Apple improves its retail stores starting Monday

Gary over at the ifo Apple Store notes that Apple is upgrading its retail stores in three significant ways.

1. Apple will run several separate service reservation queues at Apple Genius bars. Specifically, short term jobs will scheduled and handled at the Genius bar, while more serious repairs and work will get scheduled for a Genius Room area. That should provide better and more efficient service for both types of work.
2. At least one Creative staff member and new Studio bars will be added to each store to help customers understand how to better use their Apple purchases. This will also offload work from the current Genius bar system and build more customer loyalty and satisfaction with Apple purchases.
3. Apple staff members will get new mobile point-of-sales systems. These systems will allow store staffers to scan a barcode, swipe a credit card, and complete a sale, all without dragging the customer back to a register area.

Given the huge popularity of iPods nowadays and the upcoming holiday buying season, these tweaks to the Apple retail business -- already one of the best buying experiences in consumer electronics -- will only burnish its brand and its business results.

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