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Samsung Wants to One-Up Apple's Genius Bar With New WeWork 'Care Centers'

Hey, Mick! I have an idea for you. And this comes as a loyal Samsung customer. Instead of trying to "one-up" Apple, take a page out of Microsoft's playbook and just copy them first.

I've used Microsoft's Answerdesk and it works just as good as Apple's Genius Bar.

And where can I go to get service on my Samsung mobile or computing devices right now?

Crickets chirping.........

Look, Mick, Samsung has some great tech devices. But your aftermarket support is non-existent. If you want to continue to charge flagship prices for your phones, you are going to have to offer the same flagship experience that Apple offers.

I can walk into an Apple store with any broken device that is five years old or less and I will walk out with a working device. Now I may have to pay if it isn't under warranty. But I will still have a working device when I leave.

Where can I go to get that "experience" with a Samsung device.

You don't have to be in every high-end mall in the world. Heck in the U.S. you could probably take over some of Sprint's leases for their retail locations once they either merge with T-mobile or go bankrupt.

Bottom line, Mick, worry less about the "experience" and focus on just offering the service right now. And this is coming from a happy owner of a Samsung Galaxy S8+.

Edit: I just re-read the article and I can see this is going to fail just like their store-within-a-store concept failed at Bestbuy. They say they can ship a broken product off for repair. But I don't want my broken product shipped off, I want to walk out with a working product.

I can always post a question in the Alternatives to iOS Devices forum of Macrumors if I need help with how my Galaxy S8+ works. What I need is a place where I can walk in with a broken Samsung device and leave with a working Samsung device. I have a least five Apple Retail Stores with 45 minutes of where I live and I have at least two Microsoft stores within 20 minutes of where I live. How many Samsung stores? Zero.
 
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MacRumors said:



Samsung is teaming up with co-working startup WeWork to create customer "Care Centers" that are similar to Apple's own in-store Genius Bars, reports Fast Company.

Apple's Genius Bars are designed to allow customers to receive technical support and repairs on a range of Apple products, including Macs and iOS devices. Samsung's upcoming Care Centers will work in the same way, but Samsung wants to one-up Apple with a better waiting experience.

weworknewyork-800x391.jpg

A WeWork facility in New York​
At one of three pilot service centers opening in WeWork locations in Detroit, Miami, and New York later this month, Samsung customers can come in and get help for their products while also using the WeWork facilities.

Because it's a co-working space, WeWork gives customers a place to get their own work done while also enjoying fresh coffee and fruit-infused water.

Samsung Electronics America VP of design Mick McConnell tells Fast Company that he came up with the idea while waiting for an hour and a half at a Genius Bar at an Apple retail location. "I was like, there's gotta be a better way to do this," he said.Samsung is taking over a portion of each WeWork location and installing a steel and glass box with shared tables and Samsung workstations. The space features a midcentury-inspired design that matches up with the rest of the WeWork facility, but with special touches like higher-end furniture and Samsung video conferencing systems.

applesamsungwework.jpg

Image via Fast Company​

Samsung Retail Design project director Danny Orenstein told Fast Company that the aim is to make Samsung customers "feel welcome" at WeWork while also making WeWork subscribers feel comfortable working in the Samsung space in an effort to expand Samsung's potential customer base.

Along with offering Care Centers at select WeWork locations, Samsung also plans to host after-hours talks with creatives in WeWork spaces, much like Apple does at its own retail stores.

Samsung will use the WeWork spaces to experiment with what works and what doesn't work before considering expanding to additional locations. WeWork currently has 235 locations, and should the project pan out, it could mean a major expansion of Samsung customer support locations.

At the three centers opening this month, Samsung will offer "tier 1" support, letting customers get help with using features on their phone. Staff can also send Samsung equipment to repair centers, but there are no on-site repairs available.

Article Link: Samsung Wants to One-Up Apple's Genius Bar With New WeWork 'Care Centers'
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[doublepost=1509409060][/doublepost]Every time I read or hear the phrase "Genius Bar" I roll my eyes and shake my head. What a huge misnomer.
 
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Samsung Electronics America VP of design Mick McConnell tells Fast Company that he came up with the idea while waiting for an hour and a half at a Genius Bar at an Apple retail location. "I was like, there's gotta be a better way to do this"
Click to expand...

I agree with him. The Genius Bar experience can be improved with:
  • More availability in scheduling. Same-day should be possible even at more popular locations.
  • Less waiting when you get there (per his notes).
  • More loaner devices for multi-day repairs.
I don't think Samsung has come up with a better way. The living room / kitchen / interrogation room hybrid doesn't address the problem.
 
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If you want to know what this place will look like in five years, walk into an Apple Store today and take a picture. Steve said it best... five years ahead of the competition.
 
I’m not going to discount their attempt. If they could pull off reducing time waiting for “genius” person, maybe it might work. It would be noce if samsung have their own “apple stores” available everywhere...
 
I don't understand these super fancy work environments. I used to do most of my heavy work on a garbage-filled desk or on a piece of abandoned furniture in college housing. Doesn't matter when you're staring at a screen and/or papers.
 
Samsung Electronics America VP of design Mick McConnell tells Fast Company that he came up with the idea while waiting for an hour and a half at a Genius Bar at an Apple retail location. "I was like, there's gotta be a better way to do this," he said.
Click to expand...
This story is such obvious BS. Yeah, it could happen. I doubt it happened to him.
 
Nothing at all wrong with this. One of the most common reasons I hear about why people go Apple is that they have a storefront that is the same as their repair/replacement center. Good for Samsung. This is a great move for consumers.
[doublepost=1509412766][/doublepost]
HiRez said:
This story is such obvious BS. Yeah, it could happen. I doubt it happened to him.
Click to expand...
I obviously have no idea if this story is true, but I’ve had to wait nearly an hour before. It was regarding a MacBook though, if that’s relevant.
 
That interior design in that first pic is horrific. I thought it was going to be a "before" image. But, nope, that IS the current state of that facility. Colors, textures, styles...everything clashes.
 
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