simply mac reviews

SimplyMac is arguably one of the most mismanaged, poorly operated businesses I’ve seen around. It’s so unfortunate that such an important business to many of those in the community that don’t have access to an Apple store are seen as assets to take advantage of rather than customers to make a connection with. For starters, the service aspect of the store is horrible. I was always expected to charge a service fee of $20 for “fixing” do not disturb on a phone for a customer without directly telling them, with the idea that their problem of not receiving notifications was more complicated. When it comes to even touching another device, the company expects the customer to pay for it, even if it’s to turn up the brightness. The company doesn’t care what you do to help a customer, just as long as they pay for it and they aren’t back to complain about it. In addition to this, why are Specialists tasked with handling service? As a specialist, your goals are oriented around being a sales person, however you are also expected to handle the service counter despite the fact that they hire technicians to do this exact job, and expect you to put the payment and the sales in the technicians name. You are required to meet a specific threshold of profit for the company, but you are also required to put this profit in the name of someone else who holds that specific job title if it’s related to service. With this said, the way the bonus system operates is sleazy and downright unethical. The company requires you to make a certain “attachment” of loyalties to each purchase. Everytime you miss one, your “score” gets reduced, and it can reduce to the point of not being able to receive a bonus. The company deliberately makes bonuses hard to obtain. These scores are also dependent on the managers for them to get their bonuses, if you miss an attachment, they miss their bonus too. So what happens? The managers tell you to tell the customer we don’t have the product in stock if they don’t want protection on the device. I’ve had to lie to a dozen customers who didn’t want protection because a manager told me to do so. So out of the bonus system, the company created an unethical practice of lying to customers who can’t afford the protection plan, all while shooting the store in the foot by missing the sale because we “don’t have the device”. And even better, if you miss you too many, you get written up for not making a certain amount of attatchments. In addition to this, upper management does not care at all about how the store looks, how the store operates, or what we should be receiving as inventory. We have had outdated products sitting on the shelves longer than I’ve been able to drive, the tables belonging to the demos are literally falling apart and peeling at the paint. AT&T transactions are poor, as we have no direct connection to AT&T and our systems through them barely work. In addition to all of this, the company has a terrible time at pushing for their own products that make the company unique, while completely ruining the product or service. SimplyMac’s big profit sector is from their Ceritified Pre-Own selection, but why would anyone have an incentive to buy a previously owned computer, if they don’t even get a box with it, or a box that literally has bugs sitting in it? Also, these CPO’s “are not allowed” to leave the store without protection on them, so we have to lie to customers and tell them the protection is bundled in with the price tag of the actual computer, despite the receipt telling otherwise. Another great example is their new theft protection. They tell us to start selling theft protection plans with SimpleCare, great! But they have never told me any details about how it works and have only told me to obtain the right information from the customer. The greatest thing about this is when a customer pointed out in our terms and agreement for the protection plan with bundled theft that it doesn’t cover theft, which shows that the company has absolutely no grasp on how to properly handle the services they provide. I could go on and on about just how downright disposable this company is, but it’s just so disheartening to see what this company has become, and it’s in direct contrast to Apple’s primary values.

During my tenure, I was able to witness first hand, the fall from grace after the full Gamestop acquisition. The culture and values once promoted have now decayed beyond recognition. Proper training is not provided and you will be expected to become a seasoned professional seemingly overnight. Upper management has become so soulless that they are now beyond parody. They do DO NOT CARE about you as an individual who may have emergencies or occasional life events that require you to not be giving full attention to the company. I specifically was told not to hire someone who was still in college because, surprise!, they would still have an obligation to their school work. The work life balance is extremely poor and I would highly recommend that you think this through if you are thinking on working for this company. The stores are so understaffed that you will be burned out very quickly if you happen to survive the inevitable wave of mutinies that will occur at your store. Upper management and the store manager will play hot potato with the responsibility to hire new employees while everyone else remaining is forced to work hours in direct violation of their availability for an indefinite period of time. Schedules are now created by a district manager who has limited to no visibility of what the team needs and what their availability allows. The schedule is extremely rigid and has limited room for flexibility due to this approach. Benefits and enrollment periods are not properly understood by nearly all leaders in the company and you will not be properly informed about what you are eligible for as an employee. This is speculation but it seems as if they are hoping you give up or quit asking about your benefits after every answer to your questions is an appeal to some nebulous condition of unknowing. When attempting to contact an HR representative you will be treated as if you should not be contacting them. The pay is not competitive and does not really improve over time. The company has had three significant restructures over the passed two years that have directly reflected compensation and job descriptions. The job title you see posted may not exist in three months. Job descriptions are not well defined which leads to a blurry image of the larger picture of how a store is supposed to operate efficiently. In closing, this company is failing and it shows. Leadership is weak and you will not be taken care of as an employee. The husk of the company's culture may still adorn the store walls and company website but it is only a ghost of what Simply Mac used to be. Seek other opportunities.