American consumers consistently rank in-store experiences below both digital and mobile shopping, but people prefer to interact with a real person, rather than a chatbot or automated process. The problem may be a lack of good customer service, which drives customers away after just a few bad experience.
The most likely offenders to send customers packing are employee attitude, unfriendly service, lack of knowledge about products/solutions, and loss of trust in a company. But customers are willing to pay a premium for good service. With a record breaking 90% customer loyalty rating, Apple Stores offer customers the positive experience they’re seeking.
When Apple first decided to open its own retail stores, they sent all their store managers to hospitality training at the Ritz-Carlton. The luxury hotels’ service became the basis for Apple’s own unique customer service model. Apple Stores offer customer service in three simple steps: greet each customer warmly, address them by name, and offer a fond farewell.
Apple designed their stores to reduce wait times. Making a reservation for service lets customers avoid long wait times. Lines are also eliminated at check-out by bringing a card reader directly to the customer. While customers wait, the lobby is filled with fully-functional devices to keep customers happy and engaged.
Tech retailers have been struggling in recent years but Apple Stores continue to thrive, making five times more in sales than Best Buy with only one-fifth the number of locations. Check out this infographic to learn more about Apple’s stellar customer service:
Source: HospitalityManagementDegrees.net
Brian Wallace is the Founder and President of NowSourcing , an industry leading infographic design agency based in Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH which works with companies that range from startups to Fortune 500s. Brian also runs #LinkedInLocal events nationwide, hosts the Next Action Podcast , and has been named a Google Small Business Advisor for 2016-2018.
