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Three Things I Like About Apple Retail Stores
I’m a few days late with this post, but things happen in the real world that you just can’t avoid.
In my last post I offered my three complaints about Apple Retail Stores. I had a few people disagree in the comments, quite a few more disagree in emails, but I also received some comments, emails and a blog post that were in agreement.
As I mentioned in that post, I also intended to say what I liked about the stores.
1) There are some really spectacular employees at Apple stores. As I said before, I’m always sure to hit up different Apple stores while I’m traveling and usually I can find an employee that gets it. They are certainly not the majority, but they are around. They are fun to chat with, they don’t go thru the programmed lines, they’re fun to trade tips with, and they are just cool folks. I commend them for dealing with iPod questions all day. (” My iPod is broken. I want another one right now.” “Um, no. You just have the hold button on.”) I feel bad that they are badgered with rumor questions. (Don’t worry guys, we know you’re in the dark like the rest of us when it comes to Apple announcements.)
When I’m travelling to these stores, I’ll usually give them a FreeMacWare business card to keep in touch. Most of the time they use and recommend FreeMacWare to their customers. That’s always cool and helps remind me that we’re providing a useful service to Mac users.
2) The setup and presentation of the products are top notch. It helps that they are good looking machines, but even more that they are completely functional. I love that I can bring a friend in there while we’re at the mall and show them a complete and functioning Mac. Open iPhoto and there are pictures in there to play with. iTunes lets you browse thru songs. Mail has accounts set up for example. Safari is completely functioning and free to use. iPods have songs, album art, and headphones. That’s all incredible.
When you compare this to CompUSA or Best Buy, there is no comparison. I always smile when a customer walks up to a machine in one of these stores and shakes the mouse to disable the screensaver. Usually there is a screen asking for an employee password. If you’re “lucky” enough to get to the desktop, you’ll see that nothing works. There is no internet connection. If you start up some apps you’ll be asked for passwords or registrations. There will be advertisements and warnings popping up. I guess you can start up Solitaire. There is always Solitaire.
I’m not sure how Apple keeps the machines so nice. (Besides the fact that it is really just the Mac OS X/iLife experience.) My guess is that there is an XServe in the back somewhere firing up NetBoot and restoring the images every night.
3) This is frivolous, but I think that Apple Stores always smell good. Is it just me, or do the stores smell like the fruit apple? I really wouldn’t be surprised if they are well scented on purpose. Everything about Apple pushes that experiences are what they’re selling. No reason that they shouldn’t touch on all the senses.
And you’d be lying if you told me you didn’t take a big whiff every time you open up a new Mac for the first time.
Conclusion:
Overall, I really think that the Apple Stores are a great idea. It’s nice to send potential customers there and know they’ll be able to get what they need.
September 18th, 2006 at 11:24 am
2) All the floor demo computers at Apple Stores are equipped with software called Deep Freeze by Faronics. essentially, it lets you “freeze” a computer with a given state, which includes settings, files, pretty much everything. When it is active, if some drooling teenager has deleted Safari and iTunes or made the desktop background a porn image, you can simply reboot the system and it was like nothing ever happened. Very cool. The same product is available for Windows as well, and there are are other similar products available (MacShield comes to mind).
3) At the Apple Store I used to work at, there was a sort of “smell machine”. I was told that it used to pump pretty smells into the store. It didn’t work while I worked there, though, so it was never on. Also, I love the “new Mac smell”.
September 18th, 2006 at 11:26 am
Also, I sort of guest-worked at another store in my region, and I saw no sign of a smell-machine. It was a very new store (a couple of months old at the time). Perhaps they’ve been done away with. I don’t really know, though.
September 18th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
Thinking of the smell brings back good memories.
September 18th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
TWO THINGS that impress me about Apple Retail is
1) the usage of Macs for the cashier counter. To me this is one of the single most moving yet understated elements in a retail environment of any category. Even the full-page color receipts instead of tiny faded purple-inked receipt tape. I live in NYC, and it’s amazing how Apple is able to distinguish themselves this way even among the most elite and prestigious retailers in the world. Even the huge Sony store doesn’t dare run their POS on a VAIO.
2) I love the simple, casual t-shirt uniforms for the Apple staff. It almost reminds me of a concert or stage setup crew. As if their setting up a show for you and you’ve just walked backstage and get to see behind-the-scenes.
September 18th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
I agree on the shirts Carlo. Sometimes the phrases are a little corny, but they do look nice.
September 19th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
I have to agree that using Macs at the cashier counter was the thing that impressed me most about the Apple store I visited (the one and only one in range for me is the small one in Manchester, UK). It just says something about the product when the company that makes it rely on it to do their business. It also adds to the overall appearance of the store. If you go to PC World or any other PC store, they use ugly typefaces on everything, cheap display stands, and the store and product layout is confusing at best; the Apple stores get you in with their clean, modern looking store fronts and then the eye-candy just improves from there.
Even if you had some kind of hatred of Apple and their products, I don’t think anyone can disagree that the retail stores offer the best shopper experience of any store in any sector anywhere!
October 1st, 2006 at 12:38 pm
Living in NYC also, Apple’s design philosophy is apparent everywhere. The fact that the store is DESIGNED to give anyone who walks in a complete experience of what makes Apple so great shows how powerful a design company Apple is. How many websites talk about Sony Experience or Barney’s or Best Buy(except in relation to Apple)?
October 25th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
I work at an Apple Store…I don’t think we have a smell machine…
I’ve had a few jobs….fast food….Denny’s…newspaper subscription door to door salesman….nothing compares to working for Apple. It’s a dream come true for a college student who needs money and is in love with Apple’s products and design.
March 4th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Parker-I have a group interview scheduled for next Sunday night at the Apple Store. Anyhting you can tell me?
Thanks!