Apple ranks 1st among PC manufacturers, in customer service. It ranks 3rd among ALL companies in a Business Week customer service poll.

This is not an easy accomplishment. Apple customers have high expectations; particularly longtime customers, such as myself (customer since 1984).

Today, I had yet another great customer service experience. I’d like to share it with you.

I went online, yesterday, to make an appointment at one of the local Apple retail stores (at Fashion Show, Las Vegas). Actually, I made two appointments:

• One with a Mac computer specialist, regarding a buggy disc drive.
• The second with an iPhone/iPod specialist, to buy a new battery, because the existing one didn’t seem to be holding its charge properly (it’s about 18 months old).

The Mac term for specialist is Genius. There is so much to know about their products, software, and service that Apple divides their knowledge into multiple categories.

My LapTop issue: Since I’m a heavy-use computer user, I always buy an extended warranty, which gives me three years of coverage, rather than the standard one year. The disc drive was no longer reading DVD’s and CD’s properly. In about five minutes, they took my laptop in for service, and will replace the drive, probably today. Cost for service…. $0.00 (covered by the warranty).

iPhone Battery: It appeared to me that the battery was draining too quickly. I was there to replace the battery (about $80). Before they would let me spend money, Mike (my iPhone Genius) took the phone into the back room service area, and ran a diagnostic on it. A few minutes later, he reappeared, and happily told me that I did not need a new battery.

He showed me how I could simply change a few settings on the phone, that were running programs in the background), and felt that would improve my battery efficiency. And added, “See how that works for you. If, after a few days, you still feel the battery is running down too quickly, just come back in and you can certainly replace it then.”

New iPhone case: While Mike was in the back of the house, I went over to the wall rack to look at iPhone cases. Someone was restocking that area, so I asked her for a recommendation, based on a few specific parameters. She demonstrated her preferred recommendation, and within two minutes, I had it, in hand, ready to pay for.

My takeaways…

• Less than a half-hour in the store; no excess waiting time (thanks to the advance appointment system).
• No charge for replacing the SuperDrive in my laptop. (thanks to extended warranty). Update – 1:30pm – received a call from the service rep, telling me my laptop was ready for pick-up! WOW!!
• No battery replacement needed (thanks to diligent double-checking on the part of Mike, the iPhone Genius)
• Bought a new iPhone case (with the help of a knowledgeable service rep)

The big picture, here, is the Apple store employees like working they are. They receive incredible thorough training. From my multiple experiences with both sales and service, they never make customers feel like a dummy. They have been trained not just in diagnosing or technical problem or recommending the proper product, but been coached in communication methods and terminology that are easily understood by prospects and customers.

The business of double-checking my battery was great proactivity, on my behalf. Even though I’m an above-average user, I think about other possibilities than replacing the battery. Mike did.

That’s why, recently, I have urged two friends of mine, who were considering switching from a Windows-based computer to a Mac, to visit an Apple store. Computers and cell phones have become an integral part of our lives. It is not just about the price of hardware. It’s about the hardware, software, programs, and service. These days, when we have a technical problem with a cell phone or computer, it rapidly can deteriorate into a major crisis. The person who spends the least money on a technical product, often regrets it later.

What can you do, in your business, to be proactive? To coach the client, with your superior level of knowledge… with being condescending?

It is this kind of customer service that really counts. One hears people, all the time, expound that they have ‘great customer service.’ That general statement is vague and meaningless. The examples I’ve shared are concrete and specific.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority & Apple FanBoy

Share on Facebook

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!