When Apple announced its intention to create its own physical stores sell products, the idea was unanimously criticized: it’s crazy. It was the turn of the century and consumer electronics retail was in the hands of giants. Giants with hundreds of stores spread across the United States, where what prevailed was price and advertisements pushed products based on commissions.
That This was not what Steve Jobs wanted.. And he had a plan for that.
The Genius Bar as icing on a cake called Apple Store
With the opening of the first Apple Store, Jobs aspired to create an environment in which to value Apple products. Far from the pressure of commission-hungry salespeople, out of reach of the boring beige world of the PC and without the pressure of constant discounts and promotions from the big chains. A place that, rather than entice you to buy, invites you to use products like the same iPod that just died.
Such a place also had to provide technical support to its customers. Located in the premium range, Apple products needed technical attention to match. And that could only be achieved with the Genius Bar.
Wouldn’t it be great if when you went to buy a computer, in fact, after buying a computer, if you had any questions, you could ask a genius? So that’s what we have. It’s called the Genius Bar. […] There will be someone here who can repair the products and answer all your questions. […] And if that person doesn’t know the answer, they have a direct line to call us in Cupertino, California, where we have someone who does.
21 years have passed since this video was recorded presented at MacWorld in 2001. Since then, a lot has changed. You now find yourself in a floating Apple Store in a city like Singapore, on the other side of the world. Other things have evolved, for example, the Genius Bar has moved on to a better life with the redesign of the Apple Store. Now when you go to tech support they assist you at one of the tables in the store.
However, the concept is still there. Apple employees answer questionsThey offer help, they provide technical support and also, of course, they sell products.
Picture | Kanesue.
