Some basic facts to get us started.

• Apple’s sales per sq. foot are now $4,406. This is higher than Tiffany’s and Co.
• Employees are supposed help customers, not to sell products. A quote from the training manual:“Your job is to understand all of your customers’ needs—some of which they may not even realize they have.”
• Apple employees are instructed to talk to customers in a very supportive way:“Listen and limit your responses to simple reassurances that you are doing so. ‘Uh-huh’ ‘I understand,’ etc.”
• Genius Bar employees are trained to say, “as it turns out” instead of “unfortunately,” to place a  more positive spin on their bad news.
• If a customer mispronounces a product name or something else, employees are forbidden from correcting the customer. (hint hint, to all Fry’s, Best Buy’s and other places that have ego’s running rampant)
• Employees who are six minutes late three times in six months can be fired.
• While Apple employees do not have sales quotas, they are strongly encouraged to sell Apple Care and support.

I recently took an iPhone into Apple the other day and they set and ‘appointment’ for me one-half hour later. The phone stopped working (my 2 year old decided to use it as either a hammer, or a nail..or both) so I figured that I’d take it into the store to see if they could do anything. There’s no happy ending for this phone, but after reading the Wall Street Journal Article, it is true, the guy behind the genius bar somehow spun it in a positive way that I’d be better off buying a new iPhone than go through the process of fixing the phone. It was probably the nicest rejection I’ve had since my 6 year old said that she likes hugging my wife more than me because her skin is softer and she doesn’t have a beard.

Scanned photo via Wall Street Journal

As it turns out, there is an Acronmym for A.P.P.L.E that store employees are required to learn. Something that we all could learn a little from

(A) Approach customers with a personalized warm welcome.
(P) Probe politely to understand customers needs.
(P) Present a solution for the customer to take home today.
(L) Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns.
(E) End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.

Simply put, Apple just does things right. And while I’ve come to expect no less of them, it is also a fact that Apple products are not cheap. In order to maintain the mania of Apple Nation they need to continue to Pimp their products like no other.  I can’t help but wonder if Microsoft will take the same approach with their new stores?

(read complimentary article on the Wall Street Journal – Technology)