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Apple Store app tells employees when you arrive at a store

Posted: , by Victor H.

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Apple Store app tells employees when you arrive at a store
Apple Stores have taken off from just a couple of stores to a global retail network, a place where creatives (and baristas) hang out in an Apple-incensed atmosphere. An Apple Store stands out with the Genius Bar offering personal assistance, but the newest addition to the retail experience is possibly even more interesting. A new system allows employees to track users who have already made a purchase via the free Apple Store application in the store. This is aimed at speeding up shopping, but could it be a bit too much for those who value their security and privacy?

To answer that, one would first need to understand the way the system functions. Basically, Apple Store employees have an iPod touch with the feature pre-loaded. It alerts in-store staff when someone who has made a purchase via the app enters the store. The application  then highlights the shopper who has already purchased something via the Apple Store app in red. Now, a similar application is already in use - iPads stand near products showing relevant information and allowing you to call a representative with a single tap. The representatitve then gets your position hightlighted on the shopping floor.

Apple Store app tells employees when you arrive at a store
“It’s more toward customer experience,” Apple Store employee Diego Aguirre said. “We don’t want to feel like we’re hassling our customers to shop. We want them to feel at home.”

Now, we can definitely see the benefits in that, but does automating every little step is really necessary when it can threaten a cusomter’s feel about security? What’s your say on this? Just as a reminder, a couple of days ago we heard about two shopping malls planning on tracking their customers to improve the experience.

source: NY Times via Gizmodo

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1. ivanko34 posted on 28 Nov 2011, 09:22 8 7

"Apple is a cool prison"

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2. iamcc posted on 28 Nov 2011, 09:23 7 4

Kinda funny... when someone buys something it marks them red.

Apple employee training manual:
"When someone dumb enough to buy an Apple product spends money here, they will be marked on your iPod with a red dot, or a bulls-eye. At that point, try to sell them everything in the store."

KIDDING

For the record I love Apple products (would choose a macbook over a PC laptop any day).

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3. Adianshadows posted on 28 Nov 2011, 09:30 2 3

Why does Apple need this when they are tracking their customer's with their iPhones already????

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4. iKingTrust (banned) posted on 28 Nov 2011, 09:30 3 2

Tight

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5. ghost__uwi posted on 28 Nov 2011, 09:31 4 3

sorry but once you go apple you cant go back

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6. Adianshadows posted on 28 Nov 2011, 09:55 5 2

not true at all. I had the iphone 3 and 3GS and I got the OG Droid and was in love. I even tried the iPhone 4 when it came out for Verizon and I wanted to go back to even my OG droid. It all depends what you want from your phone. what I wanted the iPhone couldn't deliver

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7. iamcc posted on 28 Nov 2011, 10:26 1

Yep! I did the same thing.

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9. LewsTherin006 posted on 28 Nov 2011, 10:56 1

OG droid is a hard thing to quit. WIll the galaxy nexus make you move away from your OG droid?

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8. andro. posted on 28 Nov 2011, 10:34 3 3

WTF is there no stopping apples lust and hellbent thirst for control and monitoring,their customer are now continually 'tagged'. Just shows you the complete lack of respect that apple has for its customers that they are tracking them and labeling them as susceptible to buy the same apple products continually so that apple employees can use this prior knowledge to exploit them and prey on their susceptibility

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15. JeffdaBeat posted on 28 Nov 2011, 16:30 1

Actually, if you have to not only have the Apple Store App downloaded, but you have to accept that you want location services turned on. In addition, it's more to track people who are checking themselves out. You can take your iPhone, scan an accessory, and pay for it using your AppleID. It alerts Apple Employees that you aren't stealing and your simply checked yourself out instead of waiting for an Apple Specialist.

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10. Cwebb posted on 28 Nov 2011, 11:06 2 1

Apple has to keep track of their flock of sheep in case one gets sick...

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11. taco50 (banned) posted on 28 Nov 2011, 12:50 3

Can you guess what these posters have in common?



3. Adianshadows posted on 3 hours ago 2 2
Why does Apple need this when they are tracking their customer's with their iPhones already????

8. andro. posted on 2 hours ago 3 2
WTF is there no stopping apples lust and hellbent thirst for control and monitoring,their customer are now continually 'tagged'. Just shows you the complete lack of respect that apple has for its customers that they are tracking them and labeling them as susceptible to buy the same apple products continually so that apple employees can use this prior knowledge to exploit them and prey on their susceptibility


10. Cwebb posted on 1 hour ago 1
Apple has to keep track of their flock of sheep in case one gets sick...


1. ivanko34 posted on 3 hours ago 4 2
"Apple is a cool prison"

Reply

12. iamcc posted on 28 Nov 2011, 12:52 7

Good job taco, you can copy and paste.

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16. EclipseGSX posted on 28 Nov 2011, 16:40 6

they're all smarter than you, oh wait that's everyone... :)

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13. InspectorGadget80 posted on 28 Nov 2011, 13:53

Unless their tacking for thieves

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14. dirtydirty00 posted on 28 Nov 2011, 15:33

Do they really need an app to tell them when you walk in the store? Im sure they see those saps coming from a mile away.

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