Advice for Visiting an Apple Store

Most of us have been inside an Apple store. We need a charger or we need to check out the latest thing. Maybe we need our phone fixed or our computer looked at.

Having worked there for five years, most people of the customers I interacted with didn’t take advantage of most of the services Apple offers. This is your quick and dirty guide to finding what your local Apple store has to offer, the questions you should ask, and how to get the quickest help you need. So envision a blue shirt, and here we go:

Apple employees are fantastic people

They had to interview a lot for the job. They have to know the software and want to show what you can do with it from photography to writing. Ask them what software they are loving right now or what podcast they are digging. One of the best questions to ask an Apple employee is, “Show me something cool that most people don’t know about Apple software.” They’ll blow your mind.

Apple doesn’t mess around with the third-party stuff

If you are looking for Facebook help, the Apple store isn’t the best solution. They have limitations on what they can interact with and troubleshoot. I can’t tell you how many times people asked me when I worked there about how to fix their dating app. Super awkward. Super.

Apple employees don’t know what’s coming out

They don’t know. They honestly don’t know. When I was asked, “What are you guys coming out with next week (month, quarter, etc.)?” I used to say, “I work next to a Wetzel Pretzel. I’m not in the inner circle.” They aren’t being secretive. They literally won’t know or see something until you do.

Download the Apple Support App

There’s a great app called the Apple Support app. Once you register with your Apple ID, you’ll see your devices that are registered, and if you need help you can initiate a chat from there to talk to someone about the problem. Most software issues can be handled over a chat! You don’t even need to go into the store! If you do need an appointment to have a device looked at, you can simply make it from the app. Done.

Avoid walking in if you have a problem

A lot of people make appointments to have a device looked at. But if you walk in, the wait time is much longer. It’s like making an appointment at a doctor’s office compared to walking in and saying, “Here I am.” The wait time can be long. And during the weekends, really long. Use the Apple Support app to make that appointment. You’ll save yourself some time and headaches. They want to help; they just have a limited amount of resources.

The second app you need to download

The Apple Store app is clutch. If you want to see if a store has something in stock, you want to sign up for a class, or you simply want to scan an item in the store and pay for it with Apple Pay, that’s how it works. You can check out reviews and Apple has free shipping. Boom. Done.

The Apple store has FREE courses

They offer free classes for everyone such as coding basics and the basics of photography. They are taught by people who know the software inside and out. Even if you consider yourself a pro, you could learn a lot. They have stuff for kids as well like week-long “summer camps” around making movies and coding.

Know your warranty

iPhones come with a one year warranty that doesn’t include accidents. AppleCare covers accidents with a deductible. That’s how it works. If you don’t have AppleCare and you bust your phone, you pay for the fix. The Apple Support App can show you how much time you have left on your warranty.

Don’t pull this maneuver

When people are frustrated with how much a repair costs or a request can’t be fulfilled, they will say, “I want to talk to your manager.” This is a rookie move. The manager is going to do their best, but being rude or curt doesn’t go far. The manager is a human. She or he got up in the morning hoping to have a great day. If your nephew broke your iPhone, it’s not on Apple. If your nephew ran your car into a ditch, it’s not on the place you bought the car. Being kind and saying thank you goes a long way. You might not get what you hoped for, but Apple people (or just, you know, people in general) respond better to kindness than the ol’ “I want to talk to a manager” move unless it’s for a complement.

The Apple Store is a place where the most creative people work to help people out, to enrich lives, and solve problems. Next time you’re in, shake that employee’s hand and ask them, “Why do you love working here?”
Prepare yourself for a long answer.

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