Apple retail VP addresses recent Apple Store staffing missteps: ‘we messed up’

Apple is backtracking on recent staffing changes made at its retail stores which led to employees complaining over slashed hours and lower wages. In an internal communication with Apple Store management, John Browett — who replaced longtime retail chief Ron Johnson earlier this year — reportedly said, “We messed up.” Further, he assured workers that the changes were only a temporary experiment and says the company is reverting back to its previous staffing procedures effective immediately.

The controversy came to a head in recent days when reports began to surface at various publications including The Next Web about shifts being dramatically reduced and Apple Stores consequently being understaffed. Additionally, MacRumors reported that newly-trained staffers were being laid off entirely — a point which Apple seems to be flatly denying. Still, there’s no doubt the company considers the short-lived changes to be an embarrassing misstep. Spokeswoman Kristin Huguet told Dow Jones, “Making these changes was a mistake and the changes are being reversed.” She described Apple Store employees as the company’s “most important asset and the ones who provide the world-class service our customers deserve.”