Report: Apple retooling in-store genius bar appointments


Mark Gurman for 9 to 5 Mac:

Multiple Apple employees have called the new feature one of the most significant changes to Apple Store operations in several years, as it allows customers to request support on the spot, shop elsewhere inside of the mall, and then return when the store is ready to service them. This will likely reduce crowding in the Apple Store and possibly fatigue from waiting customers.

The report says customers will be able to roll up and request an appointment from a staff person. They will enter the customer request into Apple's system, the system will prioritize, and then provide an estimated wait. Not said in the article, but I'd guess Apple has a lot of metrics on how long it typically takes for various support issues. So, that wait time could be honed to simply more than how many people are in front of you.

After you get your wait time, you'll get a text message letting you know when to head back to the store and then another when it's time to meet the support person.

One big benefit is obviously it allows people to walk in and get help without having to sit around. They can go off and do other stuff in the mall. The other benefit is again, those people are sitting around the store making a sometimes crowed store more crowded.