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The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty
Apple Stores earn more money per square foot than any other retailer. At the core of Apple's success and intense customer loyalty, however, aren't just "Insanely Great" products, but great people who are informed, empowered, and motivated to deliver an unbeatable customer experience. In The Apple Experience, internationally bestselling author Carmine Gallo details the principles and practices behind this total commitment to the customer and explains how your brand can achieve outstanding results by delivering this same high standard of service.
Carmine Gallo interviewed professionals at all levels who have studied Apple, and he spent hundreds of hours observing the selling floor in Apple's retail space and learning about Apple's vision and philosophy. Using insights and data from these sources, he breaks down Apple's customer centric model to provide an action plan with three distinct areas of focus:
* Inspire Your Internal Customer with training, support, and communications that create a "feedback loop" for improving performance at every level
* Serve Your External Customer with irresistible brand stories and dedicated salespeople who embody the APPLE five steps of service -- Approach, Probe, Present, Listen, End with a fond farewell
* Set the Stage by ensuring that no element is overlooked in creating an immersive retail environment where customers can see, touch, and learn about your products
With The Apple Experience, you can improve the return on your investment in retail by adding real value to every customer interaction. Better still, any business that deals with people -- employees or customers -- can adopt the techniques to achieve Apple-like market dominance by enriching lives, building loyalty, and reimagining the customer experience.
Carmine Gallo interviewed professionals at all levels who have studied Apple, and he spent hundreds of hours observing the selling floor in Apple's retail space and learning about Apple's vision and philosophy. Using insights and data from these sources, he breaks down Apple's customer centric model to provide an action plan with three distinct areas of focus:
* Inspire Your Internal Customer with training, support, and communications that create a "feedback loop" for improving performance at every level
* Serve Your External Customer with irresistible brand stories and dedicated salespeople who embody the APPLE five steps of service -- Approach, Probe, Present, Listen, End with a fond farewell
* Set the Stage by ensuring that no element is overlooked in creating an immersive retail environment where customers can see, touch, and learn about your products
With The Apple Experience, you can improve the return on your investment in retail by adding real value to every customer interaction. Better still, any business that deals with people -- employees or customers -- can adopt the techniques to achieve Apple-like market dominance by enriching lives, building loyalty, and reimagining the customer experience.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2012
88 people are currently reading
952 people want to read
About the author
Carmine Gallo
85 books351 followersCarmine Gallo is an American author, columnist, keynote speaker, and former journalist and news anchor. Now currently based in Pleasanton, California, he is President of Gallo Communications Group and works as a communications coach and speaker
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 27, 2013
This is a worthwhile book on how to improve customer service. The author has written a How To book with Apple Stores as the main example but also including examples from other great companies.
There are many specifics on what makes Apple Stores so successful. For example:
“Vision is everything... A vision helps you see things that others might have missed.” Apple Store vision: “Enriching Lives”
“Steve Jobs was fanatical about the details of the customer experience... The screens of notebook computers in Apple stores are positioned at 90-degree angles to force customers to reposition the screen to interact with the product. Positions matter. Apple employees wear blue shirts to stand out in crowded stores. Colors matter. Customers are greeted within 10 seconds and 10 feet of walking through the door. Greetings matter. Nothing about the customer experience is taken for granted. Not one thing. Details mean everything in the Apple experience, and Apple studies everything about the customer interaction to learn, refine, and improve.”
“The ideal Apple Store candidate knows a little about computers and a lot about people. Apple doesn't hire for technical knowledge. It hires for personality... Apple hires for attitude and not aptitude. The company is only looking for people who want to change the world and who want to positively impact the lives of others... It's better to be nice than smart... The best way to build a special workplace is to hire for attitude and train for skills.”
"Apple's five steps of service
Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome.
Probe politely to understand all the customer's needs.
Present a solution for the customer to take home today.
Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns.
End with a fond farewell and invitation to return."
“It's not enough to train to deliver the five steps of service. You must help them [employees] understand why they're going through the steps.”
“Apple employees talk benefits, not features.”
Reset your customer's internal clock:
Give the customer information about how long the wait will be and check back every 2 to 5 minutes with an update and you will favorably alter the customer's perception about how long they have waited.
“This concept of resetting internal clocks is such a critical component of the Apple experience, that it is discussed constantly at Apple stores.”
“Apple changed the face of retail with its minimalist store design, open spaces, simple display tables, and large glass entrances... Eliminating clutter also means keeping things clean... Apple cares about things other businesses don't. It cares about elegance, space, and simplicity. It cares about smudges. Most people simply don't care about this as much as Apple, and that's the difference.”
There are many specifics on what makes Apple Stores so successful. For example:
“Vision is everything... A vision helps you see things that others might have missed.” Apple Store vision: “Enriching Lives”
“Steve Jobs was fanatical about the details of the customer experience... The screens of notebook computers in Apple stores are positioned at 90-degree angles to force customers to reposition the screen to interact with the product. Positions matter. Apple employees wear blue shirts to stand out in crowded stores. Colors matter. Customers are greeted within 10 seconds and 10 feet of walking through the door. Greetings matter. Nothing about the customer experience is taken for granted. Not one thing. Details mean everything in the Apple experience, and Apple studies everything about the customer interaction to learn, refine, and improve.”
“The ideal Apple Store candidate knows a little about computers and a lot about people. Apple doesn't hire for technical knowledge. It hires for personality... Apple hires for attitude and not aptitude. The company is only looking for people who want to change the world and who want to positively impact the lives of others... It's better to be nice than smart... The best way to build a special workplace is to hire for attitude and train for skills.”
"Apple's five steps of service
Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome.
Probe politely to understand all the customer's needs.
Present a solution for the customer to take home today.
Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns.
End with a fond farewell and invitation to return."
“It's not enough to train to deliver the five steps of service. You must help them [employees] understand why they're going through the steps.”
“Apple employees talk benefits, not features.”
Reset your customer's internal clock:
Give the customer information about how long the wait will be and check back every 2 to 5 minutes with an update and you will favorably alter the customer's perception about how long they have waited.
“This concept of resetting internal clocks is such a critical component of the Apple experience, that it is discussed constantly at Apple stores.”
“Apple changed the face of retail with its minimalist store design, open spaces, simple display tables, and large glass entrances... Eliminating clutter also means keeping things clean... Apple cares about things other businesses don't. It cares about elegance, space, and simplicity. It cares about smudges. Most people simply don't care about this as much as Apple, and that's the difference.”
March 11, 2018
"Just make it great. If you are fortunate enough to make a product, offer a service, or back a cause that brings value to people's lives, then you owe it to them and to yourself to make it great. By doing so, you move the society forward. Avoid the mistake of just focusing on the product or service, instead, create a magical customer experience that enriches people's lives. Just make it great -- insanely great!"
Apple touches the lives of customers only after touching its employees. "Why do you like working here?" I once asked an enthusiastic Apple employee. "Even people who walk in here upset leave happy," he said. "It's a rewarding experience, improving people's lives. That's pretty special." It sure is, and that's why we need to study and emulate the experience.
Pink says that Motivarion 2.0 centered on maximizing profits. Motivation 3.0 seeks to reclaim an aspect of the human condition that most corporations have overlooked: the emotional catalyst of working for a grander purpose beyond just making money.
When people make mistakes, the last thing they need is discipline. It's time for encouragement and confidence building.
Effective praise is a key component of the Positive Coaching program. According to Thompson, the secret to effective praise is the "Magic 5:1 Ratio": fond five reasons to praise for every one thing to criticize. Thompson calls it filling a person's emotional tank.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become." -Steve Jobs
"The brain remembers the emotional components of an experience better than any other aspect." - John Medina
Apple touches the lives of customers only after touching its employees. "Why do you like working here?" I once asked an enthusiastic Apple employee. "Even people who walk in here upset leave happy," he said. "It's a rewarding experience, improving people's lives. That's pretty special." It sure is, and that's why we need to study and emulate the experience.
Pink says that Motivarion 2.0 centered on maximizing profits. Motivation 3.0 seeks to reclaim an aspect of the human condition that most corporations have overlooked: the emotional catalyst of working for a grander purpose beyond just making money.
When people make mistakes, the last thing they need is discipline. It's time for encouragement and confidence building.
Effective praise is a key component of the Positive Coaching program. According to Thompson, the secret to effective praise is the "Magic 5:1 Ratio": fond five reasons to praise for every one thing to criticize. Thompson calls it filling a person's emotional tank.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become." -Steve Jobs
"The brain remembers the emotional components of an experience better than any other aspect." - John Medina
April 5, 2018
Livro obrigatório à todos os profissionais da área de comunicação, vendas de qualquer nível gerencial.
Sem mais.
Sem mais.
November 2, 2019
ไม่ใช่แค่ Apple แต่เจ้าของกิจการ โดยเฉพาะกิจการบริการที่ควรอ่าน
June 17, 2021
Loved this book from beginning to end. I've probably heard every Apple story to begin with but this book puts them through the lens of customer experience. A great how to guide on approaching greatness. Definitely looking forward to reading the next Gallo book.
March 1, 2015
I'm generally not a big fan of business books, but I found this an inspiring overview of the Apple Customer Experience (Cx) ethos, just the thing to help prepare me for my new role as Cx Director at tech start-up Vysk Communications. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand the forces that drive fanatical loyalty to the Apple brand.
February 14, 2014
Meh. More of a curated collection of apple retail statistics benchmarked vs. other players. And the self promotion of gets old after the first thee pages (we get it dude - you used to be on tv, and have best selling books)
March 26, 2018
I think the story with this book isn't long, but it was really surprising. One of my professors, who teach Managerial Communication, borrowed me this book and I didn't expected to like it, but it was awesome. I'm not an entrepreneur, I'm just a student, I don't live in USA and I never had an Apple product, and I used to even sort of hate this company because of the hype, but this book really change my mind, cause I found out lots of things that I didn't know and now I really appreciate what Apple does and what Steve Job did and I think it's awesome and I hope some day I'll have my own Apple experience, and also I'll remember all the advices about great customer relationships.
June 20, 2023
This book is must-read, whether you are an entrepreneur looking to create a successful business or a person seeking to improve the customer experience at your company.
"The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty" is a must-read book for anyone interested in understanding the secrets behind Apple's unparalleled success in customer loyalty. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the strategies and tactics that Apple uses to create a unique and memorable customer experience.
The author, Carmine Gallo, draws upon his extensive research and interviews with Apple employees to offer readers practical insights into how Apple has built a culture of customer-centricity. From the design of Apple's retail stores to the training of its employees, Gallo explains how Apple has focused on every detail to create an exceptional customer experience that keeps customers coming back.
"The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty" is a must-read book for anyone interested in understanding the secrets behind Apple's unparalleled success in customer loyalty. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the strategies and tactics that Apple uses to create a unique and memorable customer experience.
The author, Carmine Gallo, draws upon his extensive research and interviews with Apple employees to offer readers practical insights into how Apple has built a culture of customer-centricity. From the design of Apple's retail stores to the training of its employees, Gallo explains how Apple has focused on every detail to create an exceptional customer experience that keeps customers coming back.
May 10, 2018
Quite a lot of universally applicable tips of the trade but with a fair share of brand worship and anecdotal "evidence" from the author, who inserts himself into the text far too much generally
May 31, 2018
Se deseja abrir um negócio e quer aprender como se deve atender, "A experiência Apple" é o livro perfeito. Enriqueça vidas!
February 6, 2020
The book is nice and with many practical examples. But if you have read more than five books on the same topic, it might feel like nothing new.
April 4, 2021
Awesome!
November 12, 2021
Everything about Apple is so fascinating. No wonder Apple's brand equity is so high!
September 16, 2025
Contains interesting and insightful ideas but devolves into repetitive chapters that cycle through the same points.
August 21, 2015
„Toți angajații de la Apple sunt încurajați să poarte la ei un card cu crezul Apple. Primele cuvinte sunt "Îmbogățește viețile clienților!" Sunt și cele mai importante cuvinte din carte.
„Experiența Apple” de Carmine Gallo este împărțită în trei părți:
1) Inspiră-ți clienții interni
2) Cum îți deservești clientul extern
3) Pregătirea scenei
Din prima parte a cărți vei afla cum Apple angajează oameni pentru propria rețea de magazine, de ce contează mai mult calitățile de comunicare față de cunoștințele tehnice și cât de important este feedback-ul într-o companie precum Apple.
În a doua parte vei face cunoștință cu cei cinci pași pentru deservirea înaltă a clienților în magazinele Apple, importanța ascultării cu atenție a clientului și comunicarea beneficiilor pe care le oferă produsele vândute.
În cea de-a treia parte a cărții lui Carmine Gallo vei înțelege de ce designul minimalist al magazinelor Apple aduce rezultate, cum atrag atenție angajații companiei la curățenia geamurilor, vitrinelor și a produselor din magazin, precum și de ce trebuie pur și simplu să facem ceva grozav.
Cartea se adresează antreprenorilor care dețin spații comerciale, managerilor de vânzări, marketing, resurse umane, precum și tuturor persoanelor interesate de deservirea înaltă a clienților și de compania Apple.
Autorul Carmine Gallo aduce exemple de deservire a clienților întâlnite la companii din diverse domenii, precum hotele, restaurante și companii aeriene, astfel încât orice cititor va găsi informații utile pentru domeniul său de activitate.
Curiozități din carte?
- Știai că Steve Jobs a fost unul din cei mai importanți acționari la Disney și a preluat de la această companie mai multe idei pentru a îmbunătăți deservirea clienților Apple.
- Apple are peste 350 de magazine în întreaga lume, având cel mai bun indicator pe piață cu peste 6.000 de dolari vânzări la metru pătrat comparativ cu 1.200 la un magazin tipic de electronice.
- Steve Jobs obișnuia să ajute și alți antreprenori. I-a consiliat de mai multe ori pe Howard Schultz, CEO la Starbucks și pe Mark Zuckerberg, CEO la Facebook.
- Steve Jobs a vrut ca primul Macintosh să aibă curbele unui Porcsche, nu să semene cu un Ferrari.
„Experiența Apple” de Carmine Gallo este împărțită în trei părți:
1) Inspiră-ți clienții interni
2) Cum îți deservești clientul extern
3) Pregătirea scenei
Din prima parte a cărți vei afla cum Apple angajează oameni pentru propria rețea de magazine, de ce contează mai mult calitățile de comunicare față de cunoștințele tehnice și cât de important este feedback-ul într-o companie precum Apple.
În a doua parte vei face cunoștință cu cei cinci pași pentru deservirea înaltă a clienților în magazinele Apple, importanța ascultării cu atenție a clientului și comunicarea beneficiilor pe care le oferă produsele vândute.
În cea de-a treia parte a cărții lui Carmine Gallo vei înțelege de ce designul minimalist al magazinelor Apple aduce rezultate, cum atrag atenție angajații companiei la curățenia geamurilor, vitrinelor și a produselor din magazin, precum și de ce trebuie pur și simplu să facem ceva grozav.
Cartea se adresează antreprenorilor care dețin spații comerciale, managerilor de vânzări, marketing, resurse umane, precum și tuturor persoanelor interesate de deservirea înaltă a clienților și de compania Apple.
Autorul Carmine Gallo aduce exemple de deservire a clienților întâlnite la companii din diverse domenii, precum hotele, restaurante și companii aeriene, astfel încât orice cititor va găsi informații utile pentru domeniul său de activitate.
Curiozități din carte?
- Știai că Steve Jobs a fost unul din cei mai importanți acționari la Disney și a preluat de la această companie mai multe idei pentru a îmbunătăți deservirea clienților Apple.
- Apple are peste 350 de magazine în întreaga lume, având cel mai bun indicator pe piață cu peste 6.000 de dolari vânzări la metru pătrat comparativ cu 1.200 la un magazin tipic de electronice.
- Steve Jobs obișnuia să ajute și alți antreprenori. I-a consiliat de mai multe ori pe Howard Schultz, CEO la Starbucks și pe Mark Zuckerberg, CEO la Facebook.
- Steve Jobs a vrut ca primul Macintosh să aibă curbele unui Porcsche, nu să semene cu un Ferrari.
June 28, 2012
The Apple Experience is an insanely great case study on customer service. The steps to build a better business model by making your customers happy are laid out in a simple and straightforward manner and a constant stream of real world examples bring these concepts to life. Though the main focus here is Apple, the author includes examples of companies who emulate Apple as well, such as AT&T, Disney, Zappos, Starbucks, and more.
There is ample content here to walk away and immediately begin putting this process to work for your company, department, or team, or even just to strengthen your own customer service process. Whatever your position, and in whatever industry you work or lead, there is something in this book that you can takeaway and apply to your daily life. Each chapter reels you in a little bit more. The format of the chapters is key - the author begins with an anecdote, follows it up with a detailed analysis of the concept, process or key element covered in that chapter, provides additional examples to back up the main idea, sprinkles in some customer quotes, and ends with a wrap-up that gives clear and concise advice on how to implement the ideas from that chapter into your own job/business. It will inspire you to want to provide better service to your customers and a better work environment for your employees, and it will give you a new appreciation for Apple, and other companies like them, who bring a little bit of magic to the dry world of retail.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads program.
There is ample content here to walk away and immediately begin putting this process to work for your company, department, or team, or even just to strengthen your own customer service process. Whatever your position, and in whatever industry you work or lead, there is something in this book that you can takeaway and apply to your daily life. Each chapter reels you in a little bit more. The format of the chapters is key - the author begins with an anecdote, follows it up with a detailed analysis of the concept, process or key element covered in that chapter, provides additional examples to back up the main idea, sprinkles in some customer quotes, and ends with a wrap-up that gives clear and concise advice on how to implement the ideas from that chapter into your own job/business. It will inspire you to want to provide better service to your customers and a better work environment for your employees, and it will give you a new appreciation for Apple, and other companies like them, who bring a little bit of magic to the dry world of retail.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads program.
May 3, 2020
Superficial.
January 21, 2016
A book for personal and professional success!
Apple based many of their customer experience techniques on the Ritz Carlton Method...known for the Gold Standards...and that's what drew me to this book. Best Buy set out to be a destination stop for families. But, Apple really nailed it. This book explains how they did it in grand fashion. My key takeaway...we all have customers, whether internal or external. The "experience" we impart in our every day work/life is as important, if not more so, than what we are selling. It's the Simon Sinek of "why" v. "what" (a great TED talk about Apple).
Is this a business book? Yes. But, the lessons go far beyond business and provide insight for personal and professional success. As Shakespeare noted..."All the world's a stage...".
Apple based many of their customer experience techniques on the Ritz Carlton Method...known for the Gold Standards...and that's what drew me to this book. Best Buy set out to be a destination stop for families. But, Apple really nailed it. This book explains how they did it in grand fashion. My key takeaway...we all have customers, whether internal or external. The "experience" we impart in our every day work/life is as important, if not more so, than what we are selling. It's the Simon Sinek of "why" v. "what" (a great TED talk about Apple).
Is this a business book? Yes. But, the lessons go far beyond business and provide insight for personal and professional success. As Shakespeare noted..."All the world's a stage...".
January 1, 2015
Gallo has some really good information all through the book. It is a quick read. I have a lot of notes on concepts to remember. But, I do agree with others...there are a lot of "I"s and self promotion in the book which, for me, becomes a distraction. And, although I do believe that you need a visionary to push endeavors forward. The how comes from the unknowns. Jobs was a great visionary and is given all the credit for the success of Apple. But, there are many thousands that made his vision work that never the credit they deserve in this book. I rated the book as high as I did because of the concepts presented.
July 30, 2016
The Apple Experience is a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their business. Heck, it's for anyone who wants to live a great life. Gallo's book is fascinating, because it teaches the reader perhaps the most fundamental principle to being great: imbue everything you do with passion.
This book, with just over 200 pages, should be on everyone's shelves, because it's the story of one of History's most influential people: Steve Jobs. Regardless of what you think of Apple, the impact it has had on the world is simply undeniable. Well worth the read.
This book, with just over 200 pages, should be on everyone's shelves, because it's the story of one of History's most influential people: Steve Jobs. Regardless of what you think of Apple, the impact it has had on the world is simply undeniable. Well worth the read.
January 10, 2017
The book put a great deal of attention to the hiring part, it is nice to read as someone who's working in CX but better to be readed by the HR team, also promoting NPS metric as it is the best and only CX metric, even if Apple use it at least the author should highlight the drawback of such metric.
what is good about this book is the stories which are about different companies and the secrets behind thier success ... All in all I found it stuffy
what is good about this book is the stories which are about different companies and the secrets behind thier success ... All in all I found it stuffy
September 7, 2013
It was a pleasure to read The Apple Experience by Carmine Gallo. I will now look at how the best companies provide customer service, right along with how I will notice how other companies could do it better. I will also challenge myself to provide amazing experiences for my clients and customers from the day forward.
March 6, 2014
Now I know why I always buy Apple! After reading this I went into an Apple store and, sure enough, within 10 seconds I had been greeted with a cheerful smile and hello. More seriously, what I found interesting was Apple's practice of hiring 90% for character and 10% for technical skills on the grounds that cheerful, cooperative, friendly people are easy to teach and willing to learn.
June 20, 2014
Excellent book. Apple Store is the world class leading of customer service.
Gallo has successfully illustrated all the small details on how Apple built their retail store, what are the "wow" factors that impressed all visitors to the store.
This book is too a very guide on the subject of customer service for any retail store. Excellent
Gallo has successfully illustrated all the small details on how Apple built their retail store, what are the "wow" factors that impressed all visitors to the store.
This book is too a very guide on the subject of customer service for any retail store. Excellent
January 12, 2016
The Apple Experience was an interesting book because it brought us behind the scenes of how Apple creates a customer loyal by creating great customer service. It says that Steve Jobs was fanatical about the customer experience, and that is a reason that he was so successful. It provides a great example to other companies on how to create and retain loyal customers.
April 25, 2016
If you think that excellent customer service is the responsibility of a single department in an organisation, this book is for you. From the hiring process, through the culture all the way to leaders who live & breathe customer service, it is apparent that all business now evolves around making the customer happy.
September 6, 2016
I like the great advice and insight but, my goodness, a little less worshipping would have made this book so much better. One example: throughout the book there are highlighted halleluja quotes from happy Apple customers. They add absolutely nothing. The writer is already praising everything Apple does. And he is laying it on thick. Enough is enough.
September 26, 2012
Most business books that deal with personnel have components that can apply to a family unit also, but this one not so much. I liked the book and for others trying to build their small business, I would recommend it.
September 7, 2012
I love this book.
Before this book, I never thought customer loyalty and service can play an important part in a business.
Now that I know, I am more confident in most of the social related things that I do, work or personal.
Thank you Carmine, you're amazing!
Before this book, I never thought customer loyalty and service can play an important part in a business.
Now that I know, I am more confident in most of the social related things that I do, work or personal.
Thank you Carmine, you're amazing!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews