IdontknowifIwouldclassifythisisfraudbecausetechnicallytheyaretakingsales thatarealreadyloggedforthestoreandjustreclassifyingit.However,by reclassifyingthebusinessrevenue,theyareabletoartificiallyboosttheirbusiness revenuenumbers.Thiswouldallowthemtogainmorebusinessspecialistsand helppeopleearnpromotionsonfalsepretenses.

Oksohereshowitwouldwork.LetssaythatIama45yearoldlawyerinterested inanewcomputer.IwaitforaspecialistandwetalkaboutwhatIneed/want.I wanta15inchscreenbecausemyeyespreferabiggerscreen.IwantaRetina displaywith512GBSSDbecauseIamenamoredwiththespeeditoffersandItake atonofphotosforwhenItravel.IwantMSOfficeBusinesseditionbecauseIlike howOutlookhasthecalendar,contactandemailfunctionsallinoneprogram.Ialso wantAppleCareand1to1.

Thisisscenario1:

Thespecialistwillsenduparunnerrequestfora15MBPRetinawith512GBSSD, MSOffice2011Business,AppleCare,1to1.Thebackofhousespecialistwillthen callovertheradioalertingtheleaderonthefloorofwhatproductsaregoingdown. Theleaderonthefloor,andpossiblythebusinessmanager,willhearwhatsgoing downanddecidetoeithera)askthespecialisttobringupbusinessandtrytowina businessintroductionorb)interceptthetransactionthemselvestotryandwina businessintroductionfromthecustomer.Nowfromherethiscangooneoftwo ways.Eitherthecustomerisinterestedintheservicesthatthebusinessteam offers(mostofthetimetheyfighttohavethesecustomerscomeinfor consultationsonlytofindoutthattheyareinwayovertheirheadsandrecommend a3rdpartysolution)ortheysaynothankyouImnotinterestedatthemoment.

Iwillspeaktowhathappens(mostofthetime,dependingonifthetransactionis

over500dollars)whenthecustomersaysnothankyou.Theacquisitions businessspecialistwillliterallysearchthroughPOSadmin(theinternalsales trackingsystem)totryandfindanythingthatisover500dollarsandmatchessome criteriathattheydeemedweretypicalofbusinesscustomers.Theywouldfindthe receiptnumberinPOSadminandclaimthatasbusinessrevenue.

Eachstorehastodoacertainamountofbusinessrevenueeachweek.Letsjustsay onaverageitis100,000dollarsbecauseImnotsureforallofthestoreswhatitis. Ifyouhittheminimumnumberi.e100grand,noslotswillopenupfornew businesspositionsanditmightlookasthoughyouarentdoingthatgreatofajobas amanager.Sogiventhisscenario,========(nowthebusinessdevelopment managerfortheDCarea)realizedthathecouldjustassignreceiptstocountas businessrevenuebecausenoonewasgoingtocomplainiftherenumberslooked good.WhatyouneedtounderstandabouttheAppleRetailCultureisthatitsall aboutthenumbers.WhywouldanybodyquestionhowAppleisstrugglingto captureadecentsizeoftheoverallbusinessmarketwhenthenumbersfromthe storesayotherwise?

=======wasoriginallyamanageratmystore,BethesdaRow.Hewaspartially creditedformakingahugepushintobusiness.Whileothermanagerswouldbrag abouthowmuchthefloorwasmakinginaday,hewouldbragabouthowmuchhe justclosedadealfori.e.25computersfullyloadedforsomefirminBethesdaorDC.

NowfastforwardtowhenIstartedinJuly2010.Ourbusinessteamhadjustgone throughahugeturnoverwiththeemployees.Whetheritwasincompetence, gamingthesystem(claimingbusinessrevenuefromPOSadminwhenitwasnot),or justnotcaringabouttheirjobs,alotofthemwerereplaced.Ourbusinessmanager whenIgetthere(Idontwanthisnameused)wouldnotmessaroundinPOS admin.ThusourbusinessnumbersplummetedandhewassenttoMontgomery

Mall.Thiswasbasicallyademotionbecausehewasnotateamplayerorsome craplikethat.

Nowthisbringsmetothebiggestconflictofinterestourstorehad.Ourstore leader,=======,washellbentonbeingmoreinvolvedwithbusiness.Hetalked aboutAppleandbusinesslikeitwasthegreatestinventiononearth.Sowhenhe madethedecisiontosendourformerbusinessmanagertoMontgomeryMall,guess whotookover.========!Hewasnowthestoreleaderandthebusiness manager.Nowbeingthestoreleadercomeswithalotofresponsibilitybutnone morethanmakingsurethatyourenumbersaresolidquartertoquarter.When ===gotintothebusinessmanagerrole,herealizedthatwewerenotevencloseto hittingournumbers.Sotheystartedgettingonspecialiststogetmorebusiness intros.Whenmorebusinessintroswerecomingin,morerevenuewasnotreally comingin.Itwasmaybeacouplethousandhereandthere,butnothingsubstantial.

NowatGeorgetown,======hadrisenfromBusinessmanagertoBusinessleader oftheDCmarket.HedidthisonthefactthathetookonehugeclientfromBethesda andranwiththem.SoastheBusinessLeaderhewouldtraveltothedifferent storesbuthishomewasGeorgetown.AtGeorgetown,theyconsistentlyshattered theirweeklygoals.Theyweremaking3timesasmuchasanyotherstorein businessrevenue.Oneweek,80percentofallcomputerssoldthereallegedlywere soldforbusiness.Thenumberstherejustdontaddup.

NowthisiswhereImnotsurewhathappened.Whether=====decidedhewas goingtosuggestthisapproachto===,or===decidedthisonhisown,Idontknow. However,Idoknowourbusinessrevenuestartedgoingupsubstantially.We,on thefloor,werentdoinganythingdifferentlyyetthenumberssaidwewere.The reasonforthischangewasdueto===eitherturningablindeyeordirectlytelling thebusinessteamtoclaimanythingthatlookedlikebusinessrevenue.Sincehe

wasboththebusinessmanagerandstoreleader,itwouldreflectpoorlyonhimto havehisnumberslow.ThuswhythemessingwithPOSadminstartedupagain. ===hassincebeenpromotedto======soldpositionwhile=======was promotedtoBusinessDevelopmentManager.

Soinsum,whatbotheredmethemostisthatweweretoutingAppleandbusiness asthisgreatmatchmadeinHeaven.However,whenbusinesseswouldcomeinfor consultationsandrealizewecouldntofferthemthelevelofsupportthatthey wouldneed,theyusedthebiggesttoolthatApplehasgoingforthemagainstthem, wordofmouth.Wordofmouthbringspeopleintothestoresbutitcanalsodrive themaway.Whentheystartednotcominginasmuch,======,===andtheother managerswantedtoprotectthemselvessotheyclaimedrevenuethatshouldnot havequalifiedforbusinessbecausethepeopledidntconsent.Businessatthe retaillevel,inmyopinionisagiantfailurebutthatsawholeotherdiscussion.

Ifyoudochoosetousethis,Iwouldjustliketoreadoveritbeforehand.Iwishto remainanonymousandtheonlythreepeopleIwantnamedare===,=====and ===.Youcanchoosetokeepthemanonymousaswell.Itdoesntmattertome. WhatdoesmattertomeisthatApple,acompanyIloveandholdstockin,does businessethically.Applealwaystriestoportrayitselfatnotjustanother corporationbutsadlyitisturningintoone.Theyarebecominganupgradefactory forauserbasethatiscontentwithmediocrity.Theywriteallthesegrandvaluesin companystatements,whichareonlineforthepublic,yettheyarehypocriticalin nature.TheRetailsideofAppleiscutthroatandpeoplewilldoanythingittakesto getahead.Sadly,itendsupthatthemanagersjustprotectoneanotherandallow thistocontinue.

P.S.Thisdoesntreallyaddtothestorybutitwasmessedupnonetheless. ===========,amanager,forcedageniustoswapouthisiPadforfreebecausehe

broketheglassonit.Heclaimeditwasbecausehewasusingitforstoreuse. However,thereisonlyonepersonwhoisallowed,byApple,tousetheirpersonal deviceforstoreuse.Thatisthestoreleader(whoallegedlyswappedouthis fiancesphone4timesbeforeAppleCare+butIwasunabletoverifythis).Just anotherexampleofmanagersabusingtheirposition.

Ifyoudochoosetousethis,Iwouldjustliketoreadoveritbeforehand.Iwishto remainanonymousandtheonlythreepeopleIwantnamedare===,======and ===.Youcanchoosetokeepthemanonymousaswell.Itdoesntmattertome. WhatdoesmattertomeisthatApple,acompanyIloveandholdstockin,do businessethically.Applealwaystriestoportrayitselfatnotjustanother corporationbutsadlyitisturningintoone.Theyarebecominganupgradefactory forauserbasethatiscontentwithmediocrity.