Page 72 - The Apple Experience

could shoot down a customer with a pointed word or phrase. But more often
than not, Jobs sought feedback, listened, and like any good leader, acted on

that feedback. He saw feedback as a gift.

I’ve just experienced the most exceptional customer service in the Exeter Apple Store.
Quite amazing. I’m still stunned. —Richard C.

Fearless Feedback

Feedback is a critical component behind Apple’s customer service excellence.

Feedback is one of the most common words that I hear from Apple Store

employees. Apple managers cultivate an open-door policy where employees

feel comfortable and empowered to make comments and suggestions. But it
works both ways. Employees and managers must be fearless in their pursuit

of feedback. For example, after making a sale, a typical (nonfearless)

employee would unlikely ask for feedback, and if he did, he might ask a meek

question such as, “How did I do?” This typically leads to an equally empty,

unsatisfying, and uninstructive answer: “Fine.” A fearless employee will dig

deeper: “Where did I miss an opportunity? On a scale of 1 to 10, where do I

rank in terms of customer engagement? Did I do everything possible to

create a customer for life?”

Feedback is best given when the interaction is still fresh in everyone’s
mind. Not always, but frequently, it is given soon after a sales transaction in

an Apple Store. Managers will ask probing questions to help employees build

better quality relationships with customers. They will ask questions such as,

“What was the experience like? What did you miss? How could the

transaction have been different?” Managers are not expected to hold a

customer service training class after every transaction, but simply asking these