Yes, we all know Apple products are great and hail the almighty Steve Jobs. But the one user experience that the company truly reinvented was the brick-and-mortar storefront. Before the idea of entering into the retail store space, Apple held focus groups to discover ways to distance themselves from the competition. When the groups were asked about the best service they’d ever experienced—16 out of the 18 demographics said “it was in a hotel.” Huh. But of course. The concierge desk at a hotel has no other agenda, but to be at your beck-and-call. So, they came up with a bar—a bar that “serves up” helpful advice. Essentially, what they did was put high-tech versions of a concierge desk in each of their retail stores and populated them with “Geniuses.”
Concierges—the excellent ones—are geniuses, magicians in the art of hospitality. They have the spirit that separates not only concierges from other professionals, but also the good concierges from the great concierges. So how can your business improve upon your customer experience? How can you take the Genius Bar concept to a whole new level of service? You can start by logging onto www.porteroconcierge.com/pcstaging and see how they’re helping companies reinvent the shopping experience. Then, make your dent in the universe just like Apple did. God we miss you Steve Jobs.