Apple is planning some significant changes to how Genius Bar appointments are handled in its retail stores, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. Citing several inside sources, the report notes that the initiative, dubbed “The new Concierge,” is expected to launch in Apple’s U.S. retail stores starting in early March.
Under the new system, customers walking into a store and looking for a Genius Bar appointment will be placed on a priority-based wait list after describing their issue to an Apple Store employee, and will then receive a wait time based on how “important” the issue is. So a customer with a broken iPhone screen would be automatically prioritized over somebody seeking help with a more minor issue. Customers can then provide a phone number to receive text messages with time updates, so they can continue shopping elsewhere in the area and know when to return to the Apple Store for their scheduled appointment.
The brainchild of Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, the new system is being heralded by Apple employees as “one of the most significant changes to Apple Store operations in several years” and is expected to reduce congestion in Apple Stores and hopefully make customers happier by reducing fatigue and impatience while waiting for appointments. At this point, the new system will only apply to walk-in Genius Bar requests, however; appointments booked online will continue to be scheduled for specific times as they have been in the past.
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