Thanks for posting this and letting me know I was wrong. I still am puzzled. Apple is not shy about squeezing the bucks out of consumers. But this shows a level of customer-orientation that I didn't expect to see.
One thing Apple has excelled at over its history is building a base of lifetime customers.
Exactly. And not only that, as TFAA did you may well get free advertisement to friends, family and the internet at large about how nice and human the experience was likely bringing in multiple lifetime customers.
I think Samsung is doing phenomenally well because of marketing and getting the telecoms to push their phones hard (financial incentive?)
Example: Their Smart TV can be controlled with your hand in the air! I've been dreaming of this since I was 5 back in the 80's and when I saw the commercial they put out the only thing I could think was 'meh'. Even when Apple does something incremental like the iPhone 5 their marketing still leaves you with a sense of awe.
This describes my thoughts on all Samsung phones... littered with half-working, buggy features that would not be put into production at any other company who's primary goal isn't to check off a slew of features.
[not trying to detract from your wider point]
When people feel they have been treated fairly they will come back over and over. Not being taken advantage of as a consumer is such a unique experience that it will stick out in their mind!
maybe they now that too well.
But for people that research before reaching for the wallet, it's all the same.
Called me to say if you close and re-open your internet based savings account you will get the higher "intro" interest rate for 4 months. I explained that I had always wondered about this loop hole... Before I even got around to visiting a branch close/re-open, I read on my statement that the bonus interest rate has been applied.
They may actually suggest broader terms and higher bids which will cost you more.
It's not like it's some nefarious plot to create lock in either. It's simply a long term business strategy that I don't think the industry as a whole ever truly understood or appreciated until things really got tight. Apple's not the only one playing the satisfied customer game either, nor is it some novel concept, which is why it's always baffled me that folks who are interested in the long game don't bother to do the same thing on a consistent basis. Looking out for and providing customers with the best/most cost effective solutions you can offer to solve their problems creates a virtuous cycle. Sure, you may never see them again, but treat a person well and chances are very good, especially in a market like hardware and software, that you will and/or you'll see their friends.
Across the entire customer population it probably sells more stuff in aggregate than if the confrontational approach is used...
Apple wants them to stay customers. There are a lot more bucks in the long term.
Really anything else is an extremely short-sighted business model.
Another interesting point, which echoes what others have said about life-long customers and word of mouth advertising, Apple collects customer surveys. Only extremely high scores count positively for the specialist. Those people are considered to have had such a good experience that they would actually promote their experience to others that they know.
However, I think we need more data on recommendations before we can argue that the intent is entirely altruistic. As others have said, the low-end model is also the same model as the "Vanilla" build, i.e. the model that Apple has plenty of in stock...and a purchase in-store (with the possibility of upselling on other accessories) is more valuable than a purchase from the web. If it's the case that Apple sells a disproportionate amount of its Vanilla stock in-store, then is it coincidence that the Vanilla stock happens to be the perfect fit for so many customers? How many slightly-upgraded (but not in-stock) models are customers convinced to buy...because there has to be at least a few customers for whom the MBP is not ideal, but a slightly upgraded MBA is needed.
And if you want to be totally cynical, you could argue that Apple is ensuring that the customer returns in the nearer future by selling them a less future-proof model. Yes, customers have loyalty based on the reliability of the brand...but if the compassionate-sales-job is so effective, then that alone may be good enough of a memory for the customer to overlook that he/she is replacing a new laptop a year earlier than expected.
The more we can find these win/win situations, the better our economy will be. The closer we can match consumer costs to the the economic costs of their consumption, the more accurately the existing "Free" market will match the ideal market.
Approach and welcome the customer.
Probe to understand their problem.
Present your solution to their problem. (And make sure something happens now.)
Listen for lingering issues.
End with a polite good-bye and ask them to come back.
"Apple recognizes what few other retailers do: customer satisfaction starts even before a product is purchased, and it is customer satisfaction that makes companies great."
I had expected this was just an idiosyncrasy of that particular salesperson, but you make a good case that Apple intends for this behavior to be common. Thanks!
If someone is dead set on getting a model, you aren't rude to them. Ever. But you do your best to make them happy.
EDIT: thanks for the down votes, but its an honest question. What if the customer comes in, and the solution that is best for them is not something sold by Apple? In particular, Apple only sell high end products. I have jad salespeople tell me to go to a low end competitor in the past, and some will just try to sell you the high end stuff.
Well done.
People rave about Apple downselling and Amazon allowing low score reviews on their products because in the long run its good business.
The problem is this doesn't always work and isn't applicable in all situations.
The customer that you sell a laptop to may or may not return. But the salesman selling oracle would get fired for pushing a competitors product under the guise of building loyalty.
The problem is that practices like this are specific to certain places and situations.
Lastly, if you are a local small dealer you simply can't afford to easily lose a sale with the hope that the loyalty is paid back for years to come. You generally have to make hay while the sun shines.
I'm not sure about your example of the local dealer. The "local" part implies to me that personal relationships and long memories will play a relatively large role in someone's business. It could be extremely beneficial to at least be seen as looking out for others to your detriment, and it would probably be easier to do for real than to fake convincingly for a long period unless your customers are ignorant.
However in the case of trying to get a customer to buy something more powerful than they need, the product will work just fine from the perspective from the customer; it's just that it still would've worked fine for them and they would've retained more money if they went with something less powerful.
There may be some economic dynamics I'm missing out on (aversion to buying Apple products in the future for being too pricey, maybe), but it seems like it'd generally be in a company's best interest to try and get their customers to purchase their most expensive projects. That is why the article linked seems so unusual yet refreshing.
nah, never mind.
If you walk into an Apple Store, wouldn't you expect to get the best Apple solution for your problem? Same in a Microsoft store, just with a Microsoft solution.
If you know you want to buy a MacBook Pro, they'll be glad to take your money. But if you demonstrate that you're not sure about which model is more appropriate for you, or you seemed uncertain about the differences between a MBP and a MBA, that's when the "[P]robing" and the "[P]resent a Solution" make sense.
It's a lot better to have a happy customer today (even if for a lower ticket price), than an undecided and confused customer for the rest of the week/month. (Or, worse, with buyer's remorse for years).
That's the opposite approach of most other retail shops. The sales person usually pushes for the most expensive item first, usually motivated by the direct commissions model. Good for him/her and for the store, but not always in the best interest of the customer.
The employees also had decent knowledge of how AT&T's service plans worked and were as to answer all of my questions. The service at the AT&T store at the same mall was a slap in the face.
The reason Apple's RAM is so expensive is because it undergoes very thorough RAM tests to verify it is 100%, and is also covered by AppleCare. So if your RAM goes bad, they'll replace it. Of course there is a large upsell $$$ here, but you're paying for stability. Some people just feel better going 100% Apple, despite the charge.
Of course, I never had an issue with RAM from OWC, so I always recommended it. I even helped a few customers purchase it in-store using the display units.
Totally fine.
Another cool story: You may or may not know, but new Mac computers used to (may still do) come with a $100 rebate towards a printer. The entry-level printer is exactly $100, so it is essentially free. There really is no catch here except you have to wait 4 to 6 weeks for the check to arrive. We (Apple store employees) knew that most people forget to file for their rebate, and manufacturers bank on this. So we were all officially trained to help file the rebate form in the store as part of the checkout process, to make sure the customer got it.
Also, even if the customer didn't want the printer, we'd usually try to sell it (for free, remember), and tell them to sell it on Craigslist, because they could get an easy $20 to $30. shrug Again, this was encouraged.
Isn't that second thing the case with OWC RAM too? That it's covered by some guarantee and that if it goes bad, they'll replace it?
I think the OP's point is that buying RAM through Apple (at a hefty premium) is a significant convenience for some people: if there's an issue - any issue - with the computer, take it back to Apple and they'll sort it out. Buying third-party RAM isn't quite as convenient.
Of course, in my experience Apple will happily look at your computer even with third-party RAM, but they obviously won't fix any issues caused by it.
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/01/17/apple-ends-100-printer-r...
- Ask
- Pause
- Probe / Pick
- Listen
- Elaborate
per http://www.exforsys.com/career-center/facilitator/core-skill...
"An effective facilitator does not just end at asking effective questions. Proper timing and accurate delivery are also important. For a good and effective facilitation, the APPLE technique might work best. APPLE is the acronym for asking the question, pausing to allow the participants to comprehend the question and think of an answer, picking a member to provide an answer, listening to the answer provided, and expounding or elaborating more on the answers given. More importantly, listen to the answers of the questions you asked."
I recommend to my sis-in-law that she get a Air for her 13 year old son because I knew that the SSD makes a BIG difference.
The Apple shop sold her a MBP because quote "it's faster".
Yes, the cpu has a higher MHz but please.
Or maybe you were wrong?
With few exceptions, the sales staff at South African iStores are utterly awful; the smarmiest, smuggest and most deceitful bunch I've had the displeasure to buy from who will most certainly not try to find you the solution that suits you best but will try to upsell you on the option that boosts their commission the most.
It would do wonders for Apple's damaged reputation in South Africa to establish an official presence and set up real Apple Retail stores.
This seems obvious, but many businesses don't seem to understand this.
I hope tesla wins over the car dealerships...
I was trained to do this. From day one of dedicated 8-hour training sessions, we're trained to find customers the right "solution" rather than get the most money. This requires using the APPLE technique (acronym, google it). The second P stands for "Present a solution for the customer to take home today." It was common knowledge at the time (4 years ago) that consumers were brainwashed to thinking faster/more is always better. But when we can save them hundreds of dollars, this isn't the case. There were many many times I talked someone out of a $2,000 MacBook Pro for a $1200 entry-level iMac with double the specs because after probing (the first "P") I learned they didn't need to be mobile. This was really, really common.
And note, this isn't about trying to convince people to spend less. Sometimes after probing, we learned they needed _more_. It is about the RIGHT solution.
To add to this: specialists don't earn commission. We weren't ranked based on financial sales numbers (there are other metrics, however). There is no incentive for specialists to sell more expensive or less expensive things. It is about the right thing.
So, this guy was just doing what he was trained to do. It is Apple store standard.