Page 31 - The Apple Experience

After dealing with Apple, you feel it’s not like Apple has the best customer service, but
Apple is the only company that has customer service. —Rohit A.

The Devil’s in the Details, but Success Comes from

Above

Steve Jobs was fanatical about the details of the customer experience. Jobs

once called an executive who worked for an Apple partner and asked, “Are
you mad at your customers?” The executive had spoken to Jobs before, so he

wasn’t surprised that Jobs had called. He was taken aback by the question,

however. “We’re not mad at our customers at all,” he replied. “Then why

does your disclosure statement sound so angry?” Steve Jobs asked. “You

should be more friendly to your customers at every touchpoint.”

Steve Jobs had reviewed every line of the “terms and conditions”

agreement that most customers check or sign, but never read. It mattered to

him. The screens of notebook computers in Apple stores are positioned at

ninety-degree angles to force customers to reposition the screen to interact
with the product. Positions matter. Apple employees wear blue shirts to

stand out in crowded stores. Colors matter. Customers are greeted within ten

seconds and ten feet of walking through the door. Greetings matter. Nothing

about the customer experience is taken for granted. Not one thing. Details

mean everything in the Apple experience, and Apple studies everything about

the customer interaction to learn, refine, and improve. But while the “devil’s

in the details,” an innovative customer experience cannot happen in the
absence of a loftier goal, an inspiring vision that attracts evangelists and

reveals every ounce of your creativity and potential. Steve Jobs and Ron

Johnson had a vision—to enrich lives. What’s yours?