Since they first opened their doors in 2001, Apple Stores have been wildly successful. In fact, Apple Stores make nearly $35.9 million dollars a year, five times that of the next largest tech retailer, Best Buy ㄧ and Apple does it with only 270 stores, one-fifth the number of Best Buy locations. What makes Apple Stores so successful isn’t just their products, but the unique experience and excellent service they offer customers.
Customers may be increasingly shopping online, but people still want to interact with human beings, rather than chatbots and automated checkout processes. Yet, the top offenders at U.S. retailers are the employees. Customers cite employee attitude, unfriendliness, and lack of knowledge as some of the top reasons to take their business somewhere else.
More than half of consumers are ready to leave a brand they love after just a few bad experiences. But customers are willing to pay a premium for good service. Apple’s products might be pricey, but their customer service model earned them a record breaking 90% customer loyalty rating in 2018. Other businesses should take note.
Apple’s approach to customer service is based on hospitality training from the Ritz-Carlton. Customers are greet warmly, addressed by name, and sent off with a fond farewell. But Apple’s customer service doesn’t stop there. The stores are designed to minimize wait time: offering reservations for tech support, bringing a card reader directly to the customer, and offering fully-functional device to keep customers engage and happy while they wait.
Tech retailers have been struggling in recent years, but Apple Stores continue to thrive. Customer’s consistently rank in-store experiences below both digital and mobile shopping experiences. But, following Apple’s example could help other business improve their customer experience, and increase customer retention. Learn more about Apple’s customer service in this infographic:
Comments
Log in or sign up to join the conversation.