I’ve gotten that question quite a few times over the past few weeks regarding my departure from Apple. The quick answer is simply, “I’m not really sure.”
The long answer is still a bit puzzling to me.
I’ve never given the store or my customers and my teammates anything less than my very best. But I guess somewhere along the line, the demand for tech support increased beyond what management felt I could effectively deliver. I never really saw things that way, but that was a perception that I could not change, despite focused efforts for most of 2009. Eventually I realized that no matter what I did, I would always be perceived as the anchor that dragged bar appointments down.
I offered to step aside as Genius, hoping I could transition to another position, but I was told there was no other position for me at the store. I was informed that I would be terminated (there were some other HR issues - brought up by me, but nothing that involved anyone other than me - that needed to be resolved before that could happen). I asked instead if I could resign, and management accommodated that request. For that, I’m extremely grateful.
I’m not one to toot my own horn, but personally, I feel I was a valuable asset to the store and to my team. I’m a competent technician, and my customer service skills are exceptional. The reason I’m good at my job is that I love what I do. I love Apple’s products and philosophy, and I love taking care of its customers.
I still don’t really understand why management felt that me not being part of the store team anymore - in any capacity - was the best solution, but the decision was management’s to make, and I don’t bear any ill will because of it. It’s their job to do what they feel is best for the store.
You can take the geek out of Apple, but you can’t take Apple out of the geek. So I’m going to give this independent consultant thing everything I’ve got. I’m hoping that my customer service philosophy, new flexibility from not being tied to Apple directly, and my passion for the products and my expertise, will translate into a successful business. I hope to be able to continue to work closely with the store to provide great solutions to Apple’s customers for the services the store isn’t set up to provide.
