I almost got napped by the Scientologist in LA many years back. They were creepy bigtime. So, when I say Apple is a Cult, don’t take it in the same way. Maybe the Cult of Apple is like the bacteria is Yogurt, y’know the good bacteria?
Actually, I was offered a job with Apple in Cupertino many years ago and turned it down. I went to Intel instead. Yes, I know. Apple at the time struck me as a bit odd with its Think Different campaigns. I just didn’t buy into black turtle necks. Later I realized that most successful companies in the Valley are cult-like to some degree or at least have a strong siege mentality.
Trying to find the Apple Store on the map…
Why I’ve Resisted Apple Until Now?
I’ve resisted Apple for most of my career and done fine. But, for my recent 44th birthday, I decided to treat myself to the best ‘toy’ I wanted. Whatever I wanted… One thoughts was to get something that we could share with junior (the guy with the map above) so he’d grow up with the best. Kinda made sense…
We went to Japan for my birthday.
And while wondering around Tokyo bumped into the Apple Store. I entered. My first time ever in an Apple Store. It’s a very slick four story building with a busy atmosphere but not hectic.
First impressions of an Apple Store
A few things struck me.
- The staff spoke near perfect English.
- All the computers were web-enabled so you could read your email. Brilliant
- Free water was available from the coolers. A nice touch as it was boiling.
- The place was super clean. Well, all of Japan is spotless and this place was no exception.
- The staff persuaded me NOT to buy the Macbook Pro laptop.
Yes, read that again. The staff persuaded me NOT to buy the laptop.
Why?
If you buy in Japan (or wherever) and it gets damaged, you must bring it back to that store to be fixed. We’re heading back to Ireland soon. He said wait. Get it in Ireland.
But maybe the price is better here, I thought? What’s the catch.
No, prices are fixed across all stores.
Lessons Learnt: Apple’s Customer Service
When a salesperson goes out of their way to explain why you should buy elsewhere and then goes online with you to show that the price is the exact same, you can’t help but be impressed.
The other point was the high quality of English. How many US or European retailers hire Japanese, Chinese, Arabic or other foreign language staff? It’s a small touch but it made a deep impression.
No stilted conversations, no broken dialogues and the computer settings were setup in English too. I felt as home.
Over to you.
So, is Apple a friendly Cult? Maybe I was too harsh on Apple. What do you think?
Oh yeah, they have this mouse that doesn’t need a double-click. Who’d have thought of that?
I ordered the Macbook Pro and an iMac.
What was your first experience of Apple?
About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides Business Tips for Smart People on Klariti.com. His also writes for the Business Plan Blog at http://www.IvanWalsh.com
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