Steve Jobs Thought Genius Bar Was 'Idiotic' Idea at First, Said 'It'll Never Work'

[AppleScruff1]

Regardless of whether you like the name or not, the concept of the Genius Bar is a good idea and great for business. I'm guessing that a lot of people would rather have Apple replace their cracked screen, battery, etc than having it done at a mall kiosk.

 

[HiVolt]

I actually find it amazingly annoying and hard to push elbows with people just to get thru to the genius bar, then figuring out who the "concierge" guy is to confirm that i'm actually there for my appointment.

Then, because its not a separated area, you have to bump and squeeze onto tables, sometimes onto a corner of a table not even able to sit down with the person helping you all the while having to almost scream back and forth with the tech because its so loud.

I've never had a problem them fixing or replacing a device, i just find the experience extremely annoying.

The genius area should be completely segregated from the main store. My only experience comes from the Toronto Eaton Centre store, so perhaps others are less crowded and better managed.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I actually find it amazingly annoying and hard to push elbows with people just to get thru to the genius bar, then figuring out who the "concierge" guy is to confirm that i'm actually there for my appointment.

Then, because its not a separated area, you have to bump and squeeze onto tables, sometimes onto a corner of a table not even able to sit down with the person helping you all the while having to almost scream back and forth with the tech because its so loud.

I've never had a problem them fixing or replacing a device, i just find the experience extremely annoying.

The genius area should be completely segregated from the main store. My only experience comes from the Toronto Eaton Centre store, so perhaps others are less crowded and better managed.

Well, you nailed it. That is the typical experience in an Apple Store. Before the iPod, iPhone, iPad and when they just had Macs, the store experience was like the current Microsoft store experience. Very relaxing, you get the help you need, lots of things to discover in the store.

 

[fyun89]

Steve was wrong about many things. But he had better vision than anybody at Apple these days.

This. He's a human, not a god. He can be wrong at times...

 

[greenmeanie]

Should be called the IDIOT Bar.

 

[garya73]

I'm sure there are way more people in the company than one person being able to communicate with the customers.

Somehow I feel an Office Space quote would fit in here.

"Well-well look. I already told you: I deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don’t have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can’t you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?"

 

[Zaqfalcon]

"Have you backed up? We'll reinstall the OS." Genius!...

 

[AT&T representative]

I've never had any issues using the genus bar other than the long wait. Even with an appointment you're going to be there for awhile, so, for that reason I try as much as possible to get stuff done over the phone. I like the name because it puts them in a situation where they are the "genus" and I'm just a customer. It's nice when you don't have to fix your own computer's problems.

 

[nzgeorge]

Fake news.

 

[peterdaniel]

While the Genius Bar is the focal point of the Apple Store, it turns out the idea was initially panned by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

On the Recode Decode podcast, Apple's former retail chief Ron Johnson recalled the day he told Jobs about the Genius Bar.

Steve's initial reaction to the idea: "That's so idiotic! It'll never work!"

Jobs went on to tell Johnson that the Genius Bar may in fact be the "right idea," but he was not convinced at the time that people who knew technology would be able to communicate effectively with customers.The following day, Johnson said Jobs instructed Apple's top lawyer to file a trademark for "Genius Bar."

In an earlier interview, Johnson said it took some time before the Genius Bar gained traction, but within three years Apple was forced to create a reservation system due to its popularity. Nearly sixteen years later, the Genius Bar and the newer, more open concept Genius Grove remain a mainstay at most Apple Stores.

Article Link: Steve Jobs Thought Genius Bar Was 'Idiotic' Idea at First, Said 'It'll Never Work'

[doublepost=1488860326][/doublepost]They still have a problem with how to talk to people. VERY condescending in tone and they stuff they ask you makes you feel like your 3 years old. They let the term genius go to their heads... Listen here mr mrs genius. I make 6 figures, will save your life and then some.. Im not a dummy.. dont talk to me like I am.

 

[Pike R. Alpha]

To me the title, and the whole article to some extent, is a bit misleading. Yes. Steve initially thought that it won't work, but he changed his mind. Hence: "The following day, Johnson said Jobs instructed Apple's top lawyer to file a trademark for "Genius Bar."

Edit: Did the title change or did I miss the "at first" part in it?

 

[ColdShadow]

he wasn't wrong.

 

[carrrrrlos]

It was always a joy to watch Steve Jobs speak. He was always so passionate and truly believed in the products. Hard to believe Cook when he says things like ‘it’s magical’.

 

[Solomani]

I actually find it amazingly annoying and hard to push elbows with people just to get thru to the genius bar, then figuring out who the "concierge" guy is to confirm that i'm actually there for my appointment.

Then, because its not a separated area, you have to bump and squeeze onto tables, sometimes onto a corner of a table not even able to sit down with the person helping you all the while having to almost scream back and forth with the tech because its so loud.

Yes. The Apple Store should have separate rooms for: 1) appointment-only Genius Bars, and 2) a conference/classroom for those Apple Seminars. It is difficult to even hear the Apple Seminar instructor saying anything when the background noise is so loud.
[doublepost=1488866391][/doublepost]

he wasn't wrong.

He was wrong a lot.

 

[dampfnudel]

That was not so genius of him!

Maybe he was worried that it sounded a little too pretentious, but then he realized (or more likely Tim nudged him along) that a pretentious Apple is a rich Apple and went with it.

 

[Solomani]

Maybe he was worried that it sounded a little too pretentious, but then he realized (or more likely Tim nudged him along) that a pretentious Apple is a rich Apple and went with it.

Maybe SJ should have just gone with "honesty" instead of pretentiousness. So it would have been called the "Mac Geek Bar." Could most MR veterans live with that?

Girl: "Where you going?"

Guy: "I have an appointment at the Mac Geek Bar. You wanna come?"

Girl: "No."

 

[-BigMac-]

I miss Steve

for life

 

[Guy Clark]

Apple Genius Bar Favourite Mac quote:

"You need a replacement Logic Board"

 

[attila]

the Pro section... good old days...

 

[vmistery]

Hate the name but for marketing I could see it's catchy. Was at a store getting a display fixed over the weekend and heard "just a minute and a genius will be right with you." Wanted to give a MEGA eye roll. A genius? Really, I'm going to meet a genius now? Come on.

I'd rather be called a Genius than a geek if I was working there!

 

[Tunster]

I actually needed the Genius Bar this weekend to get a iP6S display replaced with battery (for the known battery going dead issue). Once I found the experts (with red beats headphones around their necks), was pretty simple from there.

I feel that they they either need more stores or more dedicated Genius Bar/Accessories stores to take noise away from demo shops. It's clear this growth was unprecedented at the birth of the store, but Apple need to solve the crowd issues. As a legitimate Mac/iPad/iPhone/Watch user, I dislike having to wade through a busy/noisy shop. Especially here in the UK. Maybe have less of the same products on show at the front and split off a larger dedicated demo area (appointment only) with Genius Bar to deter the tourists who just appear without purchasing.

 

[jweinraub]

You don't need to be a genius to read off of a check sheet.

This. How you think Steve got those personable people? Just train personable people to do a flow chart like all the people we call for outsourced tech support! Just like Geek Squad. They're not geeks. They're salesmen that upsell Monster cables when you can use the cheap one from monoprice or c2g.

 

[2IS]

Steve was wrong about many things. But he had better vision than anybody at Apple these days.

If only that vision extended to his own health. He'd still be around and we wouldn't have boring as **** keynotes. I'm still on an iPhone 6... If SJ was still around I have no doubt he'd have convinced me I had to have it

 

[sirdir]

Meh, never needed one. And as you need an appointment for repairs you can as well send the device in.

 

[Ethosik]

What are you talking about? The Watch unlocks the Mac. Continuity let's you copy and paste between devices. When I get to a text field on the Apple TV my iPhone prompts me to use the keyboard in the remote app. Everything works togther like never before.

The variety of products now has been described by people here as 'as bad as just before Jobs returned'. Now you're saying there's too few?

Apple releasing products like the iPhone 6 have been criticised for simply 'appealing to the masses'.

Apple cannot win, it seems. There's nothing they could do which would make people here think of them as innovative, or their products good. They aren't competing with a rival tech company, as far as macrumours is concerned, but with a distorted memory of what they used to be like a few years ago.

Their competitors however can release one reasonable product and be seen as 'the new Apple'.

While I do agree that there are too many variants in the products, it is not the same as it was when Steve Jobs returned. There was just what, professional and consumer products (maybe laptops at the time too?) But now there is the new category - tablets.