Walking into an Apple Store Feels like This

Walking into an Apple Store Feels like This ...

Apple Is Winning the Computing Culture War

Of necessity I’ve been a Microsoft user from day one. This sad fact rankles me no end because while I’ve always found Microsoft products to be exceedingly kludgy, most of my business associates have both feet firmly planted in Excel Word World.

Grr.

<strong>Grr</strong>

Grr

When my iPod nano crashed, I finally had a chance to patronize an Apple Store. It was an excellent adventure.

Actually the experience started before I even got there, when I used the Apple website to schedule an appointment with an online “Concierge” for something called the “Genius Bar”. Four things struck me about the scheduling process.

  1. The fact I could schedule an appointment at all
  2. How simple the process was
  3. That they weren’t pumping me for personal data when I signed up
  4. They didn’t try to sell me anything

Genius.

When I arrived (early) the next day, the store was packed. Pandemonium. They had an “Apple Camp” or something going on, with kids dressed in bright green t-shirts learning how to use Apple products. Grinning patrons of all ages were fiddling around with Macs and iPhones. People I took to be regular customers walked in and out of the Genius Bar with their devices in tow – and smiles that seemed out of place at a repair depot. Despite the chaos, I was calmly greeted at the door by another one of these Concierge people, who assured me someone would soon escort me to the Genius Bar. This seemed odd. How would this someone identify me amid all these people?

Between the Concierge and the other Apple staffers who occasionally and politely asked me if I needed any help, the experience took on the air of checking into a luxury hotel. Ahead of schedule, an affable fellow named Adam came over and asked what the problem was. He had identified me by my shirt – the Concierge must have text messaged him. He fixed my nano in about 10 seconds and sent me on my way, with instructions on what to do should the problem recur.

Apple’s Brand Is Unbeatable

This experience was nothing like a PC experience or a Microsoft experience, precisely because there really is no such thing as a Microsoft retail experience. You might have a Best Buy experience or a Tiger Direct experience, but there is no Microsoft brand experience per se. For sales and to a great extent service, Microsoft is at the mercy of its dealers when it comes to customer satisfaction. Sound familiar? This approach nearly devastated the Big Three U.S. automakers.

Apple has a kickass brand because they own it. Their stores set the standard for the customer experience, and it is a high standard indeed. They’ve taken a page from the Japanese automakers’ book and turned painful tasks (purchasing and servicing a piece of technology) into something hassle-free and fun. I begin to see why Apple customers are so loyal. Apple treats us like … well, customers.

... And like This

... And like This

In fact, in one sense Apple treats us better than customers, because they’re not trying to sell us anything, at least not in the normal salesy way. St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” Apple says, “Sell the product always, and when necessary, use words.” That is to say, Apple lets their products speak for themselves. An Apple Store is like an enormous playground, where customers are encouraged to try out one product after another. The fact that the products speak so loudly speaks volumes about Apple’s expertise in product design and performance.

Perhaps all this explains why Apple keeps a low profile in the media and social media. Why talk when your products say it all? Why evangelize when every customer does it for you? If testimonials are the most powerful form persuasion, Apple is sitting pretty for the next several generations. Those Apple Camp kids will be selling their kids on the brand 25 or 30 years from now.

(Do Apple Stores make an indelible branding impression? One company that apparently thinks so is Microsoft, who announced back in February they would open their own stores later this year. Indeed, Microsoft intends to locate their stores right next to Apple’s. This is a bold move, which might benefit Apple more than Microsoft. What do you think?)

Over to You

All this is probably common knowledge to any Apple fan, but from a PC guy’s perspective, these revelations make me even sorrier than ever to be locked into a permakludge computing environment. Microsoft may have the numbers, but Apple has the passion. Which do you think will win in the long run?

POSTSCRIPT – On July 21, 2009, Apple reported that its net profit jumped 15 percent, to $1.23 billion, or $1.35 a share, up from $1.07 billion, or $1.19 a share, in the quarter a year ago. These numbers represent the best non-holiday quarter revenue and earnings in Apple history.

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