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

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.