quinta-feira, 13 de setembro de 2012

Desafio: em qual franquia o pessoal franqueador não tem raiva do franqueado?

As que tiverem seu nome citado são franquias que vão durar. 

As outras morreram e esqueceram de fechar.  

Cultura e gestão de atendimento e serviços diminuem o turnover, melhoram o clima e aceleram a criatividade.

15 milhões de fãs de IPhone vão trocar para o 5. Muito poucos não fãs vão migrar. É a nova Apple. Burocrática. Sem foco do cliente.

CEO Operacional na Apple. Logística maravilhosa, política de preços maravilhosa, processo de fabricação exemplar. Inovação frustrante.

Pena, quem perde é o consumidor.

E mais de 10 milhões de consumidores vão trocar seus 4S rapidinho.

Afinal ele estava muuuuuuuuito defasado.

Demanda reprimida por melhorias tipo tela maior, etc.

Quero ver quantos novos Clientes eles terão...

P.S. Novidade: Panorama em foto. Meu Deus... que pena desses caras.

P.S. 2 Os caras falaram que a presença de palco dos executivos tava ruim. Acho que nem tanto. O conteúdo era indefensável.

quarta-feira, 12 de setembro de 2012

Is the iPhone 5 Boring? O IPhone 5 é chato? Saiu no Wall Street Journal

By JESSICA E. VASCELLARO

Apple Inc.'s AAPL +1.39% iPhone has been a trendsetter for half a decade. Now the question is whether it can avoid becoming a bore.

As Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the new iPhone, Spencer Ante on digits discusses what affect the smartphone will have on its competitors. Photo: Getty Images.

From the demo room at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, WSJ's Ian Sherr gets a first look at the new iPhone 5. Video via WSJ's #WorldStream.

On Wednesday, Apple unveiled the iPhone 5, packed with new features. The phone is thinner and has a bigger display. Its Siri virtual assistant has grown much more powerful. It has a new mapping and digital coupon service.

Yet no one heralded the new device as a great leap forward. What's more, several features that are becoming standard across other smartphones aren't in the iPhone 5. Many of those features, such as even bigger screens and ways to pay with your phone, are generating strong reviews from consumers and technology reviewers.

View Slideshow

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Phil Schiller, senior vice president of world-wide product marketing for Apple, introduced the new iPhone 5 Wednesday in San Francisco.

Those reviewers, quick to call winners and losers in the space, have spent the last few months lamenting that the iPhone doesn't offer more. Even some hard-core Apple fans have raised questions about whether the iPhone can continue to trail blaze or if it's becoming a snoozer. One Apple employee recently confided he had been hoping the new device would have more dramatic changes.

Whether the missing features matter remains to be seen. Consumers worldwide have eagerly snapped up incrementally different versions of the iPhone in the past.

Still, the technology gaps are getting more attention. Here's a sampling of what the iPhone 5 is missing:

Streaming Updates

Plus, visit the Gadget Wars stream for the latest on the cutthroat action between Apple, Amazon, Google, Nokia and others.

·         Apple Unveils iPhone 5

·         How iPhone 5 Stacks Up

·         Recap the live blog

Digital Payments: Some new Google Inc.GOOG -0.19% Android phones, including the Galaxy Nexus, and forthcoming Windows Phones have a near-field communication chip that powers digital-wallet services. They allow users to pay for goods at certain retailers by tapping their phones. The iPhone still lacks NFC and has taken only small steps toward payments with a new digital coupon and loyalty-card service called Passbook.

Vote

Touch to Share: Most new Android phones, including the Samsung Electonrics Co.'s Galaxy S III, can share media simply by touching the devices together (again thanks to NFC). The phones can share photos, videos, contacts and Web pages this way, as well as information between apps. The iPhone can't.

Dynamic Home Screens: The iPhone is sticking to a home screen of static icons that people must tap to load. Lots of Android phones offer more customizable modules that push information that's otherwise buried in the apps.

These Android widgets let consumers see content like weather or Facebook updates on their home screen. Rather than see an icon for their email application, say, people can see their actual emails. Windows Phones, including one expected from Nokia Corp.NOK1V.HE +1.84% later this year, offer home-screen tiles that provide something similar. (The iPhone does push some discreet notifications—like Facebook updates—to the unlock screen, which is a first step.)

From San Francisco, Andy Jordan is at the scene of Apple's release of its new iPhone.

Smartphone Wars

Explore and compare features and specifications of smartphones, including the iPhone 5.

View Interactive

·         More photos and interactive graphics

Face Unlock: Many new Android phones use facial recognition to allow people to gain access to their phone just by looking at it. IPhone users are still swiping screens with their fingers to unlock their devices.

Even Bigger Screens: While larger than the last iPhone, the iPhone 5's four-inch screen is smaller than some phones on the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, which is 4.8 inches. Indeed, phones with screens as big as five inches are hitting the market.

Wireless charging: Nokia's new phone running the Windows Phone 8 operating system can be charged without a cord. All you have to do is place the device on a pad that supports a wireless charging standard called Qi. The iPhone 5 has a new charger that's much smaller, but it still has a cord.

Write to Jessica E. Vascellaro atjessica.vascellaro@wsj.com

Uma marca só constrói reputação se tiver cultura e gestão de atendimento e serviços

Tiraram o vídeo do ar. Mas eu adianto. O IPhone 5 é mais fino e mais comprido. Só.

domingo, 9 de setembro de 2012

Coisas que ninguém acreditaria que acontecessem numa loja da Apple. Mas varejo é varejo... E olha que a Apple é maravilhosa...

Exclusive: Confessions from the Most Corrupt Apple Store in America

·      by SAM BIDDLE

·     

"The saying goes: Don't fuck with the person that serves your food," a former Apple Genius tells me over IM. "Don't fuck with the person who repairs your computer." He—we'll call him Ronald—spent six years as a member of Apple's Genius squad in a busy Southwestern store. It was a model store: shiny as the best of them, teeming, making money. But in back rooms and in plain sight, the employees ran wild: giving away computers, stealing phones, drunkenly destroying customer property. Ronald saw (and did) it all.

You might think twice before your next visit to the bar.

Leia mais...

http://gizmodo.com/5936324/exclusive-confessions-from-the-most-corrupt-apple-store-in-america

Dia 12/09 - lançamento do IPhone 5. Keynotes que já não podem ocorrer

Image001

sexta-feira, 7 de setembro de 2012

O design do I Phone 5 é iguaaaaaaaaaaaal ao do IPhone 4. Duro. Com design pior e muito do que o IPhone 3. Que era muito bom de pega.

Ah, a tela aumentou... ufaaaa.

Pelo menos isso.

Quem viu o Nokia 920 não precisa esperar o Samsung S4.

Já tem dois smartphones que vão dar show no IPhone.

Pena...

Pena...

quinta-feira, 6 de setembro de 2012

Pra quem ainda tem dúvida se mais importante é estratégia ou cultura

Culture Eats Strategy For Lunch

·      by SHAWN PARR

·      READ LATER

Image001

Get on a Southwest flight to anywhere, buy shoes from Zappos.com, pants from Nordstrom, groceries from Whole Foods, anything from Costco, a Starbucks espresso, or a Double-Double from In N' Out, and you'll get a taste of these brands’ vibrant cultures. 

Culture is a balanced blend of human psychology, attitudes, actions, and beliefs that combined create either pleasure or pain, serious momentum or miserable stagnation. A strong culture flourishes with a clear set of values and norms that actively guide the way a company operates. Employees are actively and passionately engaged in the business, operating from a sense of confidence and empowerment rather than navigating their days through miserably extensive procedures and mind-numbing bureaucracy. Performance-oriented cultures possess statistically better financial growth, with high employee involvement, strong internal communication, and an acceptance of a healthy level of risk-taking in order to achieve new levels of innovation. 

Misunderstood and mismanaged

Culture, like brand, is misunderstood and often discounted as a touchy-feely component of business that belongs to HR. It's not intangible or fluffy, it's not a vibe or the office décor. It's one of the most important drivers that has to be set or adjusted to push long-term, sustainable success. It's not good enough just to have an amazing product and a healthy bank balance. Long-term success is dependent on a culture that is nurtured and alive. Culture is the environment in which your strategy and your brand thrives or dies a slow death. 

Think about it like a nurturing habitat for success. Culture cannot be manufactured. It has to be genuinely nurtured by everyone from the CEO down. Ignoring the health of your culture is like letting aquarium water get dirty. 

If there's any doubt about the value of investing time in culture, there are significant benefits that come from a vibrant and alive culture: 

·         Focus: Aligns the entire company towards achieving its vision, mission, and goals. 

·         Motivation: Builds higher employee motivation and loyalty. 

·         Connection: Builds team cohesiveness among the company’s various departments and divisions. 

·         Cohesion: Builds consistency and encourages coordination and control within the company. 

·         Spirit: Shapes employee behavior at work, enabling the organization to be more efficient and alive.

Mission accomplished

Think about the Marines: the few, the proud. They have a connected community that is second to none, and it comes from the early indoctrination of every member of the Corps and the clear communication of their purpose and value system. It is completely clear that they are privileged to be joining an elite community that is committed to improvising, adapting, and overcoming in the face of any adversity. The culture is so strong that it glues the community together and engenders a sense of pride that makes them unparalleled. The culture is what each Marine relies on in battle and in preparation. It is an amazing example of a living culture that drives pride and performance. It is important to step back and ask whether the purpose of your organization is clear and whether you have a compelling value system that is easy to understand. Mobilizing and energizing a culture is predicated on the organization clearly understanding the vision, mission, values, and goals. It's leadership’s responsibility to involve the entire organization, informing and inspiring them to live out the purpose the organization in the construct of the values.

Vibrant and healthy

Do you run into your culture every day? Does it inspire you, or smack you in the face and get in your way, slowing and wearing you down? Is it overpowering or does it inspire you to overcome challenges? It's important to understand what is driving your culture. Is it power and ego that people react to, and try to gain power, or a culture of encouragement and empowerment? Is it driven from top-down directives, or cross-department collaboration? To get a taste of your culture, all you have to do is sit in an executive meeting, the cafe or the lunch room, listen to the conversations, look at the way decisions are made and the way departments cooperate. Take time out and get a good read on the health of your culture.

Culture fuels brand

A vibrant culture provides a cooperative and collaborative environment for a brand to thrive in. Your brand is the single most important asset to differentiate you consistently over time, and it needs to be nurtured, evolved, and invigorated by the people entrusted to keep it true and alive. Without a functional and relevant culture, the money invested in research and development, product differentiation, marketing, and human resources is never maximized and often wasted because it's not fueled by a sustaining and functional culture. 

Look at Zappos, one of the fastest companies to reach $1 billion in recent years, fueled by an electric and eclectic culture, one that's inclusionary, encouraging, and empowering. It's well-documented, celebrated, and shared willingly with anyone who wants to learn from it. Compare that to American Apparel, the controversial and prolific fashion retailer with a well-documented and highly dysfunctional culture. Zappos is thriving and on its way to $2 billion, while American Apparel is mired in bankruptcy and controversy. Both companies are living out their missions--one is to create happiness, and the other is based on self-centered perversity. Authenticity and values always win.

Uncommon sense for a courageous and vibrant culture

It's easy to look at companies like Stonyfield Farms, Zappos, Google, Virgin, Whole Foods, or Southwest Airlines and admire them for their passionate, engaged, and active cultures that are on display for the world to see. Building a strong culture takes hard work and true commitment and, while not something you can tick off in boxes, here are some very basic building blocks to consider:

1.      Dynamic and engaged leadership
A vibrant culture is organic and evolving. It is fueled and inspired by leadership that is actively involved and informed about the realities of the business. They genuinely care about the company's role in the world and are passionately engaged. They are great communicators and motivators who set out a clearly communicated vision, mission, values, and goals and create an environment for them to come alive.

2.      Living values
It's one thing to have beliefs and values spelled out in a frame in the conference room. It's another thing to have genuine and memorable beliefs that are directional, alive and modeled throughout the organization daily. It's important that departments and individuals are motivated and measured against the way they model the values. And, if you want a values-driven culture, hire people using the values as a filter. If you want your company to embody the culture, empower people and ensure every department understands what's expected. Don't just list your company’s values in PowerPoints; bring them to life in people, products, spaces, at events, and in communication.

3.      Responsibility and accountability
Strong cultures empower their people, they recognize their talents, and give them a very clear role with responsibilities they're accountable for. It's amazing how basic this is, but how absent the principle is in many businesses.

4.      Celebrate success and failure
Most companies that run at speed often forget to celebrate their victories both big and small, and they rarely have time or the humility to acknowledge and learn from their failures. Celebrate both your victories and failures in your own unique way, but share them and share them often.

Shawn Parr is the The Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego whose clients and partners have included Starbucks, Diageo, Jack in the Box, Adidas, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, American Eagle Outfitters, IDEO, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel, Heineken, Annie's Homegrown, The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, CleanWell, The Honest Kitchen and World Vision. Follow the conversation at@BULLDOGDRUMMOND.

[Image: Flickr user Jeremy Brooks]

Pra quem quiser saber como foi a palestra deste que vos fala no CDL Porto Alegre

Ainda não aposentei mas aconselho muito. Mídias sociais e redes sociais para quem gosta de agir e interargir

domingo, 2 de setembro de 2012

O jeito Apple de atender... agora em texto... legível...

Carmine Gallo, Contributor

I write about success, leadership, and communications.

LEADERSHIP

 

|

 

8/30/2012 @ 9:57AM |15,555 views

Apple's Secret Employee Training Manual Reinvents Customer Service in Seven Ways

Image003

Apple Store in Palo Alto, CA

After spending one year of research into every aspect of the Apple Retail Store for my book, The Apple Experience, there’s very little new information that surprises me. However, sometimes people leak information that can teach all of us a lot about running a successful business, communicating brand messages effectively, and enhancing the customer experience.

One such piece was recently leaked and posted on the tech site, Gizmodo. The title, How To Be a Genius: This is Apple’s Secret Employee Training Manual. According to Gizmodo Senior Staff Writer, Sam Biddle, “We read Apple’s secret Genius training manual from cover to cover. It’s a penetrating look inside Apple: psychological mastery, banned words, roleplaying—you’ve never seen anything like it.” This description alone should teach you a lot. It reinforces the fact that nothing at the Apple Store is taken for granted. From the way you are greeted when you walk into the store to the way Genius Bar experts (technical/troubleshooting specialists) communicate with agitated customers, Apple carefully considers the experience its customers have at every touch-point.

Apple likes to say it “values a magnetic personality” as much as—if not more—than proficiency. When a company hires a troubleshooting specialist, clearly that candidate needs to have more technical know-how than a salesperson. But it’s interesting to note that the internal Apple Store training manual for Apple Geniuses spends as much time on communication as it does on process and technical knowledge. After reviewing Gizmodo’s article on the secret manual, I found seven ways that Apple has reinvented the customer experience and, as a result, become America’s most profitable retailer.

Follow five steps of service. According to Gizmodo, “Selling is a science, summed up with 5 cute letters: (A)pproach, (P)probe, (P)resent, (L)isten, (E)nd.” These five words correspond to five specific steps that employees are trained to walk a customer. By the last step the customer should feel welcomed, empowered, happy, and eager to return. Although I explain the five steps in much more detail in this article and video, the steps are:

Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome.

Probe politely to understand the customer’s needs (ask closed and open-ended questions).

Present a solution for the customer to take home today.

Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns.

End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.

These steps work for any customer-facing interaction. AT&T has adopted a version of these steps in its retail stores and its customer service scores are rising because of it. The Ritz-Carlton uses a modified version of the steps. Restaurant owners use it. I even know a doctor who is incorporating the five steps to reimagine the hospital experience. In other words, these five steps work effectively whether you’re selling computers, phones, hotel rooms, food, or medical care.

Provide fearless feedback. Apple Store Geniuses are trained to give and receive “fearless feedback.” Feedback is a word that came up repeatedly in my research. You simply cannot improve the customer experience without managers who give and solicit feedback and employees who ‘fearlessly’ offer feedback as well. Apple Store managers who are considering a job applicant are told to ask themselves this question: could this candidate have gone toe to toe with Steve Jobs? In other words, the Apple Store wants employees who have an opinion and are not afraid to express it. Gizmodo quotes the following sample conversation from the training manual as an example of fearless feedback:

“Hi, fellow Genius. I overheard your conversation with your customer during the last interaction and I have some feedback if you have a moment. Is this a good time?”

“Yes, this is a good time.”

“You did a great job resolving the customer’s iPhone issue. I was concerned with how quickly you spoke to the customer. It seemed like you were rushing through the interaction, and the customer had additional questions.”

Showcase the technology. When you walk into an Apple Store a ‘specialist’ will check you in using an iPad. They are showcasing the technology. An iPad is positioned next to each Mac with more detailed explanations about its features. You can even request in-person help through the iPad. Employees check out customers on the sales floor with a mobile point-of-sale tool called EasyPay, attached to iOS devices. Apple started EasyPay to “showcase the technology” and today it is being used by many other retailers. Apple Stores are also experimenting with an iPhone app that lets customers scan their own products and pay for them without ever speaking to a salesperson or visiting a cash register. Apple employees get people excited about their technology by using it themselves.

Make the customer happy.  According to Gizmodo, “A fundamental part of their job—sans sales quotas of any kind—is simply to make you happy.” There’s no question about it. Apple Store employees are trained from day one to do what they have to do to make you happy. According to Apple, “Our stores are a happy place to shop, learn, create, and get help.” It reminds me of a conversation I had with former Apple Store executive, George Blankenship, who now oversees the customer experience for Tesla. In this interview he told me that every Tesla employee understands that the goal is to put a smile on the customers’ face. “We’re not selling you anything. We want you to feel differently when you leave the store.”

Show empathy. Apple Store Geniuses deal with angry, frustrated, or worried customers all day long. It’s essential that they display empathy. According to Gizmodo, Apple trains its employees—Geniuses and salespeople— to follow the Three F’s: Feel, Felt, and Found. “This works especially well when the customer is mistaken or has bad information.” Here’s an example from the Apple training manual:

Customer: This Mac is just too expensive

Genius: I can see how you’d feel this way. I felt the price was a little high, but I found it’s a real value because of all the built-in software capabilities.

Empower employees.  The word “empowered” is another key concept to emerge from the training manuals Gizmodo acquired. Apple Store employees are empowered to do what’s right for the customer. I recall spending one hour with an Apple Store specialist on the sales floor. When I asked if she would get in trouble for spending so much time with one customer who did not make a purchase, she said, “Quite the opposite. My supervisor might give me feedback but primarily he’ll want to know if I made my customer feel good about the experience.” This is another customer service technique Apple adopted from the hospitality industry, notably The Ritz Carlton, where employees actually have a budget that they can spend in any way they want to make sure the guest has an exceptional experience. Learn more about how Ritz Carlton inspired Apple in this article and video.

Deliver enriching experiences. There are only two words on the front of the Apple Store credo card that all employees are asked to carry: enriching lives. When a company starts with the vision of ‘enriching lives,’ interesting things happen. Think about the innovations introduced at the Apple Retail Store. Enriching lives meant that the Apple Store employees were not on commission from the opening of the first store in 2001. Enriching lives resulted in innovative concepts like One to One, personalized training sessions. Enriching lives meant that customers could see, touch, and play with devices all connected to the Internet—and stay as long as they wanted. The big lesson—start enriching lives and your customers will reward you with their loyalty.

Although the Gizmodo article expresses some skepticism about these techniques, the article reaches the conclusion that the training works. “It works better than anything that’s ever come before it, and every Apple Store has the sales figures to back that up.”

Carmine Gallo is the communications coach for the world’s most admired brands. He is a popular keynote speaker and author of several books, including the international bestsellers The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobsand The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs. His new book, The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty is the first book to reveal the secrets behind the stunning success of the Apple Retail Store. Follow Carmine on Facebook or Twitter.



This article is available online at: 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2012/08/30/apples-secret-employee-training-manual-reinvents-customer-service-in-seven-ways/

Pra pensar no fim de semana... chegou a hora de implantar um projeto de atendimento na sua marca... Sério!

Image001

sábado, 1 de setembro de 2012

O jeito Apple de atender... agora em texto...

 

 

Carmine Gallo, Contributor

I write about success, leadership, and communications.

LEADERSHIP

 

|

 

8/30/2012 @ 9:57AM |15,555 views

Apple's Secret Employee Training Manual Reinvents Customer Service in Seven Ways

Image003

Apple Store in Palo Alto, CA

After spending one year of research into every aspect of the Apple Retail Store for my book, The Apple Experience, there’s very little new information that surprises me. However, sometimes people leak information that can teach all of us a lot about running a successful business, communicating brand messages effectively, and enhancing the customer experience.

One such piece was recently leaked and posted on the tech site, Gizmodo. The title, How To Be a Genius: This is Apple’s Secret Employee Training Manual. According to Gizmodo Senior Staff Writer, Sam Biddle, “We read Apple’s secret Genius training manual from cover to cover. It’s a penetrating look inside Apple: psychological mastery, banned words, roleplaying—you’ve never seen anything like it.” This description alone should teach you a lot. It reinforces the fact that nothing at the Apple Store is taken for granted. From the way you are greeted when you walk into the store to the way Genius Bar experts (technical/troubleshooting specialists) communicate with agitated customers, Apple carefully considers the experience its customers have at every touch-point.

Apple likes to say it “values a magnetic personality” as much as—if not more—than proficiency. When a company hires a troubleshooting specialist, clearly that candidate needs to have more technical know-how than a salesperson. But it’s interesting to note that the internal Apple Store training manual for Apple Geniuses spends as much time on communication as it does on process and technical knowledge. After reviewing Gizmodo’s article on the secret manual, I found seven ways that Apple has reinvented the customer experience and, as a result, become America’s most profitable retailer.

Follow five steps of service. According to Gizmodo, “Selling is a science, summed up with 5 cute letters: (A)pproach, (P)probe, (P)resent, (L)isten, (E)nd.” These five words correspond to five specific steps that employees are trained to walk a customer. By the last step the customer should feel welcomed, empowered, happy, and eager to return. Although I explain the five steps in much more detail in this article and video, the steps are:

Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome.

Probe politely to understand the customer’s needs (ask closed and open-ended questions).

Present a solution for the customer to take home today.

Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns.

End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.

These steps work for any customer-facing interaction. AT&T has adopted a version of these steps in its retail stores and its customer service scores are rising because of it. The Ritz-Carlton uses a modified version of the steps. Restaurant owners use it. I even know a doctor who is incorporating the five steps to reimagine the hospital experience. In other words, these five steps work effectively whether you’re selling computers, phones, hotel rooms, food, or medical care.

Provide fearless feedback. Apple Store Geniuses are trained to give and receive “fearless feedback.” Feedback is a word that came up repeatedly in my research. You simply cannot improve the customer experience without managers who give and solicit feedback and employees who ‘fearlessly’ offer feedback as well. Apple Store managers who are considering a job applicant are told to ask themselves this question: could this candidate have gone toe to toe with Steve Jobs? In other words, the Apple Store wants employees who have an opinion and are not afraid to express it. Gizmodo quotes the following sample conversation from the training manual as an example of fearless feedback:

“Hi, fellow Genius. I overheard your conversation with your customer during the last interaction and I have some feedback if you have a moment. Is this a good time?”

“Yes, this is a good time.”

“You did a great job resolving the customer’s iPhone issue. I was concerned with how quickly you spoke to the customer. It seemed like you were rushing through the interaction, and the customer had additional questions.”

Showcase the technology. When you walk into an Apple Store a ‘specialist’ will check you in using an iPad. They are showcasing the technology. An iPad is positioned next to each Mac with more detailed explanations about its features. You can even request in-person help through the iPad. Employees check out customers on the sales floor with a mobile point-of-sale tool called EasyPay, attached to iOS devices. Apple started EasyPay to “showcase the technology” and today it is being used by many other retailers. Apple Stores are also experimenting with an iPhone app that lets customers scan their own products and pay for them without ever speaking to a salesperson or visiting a cash register. Apple employees get people excited about their technology by using it themselves.

Make the customer happy.  According to Gizmodo, “A fundamental part of their job—sans sales quotas of any kind—is simply to make you happy.” There’s no question about it. Apple Store employees are trained from day one to do what they have to do to make you happy. According to Apple, “Our stores are a happy place to shop, learn, create, and get help.” It reminds me of a conversation I had with former Apple Store executive, George Blankenship, who now oversees the customer experience for Tesla. In this interview he told me that every Tesla employee understands that the goal is to put a smile on the customers’ face. “We’re not selling you anything. We want you to feel differently when you leave the store.”

Show empathy. Apple Store Geniuses deal with angry, frustrated, or worried customers all day long. It’s essential that they display empathy. According to Gizmodo, Apple trains its employees—Geniuses and salespeople— to follow the Three F’s: Feel, Felt, and Found. “This works especially well when the customer is mistaken or has bad information.” Here’s an example from the Apple training manual:

Customer: This Mac is just too expensive

Genius: I can see how you’d feel this way. I felt the price was a little high, but I found it’s a real value because of all the built-in software capabilities.

Empower employees.  The word “empowered” is another key concept to emerge from the training manuals Gizmodo acquired. Apple Store employees are empowered to do what’s right for the customer. I recall spending one hour with an Apple Store specialist on the sales floor. When I asked if she would get in trouble for spending so much time with one customer who did not make a purchase, she said, “Quite the opposite. My supervisor might give me feedback but primarily he’ll want to know if I made my customer feel good about the experience.” This is another customer service technique Apple adopted from the hospitality industry, notably The Ritz Carlton, where employees actually have a budget that they can spend in any way they want to make sure the guest has an exceptional experience. Learn more about how Ritz Carlton inspired Apple in this article and video.

Deliver enriching experiences. There are only two words on the front of the Apple Store credo card that all employees are asked to carry: enriching lives. When a company starts with the vision of ‘enriching lives,’ interesting things happen. Think about the innovations introduced at the Apple Retail Store. Enriching lives meant that the Apple Store employees were not on commission from the opening of the first store in 2001. Enriching lives resulted in innovative concepts like One to One, personalized training sessions. Enriching lives meant that customers could see, touch, and play with devices all connected to the Internet—and stay as long as they wanted. The big lesson—start enriching lives and your customers will reward you with their loyalty.

Although the Gizmodo article expresses some skepticism about these techniques, the article reaches the conclusion that the training works. “It works better than anything that’s ever come before it, and every Apple Store has the sales figures to back that up.”

Carmine Gallo is the communications coach for the world’s most admired brands. He is a popular keynote speaker and author of several books, including the international bestsellers The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobsand The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs. His new book, The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty is the first book to reveal the secrets behind the stunning success of the Apple Retail Store. Follow Carmine on Facebook or Twitter.



This article is available online at: 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2012/08/30/apples-secret-employee-training-manual-reinvents-customer-service-in-seven-ways/