★ “Apple Store Employees Aren’t Allowed to Say ‘Unfortunately’”

WSJ:

More people now visit Apple’s 326 stores in a single quarter than the 60 million who visited Walt Disney Co.’s four biggest theme parks last year, according to data from Apple and the Themed Entertainment Association. Apple’s annual retail sales per square foot have soared to $4,406—excluding online sales, according to investment bank Needham & Co. Add in online sales, which include iTunes, and the number jumps to $5,914. That’s far higher than the sales per square foot and online sales of jeweler Tiffany & Co. ($3,070), luxury retailer Coach Inc. ($1,776), and electronics retailer Best Buy Co. ($880), according to estimates.

and

Apple lays its “steps of service” out in the acronym APPLE, according to a 2007 employee training manual reviewed by The Wall Street Journal that is still in use.

“Approach customers with a personalized warm welcome,” “Probe politely to understand all the customer’s needs,” “Present a solution for the customer to take home today,” “Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns,” and “End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.”

and

Working for an Apple store can be a competitive process usually requiring at least two rounds of interviews. Applicants are questioned about their leadership and problem-solving skills, as well as their enthusiasm for Apple products, say several current and former Apple store employees. While most retailers have to seek out staff, retail experts say many Apple stores are flooded with applicants.

Once hired, employees are trained extensively. Recruits are drilled in classes that apply Apple’s principles of customer service. Back on the sales floor, new hires must shadow more experienced colleagues and aren’t allowed to interact with customers on their own until they’re deemed ready. That can be a couple of weeks or even longer.

Harry Friedman, who runs retail consulting firm the Friedman Group, says it isn’t unusual for specialty retailers that care about service to invest in similar levels of staff training. But Apple employees are typically fans of the company’s products and are willing to learn, intrinsically making its training more effective than any others, he says.

Keith Bruce, 23, who worked at an Apple store in Virginia for three-and-a-half years until December 2009, says he was told the sales floor was a stage where he should focus on things he can do, rather than things he can’t. If a customer mispronounced an item name, he was forbidden from correcting them because that would make them feel patronized.

Candidates for “Genius” tech support staff undergo more training in facilities world-wide, then are certified and regularly tested on their skills. Training extends even to language. Former Geniuses say they were told to say “as it turns out” rather than “unfortunately” to sound less negative when they are unable to solve a tech problem. People familiar with the matter say Genius appointments are often triple booked, so they are always swamped.

Apple store staffers are paid about $9 to $15 per hour at the sales level, and up to about $30 per hour as Geniuses, comparable to other retailers. Some Apple store employees, who aspired to move to a corporate position, say they left when they realized that such opportunities were rare. One employee in San Francisco is even trying to unionize and has set up a website and Facebook page demanding higher wages.

It would be nice to one day share my policy & procedure manual from 2005 when I worked at Apple. The WSJ article doesn’t do a great job of really bringing out the worst of this P&P manual but, it also doesn’t sound like much has changed since 2005 which is surprising given that the product lineup then was 4 Macs and the iPod.

The P&P Manual is nearly 300 pages and I’m hoping that I never end up an Apple employee in the future. Corporate may be different but Apple Retail was not.