Microsoft to permanently close all physical retail stores

[mr moose]

5 hours ago, d-kressjr said:

 

(100% credit goes to @GoodBytes for the idea of embedding this image for people who might not know what Microsoft's retail stores looked like. Ty!)

 

 

I've never been to one as the nearest appears to be 1000K away, however if this picture is indicative, it looks more like an art gallery or library than a store.   Which is a nice change from apple, every time I go near those stores it feels like I'm in a sterile dental practice. 

[Uttamattamakin]

I got a Surface Pro 1 at one of those stores.  Worked right up until my sister, who wasn't being mature, broke it, broke the glass (may have still worked with an external monitor now that I think about it.  

I've owned and used a surface device as my daily carry around ever since no matter what other computer I may have.  Being able to go into a store, and have someone who really knows how it works and being able to return or exchange it for a model of equal or even better specs was awesome.  

 

I took my mothers old laptop to an Apple store.  Let me be frank.  They are snobs who only care if you have the latest thing or will try to sell you the latest crap.  They should maybe close most of them... but every city of 1-2 million or more people ought to have one.    Who is going to travel to NYC to "experience" a surface pro?    

 

Hopefully the "stores" inside Best Buy will still exist. 

 

Edited to add.  It gave me a bit of a nostalgic feeling like going into a Radio Shack back when Tandy computers were their own sort of PC compatible thing.  It was the best aspects of an Apple computer, hardware that all worked together splendidly YET I can run anything on it. 

[GoodBytes]

26 minutes ago, mr moose said:

I've never been to one as the nearest appears to be 1000K away, however if this picture is indicative, it looks more like an art gallery or library than a store.   Which is a nice change from apple, every time I go near those stores it feels like I'm in a sterile dental practice. 

This is one of their design. Each store (pretty much) is a bit unique twist in its own way.

Most of the stores (unless that was removed recently) has this massive video wall all around the store. Here is a video showcasing this from the artist that was hired to make the Tom Raider advertisement on that video wall (to show what they tend to put) back in 2012-13, when Tom Raider was new: 

Beside promotional things, the animation matches the season or holiday.

For example if it was October, there would be Halloween theme going on, like this one (same artist as above, same year.. so super old, but this is what is available online):

So it was pretty cool. I only went once to a MS store on a vacation trip, where the MS Store just managed to be on the way in the mall I was in. I honestly didn't plan this. So I went in for a few minutes. Really was different from any other stores. But yea, it was pretty much empty. But the staff seemed to have fun there, and they seemed actually quiet knowledgeable from conversation I over heard with a customer there. I mean, I won't claim it was a MS engineer with years of knowledge and experience, but you can see that the employee actually listened to the customer, and provided really intelligent advice, and it wasn't pushing a Surface product. Maybe it was the only guy, but better than my experience at the Apple store, and let's not talk about BestBuy, I don't think it needs explaining, but then again, what can one expect from a minimum wage employee.

[mr moose]

2 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

, but you can see that the employee actually listened to the customer, and provided really intelligent advice, and it wasn't pushing a Surface product.

So the complete opposite of an apple store. 

[thechinchinsong]

At least from what Microsoft has said, there aren't any layoffs from this decision.

[Jet_ski]

51 minutes ago, Ezzy-525 said:

Just had a quick glance at your comments on other threads since your impression of MS stores seems to be a lone ranger compared to others. Lo and behold almost all Apple and praising/recommending them 

 

Anyway back to the thread.

 

Can't say I've ever actually seen an MS Store in the UK, although I buy all my tech online anyway so probably missed them. No big loss except to people who prefer to get hands on with products before they buy them, but the follow up stores sound like they'll be doing solely this anyway. It's effectively just removing inventory from brick and mortar stores to warehouses to purchase later.

I’m not as much of an Apple fanboy as I am anti Microsoft. My issues with Windows 10 box me in a weird spot. I’ve had really bad experiences.

 

[soldier_ph]

I've actually been in one once in a mall, messed around with some of the Surface devices.

[Guest]

I hope that those getting repairs will get their products returned to them.

[GoodBytes]

 

1 hour ago, thechinchinsong said:

At least from what Microsoft has said, there aren't any layoffs from this decision.

Yea that is really cool of them. Any one else won't even bother looking at job transfer and just fire everyone. In the end MS win, no need to spend money on retraining staff on many aspects, especially if the job is similar (support, for example).

[StDragon]

Microsoft is the ADHD of tech companies. They can't seem to stay focused; and even when they have a good idea, they always start it half-assed and fail to follow through to completion. So of course the store was yet-another-failed-attempt.

 

Where Microsoft is succeeding is in cloud services (Azure / Office365). The Surface does enjoy limited success, but the HW is so expensive for what you get in return. I can't imagine this lasting much longer too. But then again, I'm not your typical consumer either.

[d-kressjr]

5 minutes ago, StDragon said:

Microsoft is the ADHD of tech companies. They can't seem to stay focused; and even when they have a good idea, they always start it half-assed and fail to follow through to completion. So of course the store was yet-another-failed-attempt.

 

Where Microsoft is succeeding is in cloud services (Azure / Office365). The Surface does enjoy limited success, but the HW is so expensive for what you get in return. I can't imagine this lasting much longer too. But then again, I'm not your typical consumer either.

The company was under different leadership when Microsoft started opening storefronts. The retail stores were a Steve Ballmer decision. The direction that Steve Ballmer was taking the company is very different from the direction Satya Nadella has taken the company.

[Warin]

Microsoft stores always felt like Apple Store wannabes.  I went to one once to try out the Vive when it was brand new.  I signed up for a demo slot half an hour away, so I wandered over to the Apple store.  I tried out Apple pencil and chatted with a sales guy about how awesome it would be if they ever had a proper version of Photoshop on the iPad (My future self will note that 14 dollars a month for Photoshop on the iPad is insane and while the pencil is cool, I didn't find it that handy in PS.)

 

When I went back at the appointed time, I wound up not getting to demo the Vive, because the controllers were all dead.  Someone forgot to put them back on the stand.  So even though they wanted to give a similar smooth experience when compared to an Apple store, they failed big time.  

[GoodBytes]

3 hours ago, StDragon said:

Microsoft is the ADHD of tech companies. They can't seem to stay focused; and even when they have a good idea, they always start it half-assed and fail to follow through to completion. So of course the store was yet-another-failed-attempt.

That is true, but also Google.

Many Microsoft product have lots of potential, but that is it.. potential. Amazing start, but they don't continue. Now, the page is turning, but sadly you can't convince top executive and upper managers to change attitude the next day. They need to retire or leave, and be replaced with people who do have a vision and does preserver. A great example is Surface line. I won't claim that the Surface product are perfect. But they keep at it, and it is growing each year.

 

Quote

Where Microsoft is succeeding is in cloud services (Azure / Office365). The Surface does enjoy limited success, but the HW is so expensive for what you get in return. I can't imagine this lasting much longer too. But then again, I'm not your typical consumer either.

Surface will never be affordable. They are just MS answers to Apple, and they are halo products. MS doesn't aim to compete against its OEMs either. That is why I always say, you need to value every feature of the device, to make it worth it. For example, if you want the Surface Pro but don't care about the pen, then you'll get poor value proposition for it. But if you want the pen, well, it is the best on screen pen experience (in a portable device) you can get under Windows world. Sure Wacom technically has a better technology with its Surface Pro like device, but apparently it is plagued with crappy drivers and require restarts to keep things running. I think they even discontinued this product.

[Arika]

i suspect this will be the case for a lot of stores in the near future. move to purely online services

[ImAlsoRan]

Being somebody who had a Microsoft Store about 2 miles from my house, I really liked the experience. At the time, Windows laptops were associated with being plastic crap, or at least that was the perception in my state during that time. Seeing the metal and high quality Surfaces in person surely made many people buy them. In a landscape full of similar laptops, choosing one you liked was quite hard. That's why I happily strolled out of the Microsoft store several times with those neat little bags (they were REALLY high quality), and changed my perception of Microsoft Hardware from a vain attempt at copying Apple to a luxury brand at great prices. Nevertheless I'm typing this on a MacBook Pro ).

 

I also liked the demos of the HoloLenses, even if nobody would ever buy them.

[soldier_ph]

7 hours ago, Arika S said:

i suspect this will be the case for a lot of stores in the near future. move to purely online services

Oh yeah definitely, online is the way to go. I've stopped going into shops to actually buy something and not just mess around years ago. And besides I wanna be able to take my time and compare like 10 or more products of one item or you need something really specific that you just can't find in any store.

[Arika]

26 minutes ago, Pascal... said:

Oh yeah definitely, online is the way to go. I've stopped going into shops to actually buy something and not just mess around years ago. And besides I wanna be able to take my time and compare like 10 or more products of one item or you need something really specific that you just can't find in any store.

there are few things i want to see in person before purchasing, otherwise i shop mostly online. Plus i don't have to deal with staff making a b-line for me as soon as i go through the doors to ask if i need any help with anything. let me browse in peace.

[soldier_ph]

Just now, Arika S said:

there are few things i want to see in person before purchasing, otherwise i shop mostly online. Plus i don't have to deal with staff making a b-line for me as soon as i go through the doors to ask if i need any help with anything. let me browse in peace.

Yeah that's annoying as fuck.

[Doobeedoo]

They have neat products, mainly I like their latest Surface Laptop it's nice. It's not as outrageous as Apple but still, higher configs with more RAM and storage cost quite a lot more. 

[NeuesTestament]

I honestly didn't even know they had any.

[mr moose]

6 hours ago, pixxel said:

I’m not surprised. I’ve never once found a need to go to a Microsoft store, all of its functions and 10X more is available online. If they had a Genius Bar, that might have been different.

Genius bar is just a marketing term for floor staff,  All specialist shops have  them.

[Arika]

8 hours ago, pixxel said:

If they had a Genius Bar, that might have been different.

the "genius" bar is just "people who know a bit more than the average consumer about Apple Products". there is no technical pre-requisites to be a "genius"

 

Key Qualifications

• Strong people skills and a knack for problem solving. (same as any job)
• Ability to maintain composure and customer focus while troubleshooting and solving technical issues.(same as any job)
• Ability to adhere to a schedule of customer appointments.(same as any job)

Additional Requirements

• An aptitude for acquiring skills in technical repairs and an eagerness to learn about all Apple products and devices.(on the job training...same as any job)
• Excellent prioritization skills and an ability to make decisions quickly.(same as any job)
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.(same as any job)
• Success in team environments, demonstrating shared responsibility and accountability with other team members.(same as any job)
• Flexibility with your schedule. Your work hours will be based on business needs.(same as any job)

 

 

basically it boils down to "can you work with people, can you follow a checklist and do basic diagnostics?"

[Arika]

43 minutes ago, youngboy said:

I mean now microsoft can save money on heating and staffing and electricity lol. It is sort of sad because now people cannot go and try out surface books and xbox before buying. . 

i don't know what it's like there, but in Australia normal retail stores have demo models of pretty much every device they sell; Microsoft, Lenovo, HP, Dell, even Apple etc all in the same store.

I could go to JB HIFI and test out any of the surface devices.

or go to EB games and test out the new Xbox.

[Kisai]

22 hours ago, Arika S said:

there are few things i want to see in person before purchasing, otherwise i shop mostly online. Plus i don't have to deal with staff making a b-line for me as soon as i go through the doors to ask if i need any help with anything. let me browse in peace.

Just FYI. FutureShopBestBuy's training literately is "make eye contact with everyone the second you see them and ask if they need assistance." It's also pretty lame, because they assume one person on the floor can deal with 5 customers at once. It does not, and has never, worked that way. This is because pretty much -all- customer service training entails keeping an eye on customers so they aren't stealing things. A helped customer knows someone is watching them and will be less tempted to steal things.

 

Yes, the assumption that everyone is a thief is what drives that. Sales associates that get commissions, want the commission, which is why the people who work for wireless companies want to sell you the most profitable thing for themselves, not the thing you want. Always buy your phones online, direct from the phone manufacturer if possible. Burn those wireless companies out of their commissions unless you are getting like 50% off a loss-leader phone, it's not a good deal, and even then a lot of loss-leader phones are the stuff you don't want.

 

Proper sales agents won't ask a yes/no "Can I help you" question. They will ask "What can I help you with?", and the proper response to either of those is "Nothing yet. I'll let you know if I need your help." Just don't be rude. People who just go "No" and don't make eye contact just results in the sales rep following you around if there are no other customers.

 

Now there are times where the correct answer is "Yes, I'm looking for (thing)", but that thing must be something you know the sales rep already knows they have, don't let them make suggestions unless you ask for it, because you can not rely on a sales representative to actually know any technical aspects other than what's on the box.

 

And trust me with that last detail, Just explaining to staff that lose their phone or laptop chargers that they can't buy them at 7-11. The nice thing about everyone (but Apple) standardizing on USB-C for everything, is that you can use any USB-C power source even on devices that require more power, however try explaining why they are getting "slow-charger connected" messages and it just won't be understood, and a store rep at BestBuy will not know this either. They just see the USB-C connector and think anything with USB-C works.

 

Microsoft doesn't really need the store to sell anything. People are very willing to buy Microsoft's devices at BestBuy. Just they're paying BestBuy to market them instead.