On the new Concierge →

As the Apple Store has grown in both popularity and scope, the Genius Bar has seen some radical changes.

In the early days, there wasn’t an appointment system or staff reserved for certain types of devices. The Genius team was just there, in the back of the store, ready to take whatever came their way.

Over time, it got more complicated. People’s names were recorded on-site, and helped in order, then appointments had to be made in advance. Things like drop-offs and same-day repairs only made life more complicated for Geniuses.

These days, the Genius program goes way beyond the Bar. Specialists can take care of things on the sales floor, keeping a lot iOS tasks from ever reaching the back of the store.

In many, many ways, the iPhone re-defined the Apple Store and the role of the Genius.

In my second post on this site — way the hell back in September of 2008[1] — I wrote about this:

The iPod has always been part of Apple Retail, but the iPhone has changed everything. I have nothing against the iPhone. I own one, and use it all the time. I almost can’t imagine life without it. But since the first launch, the company has been focused on those customers. From opening early for iPhone-only sales to giving iPhone customers priority at the Genius Bar, the Apple stores are bending over backwards for the iPhone. And it’s showing. Across the chain, older retail employees (and by that I mean, those who have been with the company for some time) are frustrated. Mac Specialists are spending hours on the phone with AT&T trying to get customers up and running with their new iPhone 3Gs instead of selling Macs (not to mention trying to meet the company’s sales metrics).

Something I didn’t mention then is the urgency of many iPhone appointments. Not being able to make a phone call is monumentally a bigger deal than having an issue with a Mac. In my experience, more often than not, walk-in appointments were iPhone customers. These customers often have to wait for a long time to be fit in to the existing queue of appointment-holding customers.

That came to mind in reading this 9to5Mac article about the Genius program. In it, Mark Gurman writes:

Apple will soon make a significant change to retail store Genius Bar appointments to improve the customer experience, according to several sources briefed on the upcoming shift. During the week of March 9th, Apple’s United States stores will launch a new initiative called “Concierge” that replaces traditional walk-in Genius Bar appointments.

Under this new arrangement, an appointment-less customer could request service, then would be alerted via text message when their time is approaching. The order of appointments for these customers would be set by “a special algorithm” that “provides the customer a wait time based on issue priorities.”

I’m sure this system has some sort of work-around for people whose iPhones are so smashed they can’t receive text messages.

While this updated system will be good for iPhone users, I imagine it is being created with an eye cut toward Apple Watch customers as well.

There’s been a lot of conversation over the last couple of weeks about needing to view the Watch from a fashion and lifestyle perspective, not a tech one. Making an appointment or waiting for hours on end isn’t going to fly with some customers, and Apple Stores need to deal with those expectations. Sounds like this system may just do the trick.