Page 52 - The Apple Experience

his inner circle tended to include many more strong people than toadies.”
7
Don’t hire toadies. Hire fearless employees instead.

Fearless Employees Take Ownership

What does fearlessness look like on the sales floor? In a word—ownership.
You’ll notice something on the Apple sales floor that is highly unusual in

other retailers. If you approach an employee with a problem or question, the

employee must own the problem and see that you are cared for. This tactic

rarely happens anywhere else. I once approached a friend who looked very

tired and agitated. She had just returned from a “big box” electronics retailer

to buy a wireless router. “I’m furious,” she said. “I stood there for ten minutes

and four different people—four people—all told me that ‘it’s not my
department.’ They literally just walked away leaving me to figure it out for

myself.” This would never happen in an Apple Store, and it would never

happen in a Four Seasons. Both brands hire friendly, but fearless employees

who take ownership of the problem and will not let it rest until the customer

gets resolution. Cowardly employees will pass the buck. Fearless employees

ask for help if they don’t have the answers. A fearless employee owns the

relationship from beginning to end. No obstacle will get in the way of

creating a satisfying relationship between the customer and the brand.

Apple, your products are expensive and your shops a bit weird, but I love your

customer service. —John S.

Don’t Ask What Steve Would Do, Do What Is Right

Fearless employees do the right thing for the customer, and they do right for

the team. Shortly before his death, Steve Jobs said he didn’t want Apple