing, and I do get different results?
I use Apple and Linux at Home and Windows and Linux at work and I have to say that Apple (like Pixar) does a great job on polishing under the drawers; they don't do anything halfassed in the total experience. They control the product, the store and the whole experience for a reason... to make them look extremely polished and extremely in control.
Until Microsoft opens their own shops and controls their own hardware OEM, they can't quite duplicate the same experience that Apple has at their stores. They only thing they can do is create propoganda in a controlled environment. And Apple already has retail people and retail sections in Bestbuy locations so these MS people are going to have to compete on their turf; Apple people don't compete with anyone in their stores.
This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
It would be true if PC prices were tripled, and the whole interior of the store was white.
I don't respond to AC's.
"I'm really interested in Vista, but I can't afford it. Are there any cheaper alternatives?"
"Hey, can I still use X feature of Vista if I downgrade to XP? Why not?"
"Quick question -- when is the next operating system after Vista coming out? I'm really excited about that one. No, I don't know anything about it yet..."
"How does Vista compare to non-Windows operating systems?" (Open ended, should provide some laughs)
"If Vista is so good, why are you being $20/hour to stand around and tell me how good it is?"
Windows Vista Guru = salesperson.
Good grief Vista must suck.
Their adds where people try Vista and say gee this doesn't suck.
Their ads with with Gates and Sienfeld.
Until now I thought that Vista was just too much pain for not enough gain. I thought that maybe Windows 7 would be better.
Now I get the feeling that Vista is the Yugo of OSs. It must really suck if they are having to push this hard.
I was going to put Vista 64 on my wife's new PC. Now I am going to rethink that one.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
This could be worse than staffing one of the Dell kiosks in a mall where there's an Apple store.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Not to be overly cynical, but this sounds like paying a bunch of people to walk around and try to convince the user that the experience won't suck, has never sucked, and that I'm merely deluded.
I mean, how much of it will be true, and how much of it will simply sound like a sales pitch from someone who drank the Kool Aid?
Man, shopping in most electronics stores is annoying enough -- having some git wandering around stumping for Windows Vista is just one more nuisance to avoid. If I'm standing there looking at a PC, and after I've shooed the salesman away, I don't want to then have to deal with some MS shill.
Hearing that they won't actually be useful sources of information for existing customers only re-affirms my cynicism about this program.
Cheers
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Looking at where they're hiring I noticed Seattle, WA. I obtained the script that the Gurus will use there. It says, "Buy Vista or else the man on the hill there will find out!"
they are not intended to be sources of free technical support for existing Vista users
Until the people they convinced to buy Vista come back to the store in a black fart of rage looking for blood or someone to kidnap until their machine works like it did before.
Good. Freaking. Luck.
The apple stores centers around 3 things
1) The Genius
2) An army of employees running around to help people
3) A non intimidating open and easy to navigate store
Everything they do hight lights those two things, because they can do your credit card purchase remotely they can spend more time helping people decide. They reserve so much of the store for their training sessions and demo units that the Apple store does not feel like a big box store. I don't have to work my was past cameras, dvd's, home appliances, and video games to get to the computers.
The apple gurus are *not* sales folks and I have had them send me other places rather than buy an over priced adapter (ironically they sent me to best buy) meanwhile the 'The (Microsoft) Guru role is to help sell Windows-based PCs'. Yea thats what MS need more sales pressure at best buy...
"Ahh! Arrogance and stupidity in the same package, how efficient of you!" --Londo Molari
"as this has no financial return beyond improved customer satisfaction"
This just says it all about the entire Microsoft experience.
[Enter PC and Mac. Each of them has a friend.]
Mac, "Hey PC, who is your friend?"
PC, "This is my [Microsoft store tool]. She's here to tell everyone how great Vista is. I see you have a friend. What does he do?"
Mac, "This is my genius. He helps everyone USE their Apple and answers any technical questions that they may have. PC, does your friend answer technical questions? Does your friend do anything other than try to convince people to spend money on a product and then leave them out in the cold when they have questions about it? Huh? Does he? Or is he just another over paid, worthless, Microsoft marketing..."
PC, "Shut up Mac!"
I guess that's all they could find for a "Guru" willing to accept $20.00 per hour. Sorry, but if you use "expert," "genius," or "guru" in your title, you will not see $20.00 per hour.
There are no loopholes. It's either legal or it's not.
I guess the BSOD was not enough? Now they want to have gurus too?
Don't have the energy or desire to determine all that.
I need a twinkie and some diet squirt.
How much is your data worth? Back it up now.
When is "The Linux Store", one like the Apple stores, coming? IBM and HP and Sun could get together, fine tune various laptop, desktop, GPS, multimedia, cellular, console, and home management systems in 10 major cities:
San Francisco
Boston
Dallas
Houston
Los Angeles
New York
Baltimore
Denver
Phoenix
Atlanta
just to name some/around 10 cities. I imagine these and other companies could find a creative way to write this off as marketing. Rent or lease properties, them them like Gateway did and Fry's does, aim the products at people earning less than $35,000 a year, and MAKE DAMNED SURE that Gutenprint, SAMBA, Webmin, VNC, and other mixed-environment tools work. Get Compiz/Beryl/Metisse working like never before. Commit to being open 18 hours a day for 2 years. Tie it in to local unemployed/trainable people so cities and counties will allow some variances that otherwise would hamper such a project. Make sure smoothies and coffee and magazines are available, as well as some games, joysticks, and ESPECIALLY CAD apps, like Punch! ViaCAD, Medusa, and products such as 3dConnexion are on hand.
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
And the products would, you know, not suck.
-dZ.
Carol vs. Ghost
The overall expenditure on this "campaign" seems relatively minor in the scope of the whole "rehab" effort.
Assuming the full-time hours stated in TFA, and that they continue this for a whole year (not stated):
$20/hr=$40k/yr
155*40k=6.2 mil
6.2 mil = A little over 2% of their total rehab effort
What sucks even more from the perspective of being one of these "salespeople" is that you, unlike the other store salespeople, don't even have the opportunity for commission, which must make it even harder to internally justify the act of promoting Vista to unsuspecting saps.
Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
Just what MS needed....
I get it now. If you disagree with the majority on
19. All positions require the successful completion of a thorough background check and multiple-panel drug test prior to the start of your employment.
I think you're reading this requirement wrong. "Successful completion" of a multi-panel drug test means that you need to show proof that you are actually taking some sort of mind-altering drug or they won't allow you to work for them. The reason for this is simple: Being willing to work as a Windows Vista evangelist without being under the influence of narcotics is a sure sign of dangerous mental illness.
When people start to realize that these "gurus" won't help them with their problems, they will get more irritated than with the usual clueless Best Buy salesdrones. After all, what do you expect a guru to do? Answer questions!
So they will either have to figure out some kind of transition to make those gurus available for tech support (which of course means a lot more training), or end up doing more damage than good.
EagerEyes.org: Visualization and Visual Communication
What happens when the customer comes back NEXT weekend and tries to get the "guru" that gave him the advice to buy the Vista box?
Okay, grab a different "guru". Why can't you answer my question? The other guy said that it WOULD work.
It's not going to take many episodes like that before this becomes a disaster for them.
So, you initiate conversation with a Vista Guru while continuing to walk through BB, innocently meandering towards the Apple area, making sure to get near the Apple rep (if any). Once within earshot, ask about the whole iTunes/Vista BSOD silliness, and wait until the Guru and the Apple guy knock each other out, then loot the bodies! Effortless!
Returned Peace Corps IT Volunteer
It has nothing to do with software. It is, however, a pretty standard requirement for application to most jobs these days.
The last two jobs I have accepted a position with (both with large corporations) required this kind of testing.
It keeps real programmers from working for them
Go go Gadget Nailgun!
These pushers are why MS can't sell vista. They want to sell the product, they want to market it, but they won't support it. What Apple has is the personal touch. Chat icon on the help website. People at the stores you can talk to when you have problem. They support the product. Anyone can go in and talk to a rep for free, even on old product. MS does not support anyone without an additional charge.
Here is what would encourage people to buy vista and MS based computers in general. For about 100 million dollars they could put a help technician in every best buy store. Just a person sitting a desk. Wiling to help anyone who came in with a question. I bet Best Buy would donate facilities. Anytime someone had an issue with any MS Windows based computer, just come in a get some help. Make a reservation. Get the help in person. Do you think MS spent less than $100 million on the series of ad with Seinfeld, and those don't help anyone. The sales droid walking around lying to customers don't help anyone either. It realy seems like MS will spend money on anything other than helping the end user.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
None of this has anything to do with actual software. It has to do with image. Strung out felons tend to not help create a good image.
It's BS and an invasion of privacy, and unless someone has very serious issues it's ineffective due to various helpful products. Most jobs these days require either a 4 year degree or UA.
I remember when I worked a CompUSA, back when they were the exclusive retailer for Apple. We generally tried to keep one Apple specialist on staff at all times.
However, he was usually outnumbered by Apple fanboys that came in to the store to spread the good word of Apple, for no pay at all. Apparently local Apple owners were so in love with their Apples that they were willing to come in and preach the word of how much they loved their Apple, just for the fun of it.
And yes, of course the fanboys sometimes new more than our Apple specialist on staff.
But now Microsoft is going to pay fanboys to go in to retailers and preach the gospel. That really says something when the product from Microsoft cannot build the fandom that Apple had 10 or more years ago.
Disclaimer - I use neither Apple nor Microsoft products in my own personal use.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Each year, during the holidays, I work for a subcontractor of HP in a Best Buy, Circuit City, whatever, to be a rep for HP products. For $20 an hour, ten hours a week I fix displays, keep track of inventory, help people with buying decisions, etc.
At no point was I told to exert undue pressure on someone to buy. Or to misrepresent the product. Or talk down competitors. I am there to demo products, and give my honest opinion.
This just isnt as ominous as people make it out to be. Standard practice, from any other company.
It can be go tiem now plees?
You do know that an Apple Genius doesn't sell stuff, right? If you have a problem with your Apple product (that you OWN) you can go see a genius and they'll fix it for you. Live, in-person tech support. From my experience they're not the equivalent of the telephone front line script-reading monkey either, but rather closer to the guy who actually looks at your hardware after the script monkey gives up and tells you to ship it in.
The Windows Gurus... your point applies 100%.
None of this has anything to do with actual software. It has to do with image. Strung out felons tend to not help create a good image.
Yeah. Stoners are bad publicity.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
The reason for this is simple: Being willing to work as a Windows Vista evangelist without being under the influence of narcotics is a sure sign of dangerous mental illness.
$20 an hour or more, plus benefits? That's awesome for a job that doesn't seem to require much in the way of education or experience. I've never even used Vista and I'm tempted to apply 'cause it requires less effort and pays better than my on campus research/tutoring gigs.
open source modern art: laser taggi
Apple Geniuses and Vista Gurus are both forms of a shill. Apple Geniuses shill for Apple, and Vista Gurus shill for Microsoft. They are paid money to actually promote that company's products and nothing else. So they will automatically downplay Linux, AROS, ReactOS, and other alternatives to the products they are shilling for.
I disagree entirely.
I can't speak for anyone else but having only recently switched to Apple products (6 months ago) after several ongoing years of 'Apple-hating' the several repeated occasions I've asked an in-store Apple 'Genius' for an unbiased opinion on one or more of Apple's hardware, or be it software products I've often been directed not to purchase from Apple, memory is a one example that immediately springs to mind.
Although most of these occasions have centred around hardware, I'm confident I'd receive the same unbiased, honest recommendation if Apple actually released software that wasn't, in my personal opinion since switching, superior to available rival alternatives.
My development environment, organisation and overall life, has (however cheesy it sounds) improved dramatically in recent months thanks to the quality and all round customer care I've received from Apple since migrating.
- Dan
Well, the job certainly doesn't require you to know anything, because if you did, you couldn't sell Vista without lying.
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
Sure you can
"With Vista, you will find yourself working harder than you ever have before"
"I cannot recommend vista too highly"
"I am pleased to say I am a former user of vista"
http://notanumber.net/