This is a 2-part series. Read Part 1 here.
The Apple Experience
As I approached the Apple Store I could see three young, energetic employees standing at the door. I walked through the glass opening and one of them cheerfully exclaimed, “Welcome to the Apple Store!” I gave the obligatory smile and nod and proceeded towards the full line of MacBook Pros. Or is it MacBooks Pro? That’s a question that needs answering.
Within two minutes an Apple employee approached me and asked if I needed any help. I told her my situation and began to ask some questions about the differences between the 13″ and 15″ models. She was responsive and seemed fairly knowledgeable; she only needed to check the spec card once to look up the processor speed variations. We then began talking about software; I had some very specific questions that I suspected she wouldn’t know the answer to. My suspicions were correct, but she quickly admitted it and left to retrieve a “business specialist” to help me out. As she scurried off towards the back of the store I looked around and started noticing how many Apple employees were standing around. There must have been at least eight. Maybe ten. Mind you, this is on a Monday morning at around 10:30. There were more Apple employees than customers.
The gentleman that assisted me from that point forward was especially helpful in answering all of my questions, both software and hardware related. I told him I was going to check out the Sony store and see if they could help me out, but if not I’d be back soon. He said,
No problem Tim, hope to see you back.
This is important. He remembered my name. I didn’t even remember introducing myself to this guy and he remembered my name.
I strode out of the store with a good feeling, hoping Sony could improve upon it and keep my mall visit as short as possible.
The Sony Experience
I made my way down a flight of stairs and spied the Sony Style Store off to my right. There were no Sony employees waiting for me at the door. I walked in unannounced and looked for something to play with while I waited for some assistance. There were two other customers in the store, one was being helped with a notebook and another was looking at TVs. After a few minutes, a Sony employee approached me and asked if he could help. He wasn’t cheery or energetic. He didn’t introduce himself or ask me my name. Nevertheless I decided to cut him some slack; it was Monday morning after all. I explained my situation to him and expressed my eagerness to purchase the new Vaio Z, but also stated that I really needed a notebook at that very moment. He directed me to the only remaining Z they had left. I examined it, told him it wasn’t even close to what I was looking for, and then proposed a solution:
I would order a new Z (the one shipping in 3 weeks) and pay for it on the spot if they could provide me with a loaner until it arrived.
The man helping me seemed to think it was a pretty good idea, but said he’d have to check with his manager first. As he walked off, I caught site of the customer who was looking to buy a notebook. He apparently found one to his liking and had made his way to the checkout counter. I started to get a bad feeling as I watched the interaction between him and the guy helping him.
The Sony employee tried to upsell him on everything from extended warranty services to anti-virus software. It’s not that I’m against upselling, but the manner he went about it was very pushy and unprofessional. Before I could finish watching my fellow customer do everything he could to say no to a bunch of unnecessary crapware, my unenthusiastic helper returned.
OK, we can loan you that last Z we have, but you have to promise not to install anything on it.
Ummmm, ok. That’s probably fine. It’s only three weeks. I can get by. All of our mission-critical apps are hosted, so I should be good.
And you’ll have to pay the 15% restocking fee when you bring it back.
Whoa! Back the truck up. Seriously? Let me get this straight, you want me to pay a 15% restocking fee on a $2500 notebook I don’t want, and you’ll never sell? That comes out to $375 for three weeks of use. No, I can’t do that. Sorry, but I can go buy a netbook for that much money.
I asked to speak to the manager, but was told he wasn’t available. That seemed very odd to me, but my time in the Sony store was up. It wasn’t yet high noon, but this showdown was already over.
To The Victor Go The Spoils
I marched back up to the Apple Store, smiled at the pleasant greeters again, and purchased a 15″ MacBook Pro in about 3 minutes. No waiting, no pushy upsells, not even a counter. Checked out with an iPhone and the receipt was emailed to me. Awesome.
It’s been about a month since I had this experience with Apple and Sony. I’m in love with my MBP (that’s what all the cool kids call it) and I won’t be returning to Sony any time soon.
Have you had a similar experience with either of these companies? Share it with me in the comments.
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bert thomas on 
What really stands out to me in your experience at the Apple store was the demonstration of teamwork by the woman who admitted right away she needed to tap into another resource (a “business specialist”) to answer your questions. She listened to you, had the confidence to know and articulate what she did not know, and then knew who on her team *could* answer your questions. There is obviously some behind-the-scenes teambuilding happening there for her to know who she could count on to answer your questions. Job well done on her part, in facilitating the sale for Apple. It's nice to hear they got it right.
Hi Tim, thanks for sharing such a great service experience. I have been very impressed with the service in Apple stores for a while now and have had quite a few experiences similar to yours. I like the way you have compared Apple's service to Sony's as the contrast really demonstrates how good Apple are.
Apple have clearly thought through every moment of the customers encounter with them, from being greeted as you walk in, to having an array of products out to test, to being able to pay on the spot and not even have to queue at a till.
As Stephanie has already said the fact that staff members know exactly who to ask is exceptional. My most recent experience of this was when looking at some Sennheiser headphones in the Cardiff, UK Apple Store and I asked a staff member what he thought of them. He straight away confessed that he hadn't tried them but that one of his colleagues had the same pair. Within 30 seconds his colleague came over to me to help answer my questions. I ended up paying £10 more for the headphones than they would have cost me on Amazon (and I already knew this), but I was more than happy to do so because of their brilliant customer service.
Great illustration of the whole process. I have to say I wish I had the same experience in every Apple shop. Some have been like yours and unfortunately in my own home town the polar opposite experience is pretty reliable. What strikes me is the differences of store locations. My Father prided himself on the consistency of service no matter what Shari's chain restaurant you visited while he was owner. Yes you may encounter a bad apple once in a while, but through his close relationships with each store manager and a strong regional team, you could bet that the quality service was company wide. This is an area Apple could improve on. The store leadership that resided over the store you visited should be commended. I hope you shared this with them. And Stephanie I agree, this showed amazing signs of team work. I love it!
I agree Stephanie, teamwork is crucial to delivering great customer service. You have to be able to rely on your colleagues to pick you up and balance out your weaknesses.
Hi Jed, I too have always been impressed with the level of service I've received from Apple stores. My expectations for retail experiences are never high, but Apple always finds a way to surprise and delight.
Thanks for sharing your experience too. I was just looking at some Sennheisers the other day. How do you like yours?
Agreed, as I commented to Jed, my expectations for any retail experience are never very high. I'm surprised that you're consistently disappointed with the Apple experience though. I would have thought their up-front training would create a more consistent experience across all stores.
Thanks for commenting, I always look forward to your hearing your thoughts and insights on this stuff.
No, I am only consistently disappointed ( as are most here) with our local store. Other Apple stores have been great.
Great illustration of the whole process. I have to say I wish I had the same experience in every Apple shop. Some have been like yours and unfortunately in my own home town the polar opposite experience is pretty reliable. What strikes me is the differences of store locations. My Father prided himself on the consistency of service no matter what Shari's chain restaurant you visited while he was owner. Yes you may encounter a bad apple once in a while, but through his close relationships with each store manager and a strong regional team, you could bet that the quality service was company wide. This is an area Apple could improve on. The store leadership that resided over the store you visited should be commended. I hope you shared this with them. And Stephanie I agree, this showed amazing signs of team work. I love it!
I agree Stephanie, teamwork is crucial to delivering great customer service. You have to be able to rely on your colleagues to pick you up and balance out your weaknesses.
Hi Jed, I too have always been impressed with the level of service I've received from Apple stores. My expectations for retail experiences are never high, but Apple always finds a way to surprise and delight.
Thanks for sharing your experience too. I was just looking at some Sennheisers the other day. How do you like yours?
Agreed, as I commented to Jed, my expectations for any retail experience are never very high. I'm surprised that you're consistently disappointed with the Apple experience though. I would have thought their up-front training would create a more consistent experience across all stores.
Thanks for commenting, I always look forward to your hearing your thoughts and insights on this stuff.
No, I am only consistently disappointed ( as are most here) with our local store. Other Apple stores have been great.