Apple is training its Apple Store staff in the art of fashion advice ahead of next month’s Apple Watch launch, a new report reveals.
The Cupertino-based company wants its worldwide retail sales team to be able to make snap judgements on customers based on what they’re wearing and, most importantly, which Apple Watch would suit them best.
An article by 9to5mac details Apple’s varying staff training programs, which include teaching employees how to accurately comment on a customer’s style.
According the report, employees have been told to make comments like “you seem to have a fun style. I think the Pink Sport band would match your style perfectly,” and “
The guidelines suggest that employees should say why an option is a good choice, not why one is a bad choice, and to explain how earlier customers made their decisions.
Store staff are also being instructed to get the opinion of people shopping with the buyer, and not to focus on price as a reason to recommend an option. That’s reportedly to help convince buyers to spend more.
Related: Apple Watch vs Android Wear
The report claims Apple’s sales strategy will be broken down into five key steps. The first will be to determine how much knowledge a customer has about the Apple Watch.
Then Apple employees will discuss the latest iPhone and iOS.
Staff will then proceed to push iPhone upgrades; Apple is reportedly keen to use the Apple Watch as a major sales bump for the iPhone.
The final steps are employees discovering why the watch is being purchased, and then determining which specific model should be sold to the customer.
It’s no surprise that Apple is keen to make its staff fashion-savvy; the company has put great emphasis on the broad range of Apple Watch styles it plans to offer come April 24.
Amusingly, the report includes several mock-up scenarios purportedly leaked from Apple, which employees will need to learn to accurately respond to.
Reckon you’ve got the eye for serious style? See if you can recommend the right wearable for the phoney customers below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
