Philip Houska The head of Apple Stores, Angela Ahrendtsová, who left the post of executive director of the fashion brand Burberry for Apple in 2014, in an interview with Rick Tetzel from Fast Company disclosed information regarding the culture at the California firm. Under Ahrendts' leadership, Apple managed to retain a record number of employees in retail in 2015 (81 percent), which is the highest figure in history. Perhaps this is also due to the fact that the recognized manager treats her subordinates.
"I don't look at them as salespeople. I look at them as managers of the company, who act on our customers with the products that Jony Ive and his team have been developing for years," explains Ahrendtsová, whose exact title is senior vice president of retail and online sales. "Someone has to sell those products to customers in the best possible way."
During her first six months at Apple, when she visited over 40 different Apple Stores, the 55-year-old recipient of the Order of the British Empire understood why the Californian company is one of the most successful. Her employees perceive her differently.
They are proud to be part of the growth of one of the most influential companies and respect the firmly anchored culture that was established under Steve Jobs. According to Ahrendts, the culture is so strong that catchphrases like "pride, protection and values" are completely specific and fully recognized by employees.
“The company was also created to change people's lives and will continue to do so as long as its fundamentals, values and mentality are upheld. That's the core of Apple," Ahrendts said. "The whole culture of the company is based on these aspects, and our responsibility is to bring it to a stage where it is better than when we founded it," Ahrendts quoted her current boss, Apple CEO Tim Cook, as saying.
For the uninitiated, it may not be very clear, but according to the head of Apple Stores, who spent some time with the team, the culture is much deeper than anyone can imagine. And not only at the company's headquarters, but also among workers around the world. The perception of customers and the feeling for unique actions is the DNA of Apple, which, among other things, builds its name on this aspect.
In an interview with the same magazine in November of last year, when she gave the public a deeper understanding of the workings of Apple Stores and revealed certain future ambitions, she mentioned that Apple is a relatively "flat" company, i.e. a type of organization where the top management usually communicates directly with the lowest posts and also with customers. To this fact, she added the information that she mainly uses e-mail to communicate with her staff, which is not quite common in her position.
Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.
When you go to the Apple Store, you are met with willingness, taste and a professional demeanor, and it doesn't matter how you are dressed, what you buy, or you just go to look at something.
On the other hand, the Czech stores iStyle, iWant... they work on different principles - if you don't wave the parcel within 2 minutes, you will get a message in an arrogant way that we are somebody and you are just bothering us.
I'm not saying this applies to all employees, but it's very common. This will never happen to you in a truly branded store.
That's why I only buy from Apple.
100% correct :)