Apple Reviews in Boston, MA Area

Pros

The best reasons to work at Apple, aside from the employee discount, are the people that Apple considers employees. They are some of the most talented individuals I have ever met.

Cons

The only thing I didn't like was the hours I had to work; however, this falls more on a personal responsibility than a company's.

Advice to Senior Management

You guys were great mentors and I can only hope that our roads cross again in the future! You are the best management.

Pros

Fun place to work
Good benefits
Great co-workers

Cons

Management
No work-life balance
Cult-like atmosphere
Very demanding hours
Very strict company policy

Advice to Senior Management

Offer better feedback to employees
Offer better and clearer training

Pros

Great products, excellent customer support, supportive management, great benefits

Cons

Can't always get your preferred job assignment

Pros

The epitome of technology
Job respect
Unparalleled benefits package for retail
Fair employee discounts
Get to work with products you love and use yourself
Lateral team members generally very fun to work with

Cons

Customers are becoming more "trend" customers rather than highly educated
Insufficent pay
Dated time measurement and vacation policies
Business needs will never be met by staffing
Development and employee issues will always be put 2nd

Advice to Senior Management

Beging making your priorities your people. Apple preaches how important their people are, they are obviously only talking about corporate employees because retail employees are some really talented people given the nature of the position, but we're constantly having dirt kicked in our face. For the amount of nonsense we deal with completely unrelated to our job, and for the amount of revenue we generate for the company, a little more true recognition would be definitely called for.

Pros

Apple provides their employees with great growth opportunities. The management lets you achieve and develop on your own, without pushing or prodding you into roles you don't necessarily want. They expect you to own your own development and to push yourself to be better.

Cons

While Apple pays better relative to other retail environments, considering Apple's massive cash assets and the knowledge their employees are expected to display, I would expect them to compensate their employees somewhat better. Apple's attitude on the matter is that their work environment is an "experience" which is as rewarding as cash compensation. While I understand and appreciate the value of this work environment, you can't pay the bills with "experience."

Advice to Senior Management

I would consider compensating employees better. I have seen far too many extremely talented and dedicated people leave Apple simply because another position pays much better.

Pros

Great people, challenging and fun atmosphere

Cons

Pay not commensurate with ability

Advice to Senior Management

Please offer more incentives to employees, with regards to basic pay. They put in so much for Apple. Their efforts should be recognized.

Pros

Apple is always changing and really listens to its customers and staff to evolve. The diversity of the staff is refreshing and the knowledge base really makes it an amazing experience.

Cons

Staying current on company initiatives and keeping the communication flowing through the teams can be overwhelming. The innovativeness can be empowering as well as challenging to get buy in to your vision.

Advice to Senior Management

Clear specific feedback, weekly exchanges to keep lines of communication open, focus on life work balance.

Pros

good perks...also good flexibility....i like the launch days alot....some of the most exciting experiences ever

Cons

management tries to speaprate itself from the rest of the staff....also they need to promote management internally. It would give current employees more incentive.

Advice to Senior Management

promote managers internally......but definitely not within the same store.

Pros

The benefits package is amazing. Medical, Dental, Vision, an insane employee discount for you and your family, as well as a variety of discounts at other stores and venues. Being a specialist is super-easy.

Cons

The Family Room Specialist position is a total con. When it was offered to me, it was referred to as an entry-level position, yet it is a position that those who start as specialists are promoted to. The work is backbreaking, requiring a significant deal of knowledge and an ability to take abuse from customers. You don't get to just chat with customers about cool speaker systems. You have to deliver the bad news. You have to be able to deal with pissed of customers, work quickly, be creative and sharp. It's a huge step up from the specialist position, and although it requires only a tenth of the technical skill required to be Genius, it requires just as strong an ability to work with angry, upset and confused customers with broken tech. Yet you make less than half of what some of the geniuses make.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop acting like counselors at summer camp. Yes, there are a lot of college-aged kids working at the store, but there are plenty of adults there who deserve to be treated as such. Also, try and hide the favoritism a little bit. Not because it makes employees who aren't favorites feel bad, but it makes you look like really weak leaders.

Pros

Apple is innovative and hard-working. It not the easiest job but if your looking for challenge (which I was) and want to work with retail and technology there is no better company to work for. The benefits are great - even when you are part-time. No matter what position you work with the company there is always room for growth and everyone is one big happy family.

Apple spends lots of money, time and har-work into making Apple retail flawless. They have a special corporate team dedicated to making internal software that'll ease workflow for employees and customers.

Cons

The politics inside of Apples culture are a little bizarre. For example, when something is released and it is slightly wrong or people are unhappy with it the everyone in the company needs to be prepared to take one stance on the subject and hold onto that stance until Apple says other wise.

Advice to Senior Management

Communication over RNN is great but, sometimes I feel as if I would like to be able to check my Apple webmail from home, even if I'm part-time. In my store there is a lot of communication through Apple webmail and I don't get that communication until I actually go to the store which is 1-2 times/week since I'm PT.