With new Senior Vice President of Retail Angela Ahrendts in charge of operations, Apple is further blurring the lines between its online and physical retail store services. We reported earlier this year on Ahrendts’s plans to more seamlessly integrate both paths of Apple retail, and now the Cupertino-based company is rolling out a revamped Genius Bar and product support reservation system.
The new system eliminates the pre-existing separation between getting support for Apple products online and in-store. Previously, users could use Apple’s online support panel to receive phone, chat, or forums-based support. The creation of Genius Bar in-store appointments was handled via a separate system…
Now, if a user has a problem with their iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, or other Apple product, they must walk through a unified system to discuss their issue. Then Apple will provide the various support options, including in-store support. Once a user chooses to receive in-store support, they are taken to a map where they can choose between local official Apple Retail Stores or authorized service providers that with trained technicians on-staff:
Customers are then directed to the typical screen for choosing an appointment time:
Customers are then provided confirmation information via email. These details can also be viewed via the fairly new AppleCare support profile system online.
Approximately a year ago, Apple began offering links to online-based solutions to sway people from relying on the Genius Bar for all issues. Today’s change, obviously, goes much further. The change makes sense as some issues, such as those with iCloud and Apple IDs, can be much better handled via Apple’s web forums or dedicated chat support. In line with another change from a year ago, this new system is tied to Apple IDs for authentication.
Besides working on reducing differentiators between online and physical store support, Ahrendts is aiming to revamp the in-store sales experience and make Apple Stores across the globe better suited for customers from China.
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They’ve blurred the lines so well that I can’t actually get to the site where you reserve appointments at the genius bar anymore. I was trying to set up an appointment for my wife’s MacBook Air this weekend, and I could literally never get to the reservation page. Just now, I go to http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/, click on the only link there, “Get Help Now”, and it takes me to a page that takes me down a path of online support issues, and even to one that lets me schedule a phone call, but not one to schedule an appointment at the store.
What’s going on with her Air? What is it doing?
I think if he wanted help online he would have turned to a forum lol but good looking out!
I followed your link and it works just find to make an appointment for a MacBook Air. It won’t however let you make an appointment for an iCloud issue, since the store is not the best place for support. Once online support fails I’m sure they’d offer the option of an in-store appointment or mail based servicing.
Firstly, I love my Apple products. I had a few issues last week and got shoddy service from both the store and on line. It seems like all that Apple is focused on in the stores is cell phone users. I had to wait a week to get in with another issue. I tried to get help with an iTunes store issue and got routed to the wrong people twice by phone, so it took over an hour to get refunded. I had an issue with Apple TV and the person wasn’t knowledgable enough with it to do much of anything on the phone. This is unacceptable, but nothing can be done. Using Windows products is not an option for me as they are to unstable and don’t do what I need them to do. I guess the moral of this is just to search Kbs and fix things on my own. As computer companies go, I still consider Apple the best, with both bad and good. I do feel like the premium they charge is a fat ripoff though, and that will never change.
Sounds like you haven’t used Windows in some time if you think it’s unstable.
sounds like you haven’t used windows if you think it’s STABLE.
Agreed … anyone who thinks Windows is unstable either doesn’t use Windows or shouldn’t be using a computer.
Personally, I will forever be disappointed in Apple support until they go back to the policy of being nice and accommodating. If Apple changes things in support in order to save a couple billion dollars over a year at the expense of taking care of people, then they need to rethink their motives considering the cash hoards they retain.
I find it offensive they show people with Apple t-shirts but I can’t get one without a trip to the “shop”… and it doesn’t help when your friends get you XXXXL lol