How a ‘genius’ made my day

It’s story-telling time.

This tale took place some months ago, but I was inspired to share it with you all by a post Michael Sippey on his recent experience at an Apple Store Genius Bar.

Once upon a time…

…I was sitting on a table in front of the Apple Store Yorkdale, using the free wireless to catch up on a few emails and some work before I got on the subway to head downtown. Even though I know the staff don’t mind if people just stop by to use the free wi-fi, I’m always hesitant to log on without having bought anything.

Because of my hesitancy, you can imagine my apprehension when I was startled by an Apple “Genius” (I really think that Apple needs to rethink the ‘genius’ label. It just seems silly to me.) tapping me on my shoulder and staring at my Macbook. Instead of chiding me for using the wireless, he instead pointed to my computer and said,

“You’ve got some serious discoloration on your Macbook. Want me to change that for you?”

Three minutes later, he emerged with a new casing panel for my computer and replaced the old, discolored part for a shiny new white replacement. Once he had finished that, he asked me if I had any other problems with the Macbook. I told him about my declining battery life, and after running a quick diagnostic check, he pulled out a new battery and replaced my old one on the spot.

And we all lived happily ever after.

I quote this example when people ask me why I’m such a die-hard fan of Apple products. Sure, they may make products that look pretty and have remarkable user interfaces, but that “genius” that day showed me the core of the Apple philosophy: be proactive in engaging with your users and fix problems before they become problems.

You can definitely argue that Apple has failed to do that in certain cases, but on the whole, the focus on the customer — over and above what is expected from regular customer service — is what makes me such a fan of Jobs’ company.

So here’s a thank you to that “genius” that made my day.

The end.

For now.