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I'm No Genius But I Love A Bar














I hear health care providers talk about wanting to get better at retail. They should do themselves - and their customers - a favor and spend an hour in the nearest Apple store.















This is Oak Brook, IL, last week. The day was warm yet the heat was blasting, so the doors were open to the plaza, lending fresh air and a blast of Milanese Euro-cool to what is already a pretty cool place.

Most striking sight: a woman hurrying for her lesson at the Genius Bar, lugging her MacBrook Pro in a Tiffany jewelry bag. That's Oak Brook for you.















And the Genius Bar is itself pretty cool. What could you, dear health care leader, do with a Genius Bar in your lobby? You think health care consumers might benefit from a place where smart people solve problems, troubleshoot, offer advice? You think your "reception desk" does that? Trust me, if you do, you haven't been in an Apple store and seen the possibilities.

I purchased a $19.95 printer cable. The helpful staffer scanned both the package and my credit card, looked up my e-mail address in their customer database, e-mailed me a receipt and printed out an additional copy, all in about 20 seconds, on a device roughly the size of an iPhone. No lines, no waiting, no "...you pay over there so go stand in THAT line..," no customer service handoffs at all. Bingo, bango, done, out the door.

Next time I go back it's to buy a 24" iMac and an iPhone and 4 new iPods for Christmas presents. Yes, I drink Apple's Kool-Aid. You don't have to imbibe to appreciate the relevance of Apple's branding and retail strategies to your own quest for customer connection.

So tell your boss you're spending an afternoon doing some work-related shopping. You won't be lying...for once.


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