Gift Giving Guy

My wife and I spend part of our day off shopping, including a trip to a new Apple store. I’m always impressed by the sleek, elegant design of the Apple stores. I feel a sense of sanctuary in this Mac embassy.

So I needed a new power adapter cord for my Powerbook. I found it easily and looked around for the checkout. But there was no line of cash registers. My wife suggested the Genius Bar, but I told her that area is for technical support.

I asked a sales guy, and he showed me Apple’s new hand-held checkout system. The system allows the sales rep to not only advise you on what you need but also complete payment. He scanned my item and swiped my credit card. Now here’s my favorite part. He asked me for my e-mail address so my receipt could be e-mailed to me, just like an online transaction. I just checked my e-mail and found a PDF of my purchase, plus a feedback link for further comments.

And if I wanted to pay cash, there is a cash register stowed behind the Genius Bar (where my wife suggested I visit in the first place). So this visit to Apple Store reinforced two things:

1. Apple keeps innovating the shopping experience.
2. My wife is always at least partly right.