I asked readers last week whether I should get an iPhone or stick with an Android one, having previously had three Android phones and more than that number of BlackBerry models still earlier. Comments were mixed, with some support either way. Poll results heavily favored the iPhone, and The Phantom Stranger’s recommendations (always reliable) made the choice an easy one: iPhone it was.
I didn’t have a chance to pick one up until yesterday, but I’m now even more a part of Apple’s ecosystem. (I have used Macs for years: FREE WHITEWATER and Daily Wisconsin are both Mac-produced, and FW is on its second Mac since ‘07.)
First and foremost: shopping for phones isn’t the most important thing a person could do, these days or any day. This is hardly a food-clothing-shelter issue. I see that; there’s still room to comment, in hard times, on many activities apart from necessities. That was true during the Depression; it’s just as true now.
Apple Online. In the evening, between 9 PM and Midnight, apple offers customers the chance to reserve a phone for pickup the next day. It’s a great service, as it allows patrons to know that they’ll have what they want when they arrive. Carrier, choice of color, storage capacity: you’ll know what’s waiting the next day.
No window shopper would I make: I shop in stores for simple things easily obtained, rely on specialized merchants for their guidance, or order items online. (Whitewater, by the way, has some excellent, specialized shops, and I visit them for their owners’ sound judgment and opinions, but that’s hardly browsing.)
Apple makes it easy to avoid prolonged and uncertain mall visits.
The Carrier. Apple’s sales rely on the connection between their hardware and a carrier’s service. My carrier was not at its best when I went to get my phone, and a software error kept my account password from resolving correctly on Apple’s register. I had to call the carrier three times to have the issue resolved, and that’s two calls too many.
Despite the delay, a conference call between Apple’s customer service and the carrier’s service fixed the problem (through a password reset, albeit one that might have been ventured sooner than the third call). A glitch like this is, nonetheless, trivial in the course of one’s life; it can only be handled well if one remains firm in one’s goal but otherwise calm. People who work in call centers have difficult jobs; it’s both wrong and unproductive to treat them poorly.
Apple’s Store. I was surprised at how busy the Apple store was. They had a greeter at the door, and ample staffing otherwise, but still they struggled to keep up with people looking for phones, computers, tablets, iPods, service, software, accessories, or classes for products already purchased. No other store nearby had so many customers inside. The store stayed busy throughout my visit, without relent.
The Store Staff. I used to think that Apple’s associates invariably looked younger (and thinner) than most customers. I would wonder if that might cause a perception gap of some sort, with older patrons struggling to relate to younger workers.
On my visit Thursday, I saw none of those differences: the workers were of different ages, and no more fit (generally) than their customers. Perhaps as Apple has become increasingly popular, her workforce has begun to look more like a cross-section of America. A youth-culture wouldn’t deter me; it’s just that it’s less evident.
The Phone. iPhones come in white and black, and most people suggested black. Libertarian and contrarian that I am, I went with the more unusual selection. (iBooks and iMacs were once white, and both of those now-retired styles were good to me in their day.) Still, pick what you want, and ignore people who say one choice or another really means something: in the end it only means that’s what you like. Apple once encouraged people to ‘think different’; there’s no reason to stop simply because they’ve a new slogan. Black looks sharp, too, by the way.
First impressions: Surprisingly light, great screen resolution, and easy-to-use apps. The voice A.I. (Siri) has worked well for scheduling two appointments, three reminders, and answering my questions about nearby restaurants based on cuisine.
It’s a good start, I think, for a happy customer.
