Apple rumored to improve Genius Bar service with shorter wait times
Apple is said to be prepping major changes to the Genius Bar at its brick-and-mortar retail stores, in hopes of offering customers shorter wait times and quick overnight repairs.
MacRumors on Wednesday said that it has received word that Apple plans to overhaul its Genius Bars in an effort to increase customer satisfaction. The details come a day after AppleInsider first reported that Apple is now drumming up excitement with its retail employees, promising something that will make a "big" impact.
Specifically, author Eric Slivka cited three new changes that will allegedly be implemented:
Active queue management -- Apple's goal is for walk-in customers headed to the Genius Bar to be served within 30 minutes. To meet this goal, the stores will reassign some employees from other areas of the store when needed.
Overnight repairs -- Retail stores will reportedly place a greater focus on overnight repairs, with the goal of a faster turnaround for customers who need their Apple products fixed. however, this will come at somewhat of an expense to "While You Wait" repairs.
Multitasking -- Genius Bar employees will be asked to serve multiple customers at once, rather than just focusing on one person. Employees will help another customer during downtime (such as during a computer reboot), and support staff will attempt to pair customers who have reservations for similar or identical issues.
"While Apple is pitching the changes as a significant enhancement to support services in its retail stores, others are not so sure," the report said. "One Apple retail store employee familiar with the changes noted that the company is trying to 'do more with less,' pulling in less-qualified Creatives and offering less personal attention through multitasking in order to deal with customer demand rather than hiring new staff.
"The employee also expressed concern about low stocks of parts available at retail stores and how without a change in how parts are allocated and delivered many repairs will not be able to be completed overnight as planned."
MacRumors on Wednesday said that it has received word that Apple plans to overhaul its Genius Bars in an effort to increase customer satisfaction. The details come a day after AppleInsider first reported that Apple is now drumming up excitement with its retail employees, promising something that will make a "big" impact.
Specifically, author Eric Slivka cited three new changes that will allegedly be implemented:
Active queue management -- Apple's goal is for walk-in customers headed to the Genius Bar to be served within 30 minutes. To meet this goal, the stores will reassign some employees from other areas of the store when needed.
Overnight repairs -- Retail stores will reportedly place a greater focus on overnight repairs, with the goal of a faster turnaround for customers who need their Apple products fixed. however, this will come at somewhat of an expense to "While You Wait" repairs.
Multitasking -- Genius Bar employees will be asked to serve multiple customers at once, rather than just focusing on one person. Employees will help another customer during downtime (such as during a computer reboot), and support staff will attempt to pair customers who have reservations for similar or identical issues.
"While Apple is pitching the changes as a significant enhancement to support services in its retail stores, others are not so sure," the report said. "One Apple retail store employee familiar with the changes noted that the company is trying to 'do more with less,' pulling in less-qualified Creatives and offering less personal attention through multitasking in order to deal with customer demand rather than hiring new staff.
"The employee also expressed concern about low stocks of parts available at retail stores and how without a change in how parts are allocated and delivered many repairs will not be able to be completed overnight as planned."
Comments
I've never previously had any "wait time" before, just walked in and came out a few minutes later.
I've had to wait after my scheduled appointment and experienced a multitasking Genius before. They were replacing one person's iPhone while replacing mine's screen and this was all a few months ago.
I've never previously had any "wait time" before, just walked in and came out a few minutes later.
In the Regents Street, London store you frequently have to wait 10-15 minutes even if you arrive before your time slot. Also, I've had even relatively simple repairs like swapping the DVD drive take 10 days or more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ZnwvyAk8k
Can we stop using "brick-and-mortar" to describe retail stores? That description is as tired as "information superhighway." I think we all know if the reference is to a physical store from the context.
OK--How bout GLASS & STEEL?
Can we stop using "brick-and-mortar" to describe retail stores? That description is as tired as "information superhighway." I think we all know if the reference is to a physical store from the context.
many of them, well, 5th ave and shanghai aren't even made of brick
Plus, the new Friend Bar service is expected to decrease Genius Bar wait times as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ZnwvyAk8k
What's next? An Apple employee at your local brew-pub to chat endlessly about anything you like - provided you're buyin'
I guess the original announcement headline "Apple Retails Employees will be expected to do More with Less"didn't pan out so well.
Also coming soon - iKindergarten - where Apple Employees will hang around at the local park near the teeter totter and talk to preschoolers about Apple products they might inherit someday. (what's that? the guy hanging around the playground is not an Apple employee) Uh, please disregard that last announcement.
I've never previously had any "wait time" before, just walked in and came out a few minutes later.
Well, this is probably a bigger deal for people who actually live within civilization, rather than, say... Omaha.
Major flagship Apple Stores in large cities consistently have LONG wait times... San Francisco is one example.
Well, this is probably a bigger deal for people who actually live within civilization, rather than, say... Omaha.
omaha? the UK isn't that bad I'll have you know
Active queue management -- Apple's goal is for walk-in customers headed to the Genius Bar to be served within 30 minutes. To meet this goal, the stores will reassign some employees from other areas of the store when needed.
I don't think that waiting in line for a half hour to be helped is good service.
I would be OK with sharing a Genius with a person who has the same problem as me, but helping people during "downtime" or "reboot" would just ruin the service for me.
Well, this is probably a bigger deal for people who actually live within civilization, rather than, say... Omaha.
Major flagship Apple Stores in large cities consistently have LONG wait times... San Francisco is one example.
My store is in Santa Rosa, CA. Not a thriving metropolis, but always a busy store. If I leave CA for Oregon, there are only three stores in the whole state, and are all near each other.
Jason, no need to be a smart-assed CA snob, especially in just your second post. You make the rest of us look bad.
Omaha ... the only store in the entire state.
http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/
Hm.. my apple store already serves within 30 minutes, even during busiest times. If you have an appointment and you come right on time it's usually a 15 minute wait.
I would be OK with sharing a Genius with a person who has the same problem as me, but helping people during "downtime" or "reboot" would just ruin the service for me.
Do you really need to be making small talk with the Genius staff while your system is rebooting? Let them use that 5 minutes to solve someone else's problem or at least move it along to the next step.
My store is in Santa Rosa, CA. Not a thriving metropolis, but always a busy store. If I leave CA for Oregon, there are only three stores in the whole state, and are all near each other.
Omaha ... the only store in the entire state.
http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/
Yeah I live in Louisville KY. There are stores in Indy and Cincy, both within 90 minutes, but the Louisville store is always jam packed full of people and hard to move around in, especially if you have a large stroller w/you like I do heh.