Why did Gary Allen log thousands of miles to attend 140 Apple Store openings around the world and blog about them…without getting paid for it?
That question prompted me to reach out to Allen when I began the research for my book on the Apple Store model, The Apple Experience. I was saddened to read about Gary that Allen passed this week at the age of 67. During the lunch we shared (close to an Apple Store Allen wanted to visit) Allen provided me with insight that changed the way I looked at the Apple Store. “It’s not just about the products,” Allen said. “Look at the way Apple hires. Look at the way Apple managers coach employees. Look at the whole picture,” he advised.
The whole picture is so much more interesting than individual products. The whole picture explains why the Apple Store is one of the most profitable retailers in the world. Allen was right. It’s not just about the products. The soul of Apple is its people—how they are hired, trained, and taught to communicate the benefits of the company’s products. It’s how they are taught to create memorable and magical experiences for their customers. It’s about how the Apple Store enriches people’s lives.
For example, Allen told me to focus on the way Apple hires its people. “Apple is not looking for people with vast experience and knowledge,” Allen said. “Apple is looking for a type. You do not need retailing or computer repair experience to be hired. You do, however, need passion, spirit, and a collaborative attitude.”
Allen was absolutely right. I met very few employees with prior retail experience. Anyone can be taught to sell an iPad; but passion for the brand cannot be faked. One former Apple Store executive learned early on that teachers made great employees because, in 2001, consumers needed to be educated about all the great things computers could do.
By enriching the customer experience, the Apple Store built a store that was unlike any retailer. It had a non-commissioned sales floor. It didn’t have a cashier, but it had a “concierge” who greeted you upon entering the store. It had products on display that customers could see, touch, and play with. It offered personalized instruction for its products (One-to-One). All of these were innovations in the sale of electronics in 2001. And of course, the details. Nothing was overlooked. The tile, the wood, the panels, the glass spiral staircase—all uniquely manufactured, and Allen was obsessed with all of it. He was also intrigued by the attention to cleanliness. Clutter was eliminated in an Apple Store. “If you’ve ever been to an Apple Store opening you’ll know how meticulous they are about cleaning the windows, the floors, and the shelving,” Allen pointed out. “It’s almost to the point of being absurd.” But in that obsession lies the difference.
Why is the Apple Store different? Because, as Allen taught us, Apple cares about the things other businesses don’t. It cares about smudges on glass. It cares about clutter. It cares about elegance, space, and simplicity.
Why did Gary Allen attend 140 Apple Store openings? In his last blog post he explained it best:
“Don’t overthink Apple. Instead, remember Steve Jobs and his boundless enthusiasm and joy—especially on stage—for what the products can accomplish and make possible. It’s fine to speculate on sales numbers and stock price. But it’s more pertinent to wonder how FaceTime or other Apple product features can bring distant people together, to help diverse cultures understand one another to make a better world.”
Gary Allen helped writers like myself, as well as bloggers, analysts, and technology media understand the Apple Store a lot better. By doing so he taught leaders in any field, in any company, that customers will become your evangelists if you treat them well, enrich their lives, and give them something to talk about.