Company: Apple
Date: 2011-04-02
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: former

Amazing! ...Before the dream faded & I realised the real face of Apple Retail
Pros: Meeting some amazing people
Bragging rights
Apple on your CV really does open doors, I can't lie.
Cons: Some of the management team are so terrible at their jobs (product-knowledge, social skills, experience) it's shocking that they have such a position of power within the store. 
It is HECTIC. You may be excited by this, but even on days when you feel terrible, there is absolutely nowhere to hide. This may be great for the first month or two, but down the line, it's a horrendous feeling to be bombarded by customers non-stop for a whole shift, especially when questions are always the same!
As an employee of Apple Retail you are the lowest of the low.. You know NOTHING, and never will! But customers just won't believe you...
The discount isn't even good!!! When you consider how much money you're bringing into the company every shift, which you get 0 commission for (or so they say...), you'd think the discount would be MUCH better.
16hrs is the minimum contract, no matter how good you are! If you're thinking about going into the company then dropping down hours, they WILL get rid of you before your 3month probation ends, again, no matter how good you are.
Having to sell different add-ons with products is patronising, and such a con, because you get nothing for it... Unless you're looking to be promoted, in which case it means everything, because your sales figures are taken into account. Hilarious! This is why nobody ever gets to easily access management from a sales position, because if your sales figures are THAT good, why would Apple not want you active on the shop-floor? It's a vicious Apply circle.
Apple constantly hire people, because they can. Ultimately, you mean nothing to them. If you're not happy with something, they'll get rid of you, and hire a shiny new specialist into the business.
Apple Retail UK is NOT Apple Inc. You're working in a shop, which happens to be called Apple, selling computers for an hourly wage. Don't think you're anything special, because you're really not.