If You Want To Buy an Apple Watch In-Store, You'll Need a Reservation

An anonymous reader writes "Good news for those of you thinking of buying an Apple watch but were concerned the experience wouldn't feel exclusive enough. According to MacRumors there will be no walk-in sales the first few weeks of launch. Instead, you'll have to call the store and make reservations. From the article: "Apple will begin offering online pre-sales of the Apple Watch starting on April 10th, with the first deliveries occurring on April 24th, the official Apple Watch launch date. During those two weeks, customers will be able to have hands-on 'try-on' appointments at Apple retail stores in order to help make up their mind. However, according to training documents that MacRumors has received, Apple is not allowing any walk-in retail purchases for the Apple Watch at launch. Instead customers must make an online 'Product Reservation' to hold a specific Apple Watch model at a retail store. This new 'Product Reservation' system is used instead of Apple's 'Personal Pickup' system for Apple Watches. Apple's retail training documents indicate that 'If a customer walks in and wants to purchase a watch, offer the option to try on a watch. Then help them place an order online or through the Apple Store app.'"

Comments

Brilliant idea

[DogDude]

These guys really are brilliant marketers. Famously brilliant. People who define themselves by the shit they own will eat this up!

Re:Brilliant idea

[neumayr]

I agree, they're really following up on this "cater to the rich guys" business model. Though even though I like some of Apple's products, part of me would really like to see this product to fail. Bring Apple back from being a fashion accessory to a tech company.

Re:Brilliant idea

[gstoddart]

I agree, they're really following up on this "cater to the rich guys" business model

But, but ... they're the ones with all the money.

I'm sure people will go gaga over this. I, and I'm sure many people, will continue to not give a damn about the smart watch market.

It provides me with nothing at all other than another gizmo I don't want or need.

Re:Brilliant idea

[TWX]

Hell, I'm still wearing a decades-old Bulova Accutron, the kind with the actual tuning fork mechanism. No way that's getting replaced with something that will be obsolete in a few months.

Re:Brilliant idea

[macs4all]

I agree. apple users are snobs who define their identities by showing off their gadgets. I don't go near that, this is why I have a nexus one and moto360 writs watch along with a galaxy tab and chromebook on which I'm running Linux.

You do realize, of course, that what you just described is also a form of snobbery, too. One that is far too common on Slashdot.

It's that "...on which I'm running Linux." that really points out how 1337 you think you are.

Re:Brilliant idea

[Binestar]

So your just rude in another way reading emails or whatever when you should be paying attention to your customers. If the person i want to hire or keep hired isn't giving me the attention i am paying for we will just find one who will not be rude. Rudeness seems to be the dish of the last few decades

Couple of things: First, I believe you're getting the wrong idea on what I'm doing. I glance at my watch to see the sender, customer down emergencies will be coming from a specific sender. If it's important, I excuse myself from the conversation. I'm not reading emails on my watch, just seeing who the sender is.

Second, the customers are human and understand if there is an emergency that pulls me away from them that it's expected behavior. They know that if it were them with the server down emergency and I were at another customer that I would respond for them in the same way. This behavior is actually in our contracts.

Third: Our customers are businesses that are too small for dedicated IT but too large to have someone's nephew do it. We provide a service where they can have Professional IT services at a price that makes sense. All of our customers know we will respond to their emergencies which may pull us away from another customer the same way we'll respond to another customer's emergency and be pulled away from them. If that means I need to glance at my wrist to filter what is important vs what is not and that is an issue for you as a customer, we're actually okay letting you go as a client. By believing we're being rude by being available for our other customers you don't fit into our business model. We would have to raise our prices for you and lower our quality of service to our other customers.

Re:Brilliant idea

[macs4all]

Problem is that after a couple of years it runs dog slow, iOS8+ on the iPad 2 is pretty much unusable despite the claim that it is "supported".

I must admit I have been avoiding updating my iPad 2 to iOS 8, because I am concerned about that very issue. But, it has been nearly seven years since the iPad 2 came out; in "tech world", that's quite a long time,

If only the Apple fanboys could make their point without having to resort to bashing Android...

I'm a "fan"; but no "fanboy".

I work with Windows all day. I write Windows application software all day. My work laptop is a Samsung, running Windows 7. I have to deal with and do Admin stuff on several versions of Windows Server, from Server 2003 through 2012 R2. I'm a Certified SQL Server Admin. Blah, blah.

So I know the difference.

But you are right; at best, my jab was off-topic. At worst, it was as boorish as the daily onslaught of Apple-Hate that AC after AC spews on these pages.

And so, I will apologize.

Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[xtal]

Yeah, I see this going well.

This runs contrary to any experience I've had with Apple, especially in their retail stores. If I can't walk in and try something without booking an appointment, it'll be awhile before I get around to buying one.

Boo, hiss. I hope they get an earful over this.

Re:Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[Zocalo]

It's also only for the initial few weeks after launch. This is aimed at getting rid of those queues of people that just *have* to have the latest Apple iThing on launch day from cluttering up the streets around the store, which I'm sure goes over well with the city administration that needs to police the queue and deal with the aftermath - at least some of which I suspect have probably had words with Apple store managers or VPs about it. Unless it's a complete debacle I suspect we'll be seeing similar management of iPad, iPhone and other major product launches.

Re:Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[Anonymous Coward]

>prompt and circumstance
You're a pal and a cosmonaut.

Re:Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[CastrTroy]

At a price of $350, it's hardly expensive for a watch. I'm sure that requiring the appointment is much more related to getting the thing set up with your iPhone to make sure the whole thing goes seamlessly I could seriously see quite a few people buying one and being disappointed when they couldn't get it to pair properly with their phone, or they don't even own an iPhone, and just expected it to work on it's own. I think they just want to ensure that people get a good experience with the watch. And letting random people buy it off the shelf is probably a sure way to lead to a lot of people who have no idea what the product is, and just giving it bad reviews.

Re:Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[jittles]

It's also only for the initial few weeks after launch. This is aimed at getting rid of those queues of people that just *have* to have the latest Apple iThing on launch day from cluttering up the streets around the store, which I'm sure goes over well with the city administration that needs to police the queue and deal with the aftermath - at least some of which I suspect have probably had words with Apple store managers or VPs about it. Unless it's a complete debacle I suspect we'll be seeing similar management of iPad, iPhone and other major product launches.

My local Apple store was actually closed down by the fire marshal a few months ago. Now they force everyone to line up outside the store and count the number of people allowed in. On many Friday afternoons the Apple Store looks like a club, with people lined up just to get in the door. Even with an appointment, they force you to wait outside until there is space in the store. It's kind of comical because the inside of the store looks relatively empty compared to the crowd outside.

Re:Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[tlhIngan]

This runs contrary to any experience I've had with Apple, especially in their retail stores. If I can't walk in and try something without booking an appointment, it'll be awhile before I get around to buying one.

Try buying an iPhone. Only on launch day is it generally a free-for-all with long lineups. After that, it's pretty much make an appointment to buy iPhones. And that's to purchase - you can have them set up as well, but if you just want to be in and out, you need to make a reservation.

It's really a way to control demand because supplies will be short at first, especially since Apple doesn't have enough data to figure out which ones they need to make. You'd think maybe the Apple Watch Edition ($10K+) wouldn't sell too many, but Apple has been surprised before and quite possibly each store might only get 2 or 3, only to sell out consistenly. And maybe the Watch Sport (cheapest version) sells poorly over the Watch.

Plus, it also helps control scalpers to a small degree - just makes it a tiny bit harder if you want to order 10 of them.

They scalp iPhones - you won't believe the prices people will pay just to have a PHONE A MONTH EARLY.

Re:Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[Barlo_Mung_42]

$350 is expensive for a watch that will only last a few years.

Re:Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[geekmux]

Why the fuck do people put up with that shit? Even in Commieland they eventually said "enough, no more queuing up for nothing!"

Why do they put up with it?

Apparently you missed that whole part about the fire marshal being the one to institute the policy. Are you telling me that the human body burns differently when set on fire in "Commieland", or do people there simply not put up with all that safety bullshit meant to protect your life..

I'm guessing it's the latter, to which I'm not sure I would agree with people that clearly have zero fucks to give when it comes to personal safety.

Re:Way to piss off customers, Apple.

[jo_ham]

They don't have enough of them, simple as that.

Until their supply chain levels out, they're constrained.

You don't think they really want to do it this way in an ideal situation right?

They want to do whatever will make them the most money, but they have to contend with the fact that they simply will not have enough supply for the first few months of sales.

Re:It makes sense

[Somebody Is Using My]

Even better, the policy is offensive to the (supposedly) egalitarian notions of the country, as it suggests that only a special few can buy the product. With any other product, you can just walk in the store, lay down your money and walk out with your new toy. But with the Apple Watch, only a few (admittedly self-selected) people get that privilege. Suddenly there is a division of the "haves" and "have-nots" in the Apple customer base, and (even though anyone can become a "have" by making a reservation), this split unconsciously strikes people as unfair. This gets them talking about the policy and keeps the product in the news and in people's minds. It is a manufactured controversy designed to raise the awareness of the product. Even more, it makes the *purchase* of the product for those who do get a reservation all the more memorable, even though the actual product is itself unexceptional.

Its is brilliant marketing for a product that would otherwise be unable to compete on its own merits.

Makes sense

[Dan East]

This makes sense for a number of reasons. First, it will keep scalpers from buying up so many devices and selling on eBay. Makes it much easier for Apple to keep track of these people. Second, it will reduce the number of impulse buys for people that don't really understand what the device can, and more importantly, can't do, thus reducing the number of returns and increasing overall customer satisfaction. Sure, it has downsides, but I think the upsides probably win out in this case.

Desperate, not exclusive

[iamacat]

Exclusive is a salesperson spending an hour just with you, patiently helping you to choose just the right style. Like... Macy's, when buying a watch of comparable price! Apple can not sell jewelry for nuts, they should have partnered with stores that have experience with making customers feel exclusive.

Re:It makes sense

[gstoddart]

Oh, horseshit ... what's the waiting list for a Harley Davidson?

What's that? You don't think there is an air of luxury and exclusivity here?

America has never been egalitarian. In theory, anybody can become a rich douchebag and have more money than most.

But built into this has always been the notion someone will be rich and someone will be poor.

So, either you're all butt-hurt over the fact you didn't get signed up, or you're pointlessly wailing how unfair it is there are products which aren't available to just anybody on the day of release.

Me, I refuse to worry over how a bunch of people are feeling exclusive and cool to buy a product I don't care about.

Nobody wants this thing, what do we do?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm venturing a guess here - forecasted demand for the watch is low, and will not have the line-forming turnout that keeps Apple products awash in publicity.

They're making it "by appointment only" as a means of disguising this fact.

And if you don't live near an Apple store?

[quetwo]

I live about 85 miles from the closest Apple store.. Pretty much every interaction I've had when them is through an authorized reseller or via web/mail/phone. Forcing you to go to a store to pick one up is pretty much a PITA. Oh, and I don't live in the boondocks -- I'm in a city of 300,000 people, but stuck between two major markets, so Apple has passed us by.

Re: And if you don't live near an Apple store?

[Dynedain]

There's no Shake Shack near me even though I'm in the 2nd largest market in the US and they've opened a location in Dubai.

I'm fucked.

See how stupid that argument sound?

worried about no lines

[xombo]

Apple is worried that there will be no lines and that this will make the news, sending their stock price down.

So, they've created a highly-publicised reservation system to prevent any such news from being relevant.

even more problems getting the $10,000 watch.

[nimbius]

Speaking from experience, for those waiting to get their hands on the 10,000 dollar gold apple watch, good luck. apple makes this NEARLY impossible...heres all the crap ive had to put up with so far.
1. No helicopter landing at ANY apple store. I would have to park at an airport and find a limousine. who even does this anymore?
2. Usually the apple website is helpful for this, but with the appointment system and the weird locations of the apple store, It means i have to get off my yacht and actually enter the store. I didnt onboard a months supply of lox and champagne just to walk away from it. There are no ports of call on my island for the apple store