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Apple is planning to overhaul its Genius Bar in-store troubleshooting service with a new prioritising system.
From March 9, Apple will be launching a new initiative called "Concierge" in its US stores, which will replace the current Genius Bar appointment system.
According to 9to5Mac, this new system - which is being spearheaded by Apple's retail senior vice president Angela Ahrendts - will do away with the whole appointment set-up altogether.
Rather, a customer will simply be able to walk into an Apple Store and describe their problem. The App Store employee will then tap this issue into their iPad, and a special algorithm will assign the issue a wait time based on the nature of the issue.
The example used is that a cracked iPhone screen will receive higher priority than a minor iCloud issue.
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Once the issue is logged in to Apple's system, the customer is free to leave the shop and go about their business. They will then receive three status updates as text messages.
The first message will confirm the issue and the wait time. The second message will notify the customer to start heading back to the Apple Store. The third will be sent out when the Apple technician is ready and waiting to help, and will inform the customer of the technician's location within the shop.
It's hoped that this new Concierge system will reduce the crowding that's prevalent in popular Apple Stores, as well as the annoyance levels of waiting customers. There are no details on when it will roll out in other countries, however.
