Alex Frankel spent two years working undercover in entry level jobs at UPS, the Gap, the Container Store, Home Depot, Starbucks, and Apple. Frankel’s experiences are detailed in his new book Punching In: The Unauthorized Adventures of a Frontline Employee (Harper Collins, coming later this month).
In an excerpt for Fast Company, Frankel explains why Apple tops all retail operations:
Once on staff, I learned the difference between a gigahertz and a gigabyte, but more important, I saw that, like the iPod’s user interface, training of Apple Store employees has been carefully designed. A series of podcasts I listened to and watched showed that selling was all about the approach. I shadowed other workers as they executed the company’s three-step sales process. They explained to customers that they had some questions to understand their needs, got permission to fire away, and then kept digging to ascertain which products would be best. Position, permission, probe.
All this sets the employee’s on-the-job attitude. At an Apple Store, workers don’t seem to be selling (or working) too hard, just hanging out and dispensing information. And that moves a ridiculous amount of goods: Apple employees help sell $4,000 worth of product per square foot per month. When employees become sharers of information, instead of sellers of products, customers respond.
Full article here.
[Attribution: Fortune. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Too Hot!” for the heads up.]
That’s how to sell things, put the customer first!
I’ve always appreciated that I can walk into the Apple Store at Village Pointe in Omaha and not be hassled. The employees are perfectly fine with me playing around with the goods.
I’ve got a Macbook and one of the new iMacs, but my iPod is showing its age (Gen 4, 20 gig). That’ll be my next purchase, and I don’t need a salesperson to push it on me. I just need the chance to play around with the options, and these Apple Stores allow people to do just that.
The innovative ways of checking out when I do buy something don’t hurt the experience, either. I love those freakin’ stores . . .
being a previous employee of the Peabody, MA apple store he is correct.
Still, try to get help at the Genius Bar at either of the Manhattan locations during lunchtime. Prepare to wait.
@ Hot Carl
Still go shopping on black Friday anywhere, prepare to wait… I think a DUH! is recommended for this comment….
I was at an Apple Store last night. And I cant tell you how true this is. I was free to walk around the store at will and play with everything, even when I zeroed in on a product they let me be. But the second I began looking around like I might need help they were right there to assist.
I walked out of the Apple Store shocked at how comfortable it was.
It is refreshing to go in a store where the employees know the product. Making appointments for the Genius Bar on-line is the best way to avoid waiting.
@Hot Carl: dude, think for a second. Manhattan. Lunch time. Is there any place in New York City that ISN’T crowded at lunch time? An Apple Genius Bar would have to be the length of Long Island to handle all the questions people have in a city the size of New York.
Take my advice, brother: pick another time to see a Genius.
How much do those guys make at Apple stores? Are they minimum wage or commission based?
Apple stores have never been commissioned. It’s hourly, and sadly the rate has gone DOWN as the stores have gotten older, not up. All this ultimately leads to are less experienced less caring workers.
Maybe we do things different in Canada but the Apple stores at the Eaton Centre and Yorkdale are no utopian retail experience. The sales staff are aggressive, misinformed and on several occasions have down right lied! I’ve been embarrassed when I have brought possible new Mac customers in to buy units because of their behaviour and harassment. Just because you worked for GAP at some point or you have some trendy new hairdo doesn’t mean you should work for Apple. SHAME!
Pesky Pathetic Posers
@ SteveJobsAllergy
Whom has “down right lied?” Me thinks you are the one!
MW: toward-the finger points toward you.
Was at the Apple Store in Suburban Square (outside Philly) yesterday at lunch time to buy my two alloted iPhones and pick up a family pack of Leopard. First time I had been in that store (as compared to several times going to King of Prussia).
What a difference, the KofP store is a small footprint store in a LARGE mall complex and it is ALWAYS packed to the gills. The Sub Square store is bigger, maybe 2.5 times the size and alot nicer to shop in. The employee who stepped up to help me was, unfortunately, just moved over from King of Prussia, and didn’t know where precisely where the various accessories were on the shelves…minor hiccup!
In both stores the sales staff has been terrific as have the workers in the 5th Avenue, Soho and Mag Mile stores. Big or small, Apple’s got it down just right.
Anyone notice though the irony in that their hand held bluetooth checkout devices are Windoze?
it’s strange to think that Apple stores are a recent phenomenon. They’ve done such an amazing job of exposing potential customers to their wares. Most of us can probably remember having to go to campus bookstores or very specialized computer shops to see the current Mac offerings.
Any mall you go to, the Apple store is always brighter, less cluttered and more buzzing than any of its neighbours. I’m really looking forward to getting a free standing flagship Apple store here in Boston.
@ Hot Carl:
I don’t bother with the SoHo genius bar any more. I’ve made 7pm appointments at Fifth Ave., gone after work, and been out in less than an hour both times.
SoHo may be better now that Fifth Ave. is open and both will probably be better when the Meatpacking store opens (whenever that will be).
Yeah, whenever a girl asks me why I work at a minimum wage job, I tell her I’m undercover, too.
the nda he signed meant nothing then lol
“Let me sell you something”
becomes
“Let me tell you something”…
Ching ching!
@SteveJobsAllergy
Yeah, we do things different in Canada. We don’t have the service standard that the US has, and Toronto is a snotty town.
Every time I go to the US, I’m struck by how much better service is on average.
@SteveJobsAllergy
The reasons why I disbelieve your account is that I know that Apple employs ‘phantom’ shoppers to do spot checks from the customer experience. They do this on a world wide basis and every shop gets at least 1 visit per month in each of the main periods (first open, off peak day, lunch time rush, evening rush). In addition the genius and ipod bars get similar covert inspections as well. Any person who does not comply with Apple’s code of practice for customer interactions is subject to the usual internal procedures to improve their attitude and service or in the worst cases shown the door.
There have even been cases where an authorised Apple dealer has been hauled over the coals when they have failed such a check (admittedly at less frequent intervals and less strictly enforced).
If your complaint is genuine, did you pass it on to Apple?
Position, permission, probe.
This sounds like a good way to spend a night in jail if she’s under 18….
MSFT approach to selling? Here’s your Vista whether you like it or not!
I think that the Apple Store experience is usally perfect. I have, unfortunately had a couple bad encounters though. The worst was probably when i was buying iWork and asked a question about it to the cashier. he said, “you konw, I’ve only been here for two weeks, I have absolutely no idea was iWork is or does.” Besides that I love going! Especially to the one in Ginza. Just counting down the days until my 18th bday when i can apply!
MDN word – single. Barely a single thing wrong with the stores!
Jon – LOL!
Then there’s Ballmer’s technique:
Assume the position.
We don’t need your stinking permission.
You might feel a little pressure at first. Here’s a shot of whiskey and you may want to bite down on this to help ignore the pain. Stop squirming. It will only make it worse.