Posted on 02/21/2015 1:17:41 PM PST by Star Traveler
Apple is the fastest growing retailer in history and has dominated the holy covet of retail metrics, sales per square foot, almost since its inception, which currently sits at $4,551.
Pair that with rampant expansion plans that puts the technology giant at 420+ stores around the world, and we're talking some serious revenue numbers, approximately $170 billion worth (2013).
Keeping all that in mind, more and more retailers are trying to figure out Apple's "secret sauce" when it comes to its retail experience, specifically when it comes to customer service, hoping to inspire the same degree of customer loyalty or "cult following" that Apple has.
In this post, I'll dissect some of the core elements that Apples uses to train its retail staff when it comes to delivering a great customer experience so that you as a small business retailer can walk away with some gems of how you can rethink customer service in your own store to inspire greater brand loyalty.
(Excerpt) Read more at shopify.com ...
I walked in without an appointment today, right at store opening ... and the store got crowded right at the beginning. There were already people there with appointments, and a bunch of people (like me) without appointments.
From the FIRST CONTACT with an employee, it was less than five minutes and I had another employee dealing with my iPad. Within 15 minutes, he had reinstalled the system, BUT, offered me a new iPad. We were DONE in that 15 minutes!
You’re the one who is NUTS and suffering from OCD on a thread for a company you HATE!
I’m the one who got an iPad taken care of and on my way in 15 minutes, AND, getting a new iPad in the process.
NOW ... just exactly WHAT do you think I cared about - this morning - when I find my iPad quit on me?!
You must think I was on Google looking up the HOMOSEXUAL ISSUE, after I found out my iPad had a problem! ... LOL ...
NOPE, I was getting my iPad problem taken care of and doing so in FIFTEEN MINUTES!
You could go into the Apple Store with an ORIGINAL iPad, be way out of warranty, and they would replace it with one of their newly refurbished iPads with a full warranty on it ... for $300 ... which is a fraction of that new price. In my case, the guy simply offered to replace mine for FREE today, and I never even asked for that ... :-) ...
Sounds like lots of people with lots of problems. Apple devices are the only retail products I know of that require that much attention.
The funny thing here is that for YOU being a member of the Free Republic APPLE-HATER CULT ... you don’t even have anything original to say, just copying the same thing from one Apple thread to the next one ... LOL ...
And then, just like you’ve been told before ... there hasn’t even been one single Free Republic Apple-product owner, who has ever even said that. You simply “made it up” ... :-) ...
“You’re the one who is NUTS and suffering from OCD on a thread for a company you HATE!”
Wow....
For firing someone because they were an “anti gay lobbyist” i.e. a person that doesn’t knuckle-under to the gay mafia, then you are damn right that I “hate them”. I would suspect hat 99% of FR feels the same way.
But hey, obviously you dont care about that because it’s Apple, and likely somewhere in your mind you think he got what he deserved. That’s cool. Just so that it’s clear that we know where you Apple guys stand on this since you are the ones that constantly champion that company. At least we know when it’s between a conservative and Apple, that the later is always right regardless.
The typical Apple Store is about 8400 square feet, vs about 2400 for Radio Shack. Given the number of visitors Apple attracts (to play with their toys, all of which are set up and working, unlike RSH or BBY), a converted Radio Shack location would be impossibly cramped.
Despite its stores' larger area, Apple achieves around $4.6k annual sales per square foot, the highest of any retail store. The corresponding number for Radio Shack is about $400.
In what way could Apple respond to a credit card issue from a customer's complaint about someone else's account? There is no way to even track the credit card from him to an account. The complaint HAS to come from the BANK of issuance. I am a credit card acceptor and I know what my agreement states. The credit card BELONGS to the BANK of issuance, not to the customer. Joe Blow calls up and says stop accepting charges from XYZ card number such and such. . . I cannot do that. Only the bank can stop such usage. I can do what I can to assure the card belongs to the person using it, but how can I tell that so-and-so on the phone is who he says he is? I cannot. THAT could be the fraud! It is up to him to call his bank and put the charges in contest. Then the bank will charge them back to me. I assure you it is NOT Apple's responsibility to stop using the card that was given them in good faith.
It is bGill's responsibility to put the charges in contest with his credit card provider, filing a statement of fraud, who will then investigate and re-imburse him for the bogus charges. Apple will be charged back for the fraudulent use of the card for purchases on the Apple account. The Bank will recover from Apple what it can.
There is no wrong doing on Apple's part. If it were my business, there would have been no wrong doing on my business's part either. . . but my business would be out the money.
Appointments to the Genius Bar range from being shown how to do something in one of the apps, to simply a “question and answer session” (which I’ve done before, with an appointment), to being shown something like how to use Apple Photo Library (something new in iOS 8), to checking out if something has a hardware issue, to fixing a software or file corruption issue.
IN OTHER WORDS ... it’s “customer service” across the board.
AND not everyone who was there (getting the store filled up with customers) was a problem. A good number of them were there for new product, too (from what I could see).
AN EXAMPLE of the “question and answer session” that I did before at the Genius Bar, was for me to distinguish between the two methods of backup on the iPad, and get into some technical details about it. I already knew “how to do it” ... so my questions weren’t about how to get it to function ... they were about some technical aspects of “how it worked” ... and they did a fine job in answering my questions!
Lobbyists are not "staff," but are self-employed independent contractors who work for multiple clients. This particular lobbyist did not have his contract with Apple renewed. There will be no legal repercussions as some are hinting.
So ... you think people want to Google “Homosexuality” when they need “customer service”?! ... LOL ...
Right there:
Ping to the story after I got home from work around 5:30PM
It didn't go far, except for you anti-Apple commenters.
Duh. Did.
You couldn’t even bring yourself to comment on it. Toss the little ping list hours later and then run off.
But yeah, we are all just evil SOB “Apple haters” for decrying what they did. Great deflecting job. You people are beyond help.
Anyone hear what Apple is doing to take care of the bends? (Iphone 6 issue)
“Lobbyists are not “staff,” but are self-employed independent contractors who work for multiple clients. This particular lobbyist did not have his contract with Apple renewed. There will be no legal repercussions as some are hinting. “
Yeah whatever, Swordy. Defending these people to the last damn day.
I hope the pat on the head from Apple HQ feels real nice.
What?! You mean the NINE PEOPLE who reported it to Apple out of their millions of customers ... :-) ...
On another point — I’ve got an iPad, and I’ve never heard of any bending issues ... BUT ... I’m not going to SIT ON IT to find out! ... LOL ...
— — —
Apple Rebuts Complaints of Bending iPhones
http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-defends-against-complaints-of-bending-iphones-1411668618
Tech Giant Says Only Nine Customers Have Complained About Bent iPhones
Apple Inc. on Thursday defended against reports that its largest iPhone bends easily in people’s pockets, saying warping is “extremely rare” through normal use.
Since going on sale Friday, Apple said only nine customers have contacted the company about a bent iPhone 6 Plus—the larger and more expensive of its two new iPhones. Apple said both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus passed a series of tests meant to check the products’ strength and durability through everyday use.
The company said the new iPhones are made from a custom grade of anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength. Apple said the phones also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high-stress locations.
“NOW ... the hilarious thing, is that right down the mall, there was a Microsoft tablet store. I think that store might have had more square feet in the store than the Apple Store. There were only three employees in that store, and about five customers ... and all the rest of the room in the store was EMPTY SPACE ...no customers! ... LOL ...”
That sounds very familiar to this...
I was flying out of a large airport and arrived at lunchtime. I noticed a Chipotle had opened since the last time I was there. The Chipotle had a line extending way, way back. The other 12 restaurants, including McDonalds, had a handful of people milling around.
“...I might get an Apple, when I saw the prices I was shocked just the base price seemed so out of line, I can buy three more of these over the next 20 years for the cost of one lowest priced Apple, now as far as customer service I don’t know I’ve never needed it, but I bet if you took an eight year old Apple into one of their shops; they would not do much for you, at least not a reasonable price.”
You can get an amazing number of basic cars for the price of a Lexus, Mercedes, etc. It’s great to be a consumer and have choices!
You’re simply a Ford Focus guy, or whatever. No problem. You earn. You pay. You use.
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