How Apple Learned to Beat the Retail System From the Best

In the United States, electronics and appliance stores have lost nearly 5% of their sales in the last five years, with other retailers gained 15%. At the same time, technology retailers have lost employees and had more private stores close over the past ten years than retailers as a whole. In the midst of falling sales, Apple Stores sell nearly $36 million each year, from only 270 stores. That’s 5 times the sales with one-fifth the stores when compared to Best Buy.

Apple store have managed to carve out a market with a unique approach to customer service, focused on personalized, welcoming service, and based on hospitality lesson learned from Ritz Carlton hotels. Apple’s unique customer experience goes far beyond their minimalist design and open spaces.

When you enter an Apple store, an employee welcomes you with a warm hello, and asks your name. If you need help with your device, you can make an appointment, ensuring an employee will be there to assist you with minimal wait time. While you wait, you can try out Apple’s latest devices, and at check-out, the staff brings the credit card reader to you.

Learn more about Apple’s approach to customer service in this infographic:

How Apple Learned to Beat the Retail System From the Best was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.