Re: smurfs guarding access to manager of our new Apple store.
Re: smurfs guarding access to manager of our new Apple store.
- Subject: Re: smurfs guarding access to manager of our new Apple store.
- From: John Linthicum <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2005 08:36:01 -0500
On 11/22/05 12:25 AM, "chaeles lenington" <email@hidden> wrote:
> Anyone have suggestions on how to get by smurfs preventing access to
> store manager?
> I dropped by to introduce myself and ask what they could do for our user
> group. One smurf refered me to a blonde smurf (no title on id badge) who
> stated, "you have to call Apple". Of course after a trip of 40 miles i
> wasn't to happy at the brush off. I'll try again but, it looks grim. May
> have to close down user group in Oklahoma City permanently.
> So, does anyone have the smurf evader code?
Well, Charles, I don't know if there's such a thing as a smurt evader code. But perhaps I could offer a few suggestions. First of all, referring to the folks who work at the store as smurfs on a public Apple-owned mailing list isn't going to win you any friends there. I believe that approaching them with the "what can you do for me?" question isn't going to win you any favors either. Also, perhaps making a 40 mile trip to a store, without knowing whether the person you'd need to speak with was going to be there (store managers don't work open to close all the time, that's what assistants are for), might not have been the best use of your time. Your own grim expectation of what might happen again is telling. You'll probably get what you're expecting. Also, just my opinion, if you're using whether or not you are keeping a User Group alive simply by whether you get any response from the Apple Store Manager, you may already be dead.
Now having said that, Apple's been in the retail business long enough to know now that their store managers are *retail people*, not Mac people (that's us). If you've got a proposition for one of them, make it to their advantage as well. And the best way to do that is asking them. "We're a captive Mac audience and want to see you succeed; what can we do to help you, Mr./Mrs. Manager?" Also, how you approach those who work for that manager very well determines whether your message gets to them. Got a business card? If not, make one and perhaps a note in case they're not in the store the next time you're there. Or better yet, call first, make sure the manager knows you're coming and what you're coming to discuss. If it's to their advantage to meet with you, they will. Have something in mind when you get there; don't leave it open-ended. They have enough of that.
Now to reality. User groups are notorious for being the folks that hang on to equipment past it's upgrade cycle. We're also notorious for approaching folks to simply give us stuff. This is a stereotype that some of are constantly trying to overcome, and the Apple store managers are well aware of this. As such they may not have been implicitly instructed to put us on a back burner, but it often works out that way. That's fine by me. Remember, our existence and whether or not we prosper as a group doesn't depend on Apple. We're here for each other, a *user* group. The folks who work at the store closes to us are nice people and they do a good job. The manager there is attentive and runs a tight ship from what I've heard. He's also a nice guy and always has a moment to meet with me when I stop by. In the past, he's allowed a couple of his folks to come to a meeting on the clock and do a presentation. We have more of a peaceful co-existence kind of relationship. On the other hand, we have a great relationship with one of the local Apple dealers. They're paid members at the business level, and subsidize some of the meeting costs, keeping dues static for the past couple of years. Perhaps you have someone *else* you could contact that might yield better results?
--
Regards,
John Linthicum
XMUG, A Macintosh User Group
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