- April 10, 2023
- Posted by: Gopal Krishna
- Categories:
Now, let’s see how Steve Jobs and Apple took its inspiration from The Ritz Carlton to a whole new level. Apple has about 453 retail stores with 265 in the US. As you may already know, Apple has most profitable Retail Stores in the world!
Many of you who visited Apple Stores must have gone through a distinct experience where the staff (Geniuses) is not interested in selling their products but to build lasting relationships and improving quality of lives through their products.
Apple Stores also has something known as Genius Bar; customer support service. For software and services, customers can get support by phone or chat. For product repairs, customers go to support centers (stores) to talk to Geniuses at work. Geniuses are support staff who have extensive knowledge of Apple’s products, and they work with customers face to face to provide technical support and troubleshoot hardware problems.
The core of Apple Stores’ success lies in its obsessive culture to serve customers. And the culture is embodied by its staff who are hired for their passion, attitude and spirit than experience, knowledge or degrees. Apple invests tons of money in hiring, training and imbibing the value of creating magical and memorable experiences for its customers.
Apple adopted ‘5 Steps of Service’ approach while The Ritz Carlton has 3 steps of service. And these 5 steps use APPLE brand name as acronym/expansion. Let’s see what each of them stands for;
- A: Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome
- P: Probe politely to understand customer’s needs
- P: Present a solution for customer to take home today
- L: Listen for and resolve issues or concerns
- E: End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return
Ironically, companies like Apple which does not focus on selling its products ends up becoming one of the most sold, used and valued products/brands in the world. With 5 steps of service approach, we can’t help but end up being Apple customers!