Mobile customer scheduling can change retailing for the better

This is the first in a series of Mobile App reviews published here and at www.retailcustomerexperience.com. Each week, you’ll get a customer’s-eye view of smart phones, tablets, and occasionally behind-the-scenes technology. If customers can touch it, we’ll cover it.

This week, we start with Apple Computer’s “Apple Store App”. As you’ll quickly read, it’s more just than another screen to buy merchandise.

The Apple Store App opens to the Featured screen offering seasonally themed products. The lower navigation bar offers product, store, search, and shopping choices.

Seasonally-themed

From the products section, you can see the entire product line, but you don’t get the full array of machine configurations available from a standard computer browser. Content and descriptive copy are sparse, but given how well people who buy Apple’s products already know them, it’s enough.

In the Store section, you can do much more than find the closest store. You can schedule an hour of tech support, one-on-one assistance, or to training–at any store in the country!

Customer Scheduling is the game-changing application in retail. Inviting customers to be part of the scheduling process makes life easier–and more profitable–for everyone. When you know who’s coming and when, labor planning is much easier, customers are happy, and employees are much less stressed. In the end, you get a better customer experience and a better bottom-line. Isn’t that what retail customer experience is all about?

The reservations process is intuitive and fast. One tap on the blue button and you’re in. Set the date and time from the list of available slots (you can change stores if the schedule at one store doesn’t suit you) then confirm.

It’s not just the app that makes this work–it’s store systems and well-trained staff. As you walk into the store, you’re greeted by a t-shirt-wearing Apple employee (they put some of their best people at the front of the store) who guides you right to the desk you need to be at. He or she often calls back to alert your trainer or sales associate that you’re on your way.

If you’re not in earshot, they’ll also mention what you’re wearing so that you’re easy to spot. Translation: you get a friendly greeting using your name from the person who is ready to help you.

Already one of the most successful retailers in history with over $5,000/sf sales figures, Apple is making inroads that others will surely follow. By blending its technology into retail, it’s giving customers a different and better experience than other retailers.

The Apple Store App doesn’t just let shoppers see what’s in the store, it lets them run it!

You can also find this Mobile App review at Retail Customer Experience by clicking here.