Apple-Memo: Apple Watch erst ab Juni in den Filialen zu haben

In einem Mitarbeiter-Memo an die eigene Belegschaft hat sich Angela Ahrendts, in Cupertino als Senior Vice President Retail und Online Stores aktiv, heute erneut zu Wort gemeldet und geht in ihrem Rundbrief an die Apple Store-Belegschaften auf den Vorverkaufsstart der Apple Watch ein.

Von der französischen Webseite igen.fr veröffentlicht, startet das unten abgedruckte Schreiben auf einer positiven Note: Das Kunden-Feedback zur Apple Watch sei überragend ausgefallen, die Begeisterung überwiegt deutlich.

Wie vorgesehen sollen die Apple Watch-Kunden bereits am kommenden Freitag beliefert werden. In den Filialen jedoch hält Apples Chefetage seine Mitarbeiter noch immer dazu an auf die Bestellmöglichkeit im Internet zu verweisen. Aktuell geht Ahrendts sogar davon aus, noch den ganzen Mai über keine „walk-in purchases“ anbieten zu können.

Zukünftige Produkte sollen wieder „in alter Manier“ starten

Und auch die zweite Hälfte des Schreibens ist interessant. So geht Ahrendts auf die Umstellung der Produkt-Markteinführung zum Launch der Apple Watch ein. Anders als fast alle bisherigen Apple-Produkte startete diese nicht mit einem festen Verkaufstermin in den Markt, sondern wurde nur „zum Anprobieren“ ausgelegt. Statt Schlangen vor den Apple-Filialen, sammelten sich interessierte Kunden vor den Apple Online Stores. Eine Neuausrichtung, die von kritischen Beobachtern als defensive Strategie Apples gewertet wurde: Mit dem ausschließlichen Fokus auf den Online-Verkauf erklärte Apple schon vor dem Apple Watch-Verkaufsstarts, warum die Schlangen diesmal deutlich kürzer ausfallen würden und sicherte sich so nach allen Seiten ab.

Zukünftig jedoch sollen die Launch-Events wieder in alter Manier stattfinden.

Are we going to launch every product this way from now on? No. We all love those blockbuster Apple product launch days—and there will be many more to come. They’re the moments where you, our teams, shine. And our customers love them as well!

Das komplette Mitarbeiter-Memo:

Team,

On behalf of Tim and the rest of the executive team, I want to thank you very much for making last Friday’s debut of Apple Watch unforgettable. The Previews going on in our stores and support from our Contact Centers are unlike anything we have done before.

The feedback from customers is overwhelmingly positive. They are excited about Apple Watch, and your teams are creating fantastic experiences for them. Customers who pre-ordered will start receiving deliveries next Friday as planned, and I know you will do a great job helping them get set up.

Many of you have been getting questions asking if we will have the watch available in stores on April 24 for walk-in purchases. As we announced last week, due to high global interest combined with our initial supply, we are only taking orders online right now. I’ll have more updates as we get closer to in-store availability, but we expect this to continue through the month of May. It has not been an easy decision, and I want to share with you the thinking behind it.

It’s important to remember that Apple Watch is not just a new product but an entirely new category for us. There’s never been anything quite like it. To deliver the kind of service our customers have come to expect—and that we expect from ourselves—we designed a completely new approach. That’s why, for the first time, we are previewing a new product in our stores before it has started shipping.

Apple Watch is also our most personal product yet, with multiple case and band options because it’s an object of self-expression. Given the high interest and initial supply at launch, we will be able to get customers the model they want earlier and faster by taking orders online.

I know this is a different experience for our customers, and a change for you as well. Are we going to launch every product this way from now on? No. We all love those blockbuster Apple product launch days—and there will be many more to come. They’re the moments where you, our teams, shine. And our customers love them as well!

Apple Watch is an exciting new product and we are at the start of a very exciting time at Apple. You’re the best team on earth and you are doing an amazing job.

For customers who want to buy a watch, please continue to help them place their order online. Also make sure they know that, wherever they buy, Apple will provide them with a great Personal Setup experience — either online or in our stores. This includes syncing their Apple Watch with their iPhone and teaching them about all the incredible features of their new Apple Watch.

Thank you very much again, and I look forward to seeing you soon.