“Interviewing for the expert position is said to start this week at the company’s retail outlets, and Apple plans to debut the new personnel in about two weeks,” Hughes reports.
“Apple has referred to the experts as ‘Family Room expertise out in the Red Zone.’ The ‘Family Room’ at an Apple Store is known to customers as the Genius Bar,” Hughes reports. “The ‘Red Zone’ equates to the sales floor.”
Hughes reports, “Experts will serve as a resource that answers questions for customers without an appointment. They will have a general knowledge of the whole product range.”
More info in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Robert S.” for the heads up.]
Red Zone: the battleground where Mac wins over PC! Sounds like it anyway.
So in other words, they are going to have something between Genius, and the mindless shirt-folder that now populates so many Apple retail stores.
Personally, I would prefer having roving singing experts. Or even roaming violinists. Whaddya say?
That means that the new tablet will have a data card 3g or something.
I do this now. Just stand around the Apple store and look for the befuddled.
I get some of my best customers there because they don’t want to haul their iMacs to the mall.
I am also a little worried about $10.00 an hour experts. As with Mac hardware, you do get what you pay for. Too many tats, piercings and what is with that hair.
Just saying….
Its to help everyone figure out the new gesture alphabet.
Does this mean I can ask for money when I go to the Apple store??
just my $0.02
Personally, I would prefer having roving singing experts. Or even roaming violinists. Whaddya say?
Roaming iPhone orchestra?
They started testing this concept at a store near me about 6 months ago. The concept was a good one, but what seemed to happen was these “family room” experts were essential stationed at the Genius Bar to answer iPhone related questions. These family room experts were suppose to be a mix between the Geniuses and the Creatives, being able to help people out with answering quick questions about Apple software as well. I think it is a great concept and I truly hope it turns out the way it was planned
In other news, MSFT will debut roving People-Who-Kinda-Know-What-They’re-Doing reps to answer questions from customers who probably know more than they do.
Will they line dance?
When I retire, this is who I want to be. My previous choices were bag boy at the local Stop & Shop, or a greeter at Walmart. Roaming Expert sounds like fun.
It’s this kind of initiative that sets Apple apart from literally every other tech company or semi-tech company or telephone company or cable company or satellite company or dog food company.
When Apple says they are going to support their customers they mean it. There’s nothing more important. If all of Apple’s WOW products were just as WOW but didn’t have the customer care to go with them, Apple would be like all the others and no more.
More than anything else, this is Steve Jobs greatest genius – if he could just be a little less arrogant, he would fully deserve all the allocates he gets.
@Genius Onsite
so… are you the legal profession’s equivalent of an ambulance chaser.
If you’re good- they find you-
Roaming mariachi bands would be cool. It would be like Old Town in Puerto Vallarta.
Huh. Most of the Apple employees that walk around have been pretty helpful to me. I guess this just makes it official and pays them better.
I would worry about what affect this would have on the morale of regular Apple employees who consider themselves “knowledgable” but doesn’t get the “Expert” title.
——RM
Steve isn’t as arrogant as he used to be but face it, there are a lot of idiots in the world, not much time and Steve is a towering visionary practical genius … hard to suffer fools.
The good news is the rest of us fools will have roaming experts to help alleviate our dummieness!
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@ILuvMyMacs,
Yes, I understood your reference and yes, I do chase them down.
The problem with my business is that people who are new to Apple
or Windows switchers, do not expect much from any computer company,
thanks to Dell, MS and HP. So they will just stand there all day waiting for there
iPod to be reset. I feel bad for them and do it for no charge. Just me giving back.
@Genius, who must work for Apple, too bad like Steve the employees are also
paid $1.00 a year, must be the going rate. Their WOW is reserved for paying customers not the people they pay.
@Genius
Point taken- and you’re right. I myself- refuse to help family and friends anymore unless they switch to a Mac- I’m tired of the anti this, anti that “solutions” of the PC world. I do however- help them switch TO a Mac.
Thanks for giving back.
Expert and Genius.
Apple needs to buy a dictionary to see what those terms really mean. Contrary to Steve Job’s opinion they don’t mean glorified sales assistant.