Here's an Apple, Sony Boy

Sony has recently opened stores called Sony Style. You'd be foolish not to think the reason they opened the store was because of the success of the Apple Store.

Still, in their zeal to imitate, they wanted to differentiate themselves, and the question is whether they've succeeded. The employees all wear this headset that looks like they are working for McDonald's, that allow them to communicate with one another. I suppose this creates a sense of cool. But it's a chilly kind of cool.

I went inside one of the stores today with a coffee. I was told to step outside with the coffee. I mean, I suppose I could have been clumsy enough and destroyed one of their precious computers. Still, the Apple Store never seems to react that way. I've brought in food and coffee to the Apple Store. Not one word has been said. I suspect they figure I'm an adult, and the likelihood I'll trip and destroy something outweighs the fact that I'm told I'm incompetent and shouldn't be standing near expensive electronic equipment.

And then there's the headset/microphone. On the one hand, it looks really silly. And even if looked "cool", it's the kind of cool that's distancing and possibly intimidating to a customer. Do they want to see someone that is cooler than them? Does grandma want to see someone that looks like they should be on a dance floor, and not someone that seems friendly? I understand that looks are not everything and can be deceiving, but impressions can count.

The Apple Store has knowledgeable people, but they all try to make people feel at home, and try to be friendly about it. And that's really important.

Now I will point something out that's negative and yet also positive. Apple has a Genius Bar. Generally, it takes at least 20 minutes to diagnose a problem. That means lines can form really quickly, which can be irritating. That there are lines should say something about Apple's quality. However, given that there's nearly nothing comparable at any other store, most people would presumably rather wait then have to send their Ipod in for repair.

Admittedly, what people really want to do is to have Apple say "we'll just replace it with the latest", which would, alas, encourage all sorts of bad habits.

Another thing that's bad about both stores is the way they push additional care. They say "do you want additional care at this additional price?". It's very much like pushy car rental folks. They always ask if you want additional insurance. You know. For peace of mind. Of course, why don't they simply make it part of the price, and give you no choice? If it's really that important? Hmm. Oh, their competitors don't do it. They have no choice. You see, we have to be unsafe because our competitors are unsafe too. But, you see, we'll remind you about this.

Car rental folks are alas far more annoying than Apple or Sony which insists on the same kind of insurance they're unwilling to provide as part of the purchase price, because by golly, Dell does the same thing, right?

Apple has another annoyance. Alas, it's a problem that arises from something simple. Most stores have checkout lines. Nothing gives you the sense that you are part of a crowd ready to push out than a line that people are waiting at. Even though it provides nice cues, it is the experience people dislike a lot.

So, Apple has this rather ambiguous stations where there may or may not be a line, where maybe you can ask someone something or not. I was having a ProCare session. Now, this isn't held in a special location away from the hoi polloi. It's right at the Genius Bar. Thus, customers, unfamiliar with the Pro Care wonder why the "genius" (bandied a bit too loosely) is hanging out for so long with this one person. They're waiting in line, because, well, there are no cues not too.

Why not have a special location for the ProCare sessions? This would even encourage those who have it to feel a bit special to be at this location. I can see reasons why not, but even so.

In the end, Apple must have figured something out about customer service that Sony hasn't picked up on. The Sony folks appear to have decided to look stylish and mod and have their folks look hip, but probably train them minimally on how to be nice to customers.

Somehow the Apple Store does it better despite some of its own annoyances. And, they seem to attract pretty bright people, at least, compared to the usual people that get hired that know very little (say, people working at fast food, that couldn't tell you what's on a menu, or identify what the items are on the menu).

Imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, but Sony has a bit to go to know what to imitate. It ain't the cool that they should imitate, but friendliness and helpfulness.