Apple has recently started to sell the iPhone in Russia. Well, technically that’s not exactly true — Apple has allowed three major carriers to start selling iPhones in Russia. Apparently these carriers were allowed to use some of the local store chains to sell iPhones to a broader public.
However there is one small thing — nobody at these stores has a fucking clue what iPhone is and what it can do. The result? A complete and utter disaster. Here are few things that sales people answer when asked about the iPhone (even if you don’t have an iPhone, you’ll immediately see the ignorance of the sales people):

– it only works with Apple computers
– There is no iTunes. (sometimes they’ve heard about some mythical iTunes somewhere abroad where you can purchase it)
– There are two iPhones, one is white, and another one is aluminum, which is a smaller one that is not sold here..
– Hm, it shows a cable sign. I guess the battery is dead. Let me bring another one. Hm, this one has a dead battery too.
– Activation? What activation?
[ad#intext-inside]
– It works only with the sim-card that was installed when it was first turned on. So no, you can’t just turn it on like that. Only after purchasing. And do not turn it off after that.
– Yeah, you can buy a memory card for it. Which one? Let me take a look in the warehouse.
– Absolutely, SD or MicroSD with adapter, here’s a reader on the top.
– A sim-card goes inside, just take the back panel off.
– No, you can’t upload anything to it. Maybe only if you are using WiFi.
– Hm, one speaker doesn’t work. Probably broken. A mic? here on the front panel, speak into a square object.
– MMS? Sure, just get the program from iTunes.
– Black iPhone works with Windows, and white one works with Macs
– Games? Oh yeah, you can send SMS and get a link to a game.
[ad#intext-inside]
– Of course you can transfer ringtones! Don’t you know what a Bluetooth is? Hm.. It doesn’t work. Let’s try over WiFi…. Nope. Well, here we have a lot of interference, a lot of phones, it will work fine at home. Deal?
– It can be unlocked somehow and then you can make international calls for free!
– GPS works when connected to a lighter in the car.
– Sure it works with gloves on, just press it harder, harder! Hm. Let me press it…
– What software inside? Windows Mobile 2009!
– 2MP camera, shoots everything, pictures, video…
– You can download everything from iTunes for free – ringtones, music, movies. Yeah, movies too!
Guess what, Apple? If you really want your stuff to sell in Russia, you need to do better than this! Provide some training to the sales people, revoke licence to sell iPhone for stuff like mentioned above, do something! Otherwise with this approach you will fuck up this market so badly that nothing will help you to fix it later.
(Here is original post with sales persons’ answers, it’s in Russian though)