Apple to Introduce New Concierge System for Genius Bar

[Maura]

According to a report on 9to5 Mac today, Apple is about to implement a major change to how retail store Genius Bar appointments are made, by introducing a new system called the Concierge.

Designed to improve the customer experience, the new Concierge system will replace the previous walk-in Genius Bar appointment system, whereby you can currently walk in to an Apple Retail Store, tell the check-in assistant your problem with your device, then return for an appointment at a specific time.

With the new Concierge service, which is due to start on March 9, the customer will tell an Apple Store employee what the problem is, the employee will then use a special iPad app that will ascertain how long the customer will have to wait, depending on how the issue is prioritised.

This would mean that someone with a cracked iPhone screen, for example, would be seen sooner than someone who just had an iCloud query.

Apple will then send you three text messages with updates about your expected waiting time. The first will confirm your request and tell you your wait time; the second will tell you to start making your way to the Apple Store; and the third will tell you that the employee is ready to help you, and where they can be found in the Apple Store.

The move comes directly from senior vice president of Retail at Apple, Angela Ahrendts.

Source: Apple to overhaul Genius Bar changing appointments and using phones as pagers 9to5Mac