Retail Chief John Browett Receives First Disbursement of Signing Bonus Apple Stock

I cannot express how much I hate that this guy still has a job at Apple. Or any job for that matter, his overly simplistic business ideas are the epitome of upper management who have no idea how retail actually works.

Sorry, but the guy even looks like a douchebag. And from a business perspective, he seems like the most un-Apple-like guy they could have hired. As a shareholder, I'm not happy about it.

I too am not happy with this guys profit centric approach to retail. Apple already makes more money per square foot of their retail stores than any other in the world, there should be little for him to do but sit back and think of new ways their stores can provide more services (in the same vain of the genius bars).

I hate this guy.

The really sad part is Apple believes any of these guys to be worth that kind of money.

I just can't help but think that all this fear-mongering bullcrap going around about this guy is simply the typical fear-mongering bullcrap that runs deep within Apple subjects from "fanboys" and vitriolic haters alike.

WHAT could he have POSSIBLY done in such a short time that deserves any criticism or praise for that matter? All the stuff that people say that "sucks" about him are the same things they said before he even took the spot! Let him prove himself to be good or crap before running around with hypotheticals and trying to pass them off as facts!

What FACTS, backed by PROOF do any of you have that he's changed Apple's retail strategy at all? And please don't quote rumors. Things that have ACTUALLY BEEN IMPLEMENTED? And please don't point to "This one time at an Apple Store I had worse customer service than the time before it" or anything non sequitur like that. I'm genuinely curious myself.

He destroyed PC World, Dixons and Curries customer service in the UK. Destroyed. They went from being companies that had acceptable support to just downright awful over a very short period of time. I've seen his changes happen over time, it killed the companies retail presence, in a time when online is consistently winning price, people expect that by going to a store, what they're paying for is the customer support in store, if you remove that, you might as well go online. That is why his plans are flawed.

You mean you don't want to make a profit in retail? Must have missed that lecture in school.

See the above. Obsessing over profits isn't a good thing, you need a balance.

Yet for years high salaries were to be admired and aimed for. We all wanted to be that good.

For years average salary to CEO salary ratios were nowhere near as extreme as they are today. In mid-60s America, CEO salaries were a hefty 18 times higher than the average. Now they are 237 times higher and at some of the biggest companies far higher than this.

Of course, in the 1960s there were huge problems as CEOs had to be dragged from bed each morning kicking and screaming, forced to work for such meagre gruel like a slave.

'How can I work for the pay of a mere 18 average men?' they would say.

The level of uncritical Chicago School capitalist ideological incorporation Americans come out with is mind-boggling. They've really convinced you that highly-paid executives are god-men striding the Earth!

Browett's skillset, as watchers of UK retail know, lies in degrading and dumbing down the shopping experience until your brand gets bad reviews all over the place and winds up on TV consumer complaints shows. If you want Apple Stores to continue to be a cut above Lidl, Poundstretcher, Primark or Currys then hiring this chap makes zero sense. The fact his early actions in the retail division have been dreadful is no surprise. He's just doing his job. The same crappy job he always does.

Talking of UK retail, the only shop better than Apple Stores (at their best) is John Lewis, which is a mid to high-end department store run as a workers' 'partnership' (a sort of mild co-op). While not some workers paradise each worker gets a good chunk of bonus if profits are good and other untypical perks and benefits. Staff are not merely gormless teens but you'll find grey-haired people that have been there 30 years and know customer service inside out. See, *stands back in amazement* if you pay your staff reasonably and, even more importantly, treat them with some semblance of respect and not merely as hollowed out 'human resources' you get better staff giving great service to your customers who go off raving how great your brand is. Funny that.

Yet we live in a topsy-turvy world where stuffed suits get paid lottery wins each year and get bonuses and golden goodbyes even in their work is poor as that how you 'get the best' out of these superhumans. But the rank and file must have poor benefits and low pay as you have to keep 'em hungry. It is of course bonkers.

I just can't help but think that all this fear-mongering bullcrap going around about this guy is simply the typical fear-mongering bullcrap that runs deep within Apple subjects from "fanboys" and vitriolic haters alike.

WHAT could he have POSSIBLY done in such a short time that deserves any criticism or praise for that matter? All the stuff that people say that "sucks" about him are the same things they said before he even took the spot! Let him prove himself to be good or crap before running around with hypotheticals and trying to pass them off as facts!

What FACTS, backed by PROOF do any of you have that he's changed Apple's retail strategy at all? And please don't quote rumors. Things that have ACTUALLY BEEN IMPLEMENTED? And please don't point to "This one time at an Apple Store I had worse customer service than the time before it" or anything non sequitur like that. I'm genuinely curious myself.

Your 2nd paragraph - Have you ever been to a Curry's or PC World? My. God. They're the complete opposite of an Apple store. Ugly interior, pushy staff, broken store displays etc.

Your 3rd paragraph - How about increasing workload by decreasing numbers of staff in Apple Stores? There was an article about it on here a month or so ago. They've since reversed the decision, but that still begs the question as to why this bad smell is still an Apple VP.

Instead, give him a first-class ticket back to the UK.

Actually...you can keep him. :-)

Instead, give him a first-class ticket back to the UK.