Genius Bar
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| Genius Bar | |
|---|---|
 The Genius Bar at the Apple Store SoHo, New York, in 2003. |
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| Opened: | May, 2001 |
| Website: | Apple.com - Genius Bar |
The Genius Bar is a station located inside every Apple Retail Store, the purpose of which is to offer help and support for Apple products. Ron Johnson, the Senior Vice President for Retail, has often referred to the Genius bar the "heart and soul of our stores"[1]. Mac Geniuses are specially trained and certified employees who staff the Genius Bar. [2] Their role is to help customers with Apple hardware and software. All in-store repairs of Apple products are carried out by Mac Geniuses.
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[edit] Store Layout
The layout of a Genius Bar consists of at least two 15" MacBookPro/PowerBook computers, often mounted on "floating" stands. [3] LCD screens behind the Bar play looped videos which offer tips to customers waiting to speak to a Genius, as well as updates on the status of the reservation queue. The "Red Telephone" sometimes seen behind the Genius Bar was a direct line to AppleCare's Tier 2 agents, allowing for even the most difficult problems and questions to be answered. [4] This phone is no longer installed in newer Apple Retail Stores.
[edit] Staff
Mac Geniuses are primarily viewed as the local representatives of AppleCare (Apple's name for its support service covering service plans, etc.), although they are employees of the store. They offer personal support when customers have problems or questions with their Apple products. Most services carried out at the Genius Bar are free. Non-warranty service (which is paid for by the customer when repairs are complete) is also routinely performed.
[edit] Reservation Policy
The Genius Bars currently operate on a reservation policy. Under most circumstances you must call in advance or schedule online a reservation before coming in. Often, walk-in customers can wait, but in many circumstances are politely turned away and asked to make a reservation, a topic that has generated a bit of criticism around Apple's reservation policies. Customers with a ProCare membership are able to access open reservations before the general public, potentially avoiding the wait, as well as drop off their computer without an appointment. [5]
[edit] Spinoffs/Offshoots
Recently, two offshoots of the Genius Bar concept have started to appear in almost all new stores, and be retrofitted into existing stores.
- The Studio, which is staffed by "Creatives" who serve customers with questions about many Apple and Third-Party applications, such as Final Cut Pro, Aperture, as well as Adobe Photoshop, to name a few. [6]
- The iPod bar serves to separate out the customers with iPod-related questions to allow the Genius Bar to focus on customers with Macintosh-specific queries. [7]
[edit] References
- ^ IFO Apple Store. "Analysist's Conference", 2004-03-01. Retrieved on October 13, 2006.
- ^ ungeni.us, "Mac Genius Training." [1]
- ^ flickr.com "Genius Bar" [2] (This image shows the Mac portables on their stands behind the bar.
- ^ macworld.com "Big Crowds Cheer Apple Store Debut in California, May 19, 2001. [3]
- ^ Apple Store - ProCare [4]
- ^ apple.com "The Studio" [5]
- ^ gizmodo.com "iPod Bar Japan: Great service, but the cocktails need work" [6]
