Hello, my name is Whit and I was a Mac. There was a time, not that long ago, that I would have shouted my allegiance into the now—confident, unwavering, and full of apple-flavored Kool-Aid—but things change as time passes. and I can track all that biz on my Microsoft Band. Seriously, it does everything(ish).
But this isn’t Band camp. This is a review of an event that has broadened my understanding of what a store experience can be. Thanks to Microsoft I now realize that I no longer need to settle for aloof indifference; rather, I can enjoy helpful attention. And I like that.
The Microsoft Store is taking the customer experience up several notches and they invited me and a group of parents to tour their new store in Cerritos, CA the day before it opened to the public and Kelly Clarkson. We all learned a lot.
For instance, did you know that most Microsoft Store locations have an area that is available for free use (you should reserve it) to host meetings, gaming sessions, and work space? Or how about the fact that the Microsoft Store will help you with any problem on any type of computer, even the competition?
I’ll be honest, I’ve long treated the various computer stores of my local mall like the arcades that their products replaced, meaning I generally bribe my kids to behave in other stores by promising them that we will stop and play the Xbox and rub our pretzel-stained fingers over each and every one of the display tablets. It works, and they are happy, but I used to spend that time standing in the corner avoiding eye contact and checking email on my phone. I didn’t want someone trying to pressure me into products or making me feel like a cheapskate because I wasn’t buying one of everything, but no longer. Now I know that the Microsoft Store wants to be a destination, a part of the community, which means I might buy something one time and then just stop by as a reward the next. That’s what you do at destinations. And the Microsoft Store is happy to have us.
Check out your local Microsoft Store and experience the rewards for yourself.
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I was compensated to host the store event, but the opinions are my own.
