u/trillionnnn

My store’s Genius Bar seems to have been drowning ever since we switched from Admins doing RFP/drop-offs to specialists. I’m not saying that necessarily caused the downfall of our store, but it’s the timestamp for when shit started going downhill.

Something seems wrong systematically. Our queue is consistently having 30 min wait times post check-in. Managers are completely checked out. They have no clue how the Genius Bar works, no desire to learn, and no strategies on how to improve it, despite consistent concerns raised/feedback given from the GB team.

Managers not doing their jobs has GB leads picking up their slack, leaving Genius Admins picking up their work, and no support left for everyone else. Everyone is calling out or going on leave as a result.

We’re lucky to even be acknowledged in a Download, Product Zone is always the topic and priority.

I recently went on vacation and visited the Apple store at Fashion Square in Scottsdale, AZ. My jaw was on the floor. Every employees’ nervous system looked regulated, every customer was being helped, and there was plenty of coverage everywhere. I truly couldn’t believe it. Maybe I just walked in at a lucky time, but I really thought every store was just as bad as mine?

What are we doing wrong? What strategies are working for you guys to truly improve the Bar to keep up with the demand?

I personally believe my GB needs more leadership and admin positions because we simply do not have enough for the amount of traffic/employees we have. I heard a manager once tell me we have 16 employees per manager, and the typical Apple store has 9-12 employees per manager.

Let me know your thoughts.

I've noticed a lot of seasonal hires making posts with concerns about becoming permanent/how to climb up the ladder. I just finished my first year at Apple, started off seasonal, and just accepted a Technical Expert role. Here are my strategies I used to gain recognition/rapport with management and bump my metrics while being a seasonal hire. (ALSO I'd love to make this thread where we can all pile our advice, so if you have any please comment :))

First things first, make sure people can remember your name. My store doesn't require name tags, but for my first three months, I made sure to have it on every single day. This allows customers to jog their memory and be able to shout you out for good performance, whether that's to another coworker or in an NPS comment. (I know the NPS email lists the employee’s name, but the customer remembering it and THEN seeing that email seemed to get me more responses). Wearing your name tag also helps your coworkers avoid the awkward moment of trying to remember it or digging through Sidekick trying to find you. 

At my store, every time someone gets a business intro, they list it in the download, and you get recognition. During training, I made sure I was logged into EasyPay regardless of if I was leading the interaction or not. That way, anytime we got a business intro or attachments, my name would be on it. Right when I began, I was being recognized for high metrics and business intros even though it was a group effort with my trainers and me. 

Whatever your store is recognizing in downloads, push that metric. The more your name is up there, the more people will remember it and associate you with high performance. 

I've noticed a lot of new hires have been overwhelmed with product knowledge and learning the ins & outs of all the devices. The EASIEST way to become well-versed in every product is to watch the Apple Events from when they announced the products. It's not a mind-numbing module; it's engaging and has multiple great one-liners you can use on customers. 

That being said, you do NOT need to know every spec of every device. Most of the answers to customer questions are in the Explore app on the demo devices, so use that as your crutch. If the answer isn't in there, just ask a lead. Employees LOVE answering questions for new hires. Everyone at the store is eager to have a moment where they helped guide/train you because then they can use that as a story in interviews for promotions. 

If your store ever has a moment when there are multiple free specialists, wait at the front of the store. This guarantees customer interactions to build your metrics and shows management that you're taking initiative. 

It is physically impossible to go above and beyond on every PZ metric. Do not get overwhelmed by the amount of topics you need to mention in an interaction. Prioritize getting to know your customer personally so you can then give them personalized recommendations that fill your metrics. For example, glance at what services are included with the purchase and before mentioning the free trial say, "Can I show you something cool?" Do not offer the free trial until AFTER you've convinced them of how useful the service can be for them personally.

Have one feature on every service that you feel comfortable demoing. You have a 6-month free trial for practically every service we offer, so test them out on your own in your free time and mentally note easy demos you can use.

If you are ever slightly unsure about something you're doing, ask a lead. It's better to be safe than sorry. Truly ask as many questions as you want. I have never heard of anyone being upset about a seasonal asking too many questions while in their first few months. 

Whenever you have an interaction that you're proud of or was a "textbook" Apple experience, write it down. When I clocked out I would record voice memos of interactions I was proud of so I could remember them later on down the road. When interviews come around, go through those stories and memorize the best ones so you can use them during the interview. 

That's about all I can come up with at the moment, but please list your advice down below! Wishing all you seasonals the best of luck.

Over the past month, I’ve noticed a large influx of iPhones from the 16 family presenting with no power, failing SNR (serial number reader). There’s never any signs of liquid, corroded ports, etc.

It’s gotten to the point where I think alarm bells should be going off. I’m really surprised there hasn’t been a Quality Program released for it yet.

The appointments are always an absolute nightmare as well because you first have to verify it won’t power on without wireless charging for 10min, half the time I end up having to open the phone to confirm the serial number, and then after that ordeal I have to let them know they’re losing all their data and they have to pay $550 to have a working phone.

What does the process look like of drawing attention to this issue? I feel like this should be covered regardless of warranty status. I recently had to quote a poor wheelchair-bound old lady a $549 Mid System because of this and I felt so guilty.

Over the past few months, I've noticed a growing number of customers who are actively in psychosis, typically believing that someone has hacked into their phone/is spying on them. I was wondering if any other stores have noticed this and what your best practices have been.

For me personally, I've decided that I cannot/will not ever outright deny their claims. It always backfires no matter how convincing you try to be. I do my best to acknowledge how stressful this must be for them and that I'm there to help. I take them through the Safety Check and congratulate them on any safety measures that they've taken on their own. Typically, the appointment ends in a restore to make them feel better, and in extreme cases where they are just absolutely unconvinced, I'll show them Lockdown Mode and tell them to read the entire description of what Lockdown Mode is, how rare the need is for it, and all of the features that will be disabled. 

It breaks my heart every time I take one of these appointments because everything in me is wanting to refer them to somewhere they can get help, but who am I to say anything? 

I had a manager a few months ago make an offhand comment that we were the only store he's worked at in our state that had this many "I'm hacked" appointments. I thought that was so strange because I have at least two or three a week. Is it just my store?

This upward trend feels like it's about to grow exponentially with the rise of AI-psychosis. The reliance some of my customers have had on these chatbots is frightening. I'm excited for this new intelligent Siri, especially for its privacy, design, and ability to solve simple questions for customers so they don't need to come into the GB, but a part of me is terrified this is going to send thousands of users into psychosis. Has anyone heard of safety measures Apple has put into place for customers becoming overly reliant on Siri AI?

Let me know your thoughts.