What I Learned About Customer Success Working for Apple

When I was a Customer Service Representative (CSR) on behalf of Apple, I encountered a diverse range of customer problems to solve. Apple’s training is intense and adequately prepares you for taking customer calls, but it’s impossible to prepare for every unique situation. However, Apple emphasizes research skills, so your resources are there to support you even when you get an unprecedented call.

There were a few tools we utilized the most. Apple’s website is a wealth of knowledge; most customers don’t even realize nearly everything they need can be accomplished on the website alone. The smaller percentage of issues that cannot be solved using Apple.com can be researched by the CSR in the database that houses all of Apple’s policies. There are probably thousands of policies in this database, but that allows for a myriad of solutions.

Taking A Step Further

One tool that CSRs have access to but are not trained on, is called GCRM. During any downtime between calls, I would research policies on this tool. I was comfortable enough with it that I often used it as a last resort for customer calls. GCRM allowed access to the notes of different departments other than customer service, enabling me to better understand the whole story behind an issue.

Some other departments could not access the customer service notes and vice versa. GCRM enabled me to leave information that other departments could see. This provided a vital communication link between the departments and allowed for problem resolution with fewer customer contacts.

I enjoyed using this extra resource because it meant that I satisfied more customers. The primary resources we are trained on allowed us to solve most problems, but the things I taught myself allowed me to go above and beyond average solutions.

Using What I Learned

For example, one customer contacted me regarding the theft of his vehicle containing three laptops and an iPad. I was saddened to know that his car and his expensive electronics, including all of their data, had been stolen. I was able to walk him through how to mark the products as “lost” on Apple’s device tracking service, called Find My, deeming his stolen laptops and iPad inoperable while protecting his data.

After that, he requested the serial numbers of the items for his insurance claim and police report. I was unable to see all of the stolen products in his purchase history. Some of them were purchased six years prior and I could only see fifteen months of purchase history. However, I opened up my GCRM and searched for his information.

I recalled that he mentioned he had contacted Apple Support for two of the laptops several years prior. After some digging, I found the AppleCare notes from long ago and was able to provide him with the serial numbers. He was elated! He said he was grateful just to disable them, but he thought it was a long shot to get their serial numbers, too. I was pleased to be able to go above and beyond to help.

How To Level Up Customer Experience

If you’re ever going to be successful working in customer service, you need to be able to think on your feet. Every customer interaction is a new puzzle. You may encounter a similar situation a hundred times, but customers may also come to you with a problem you could’ve never even imagined. It’s paramount that you know the products and services you’re representing and have the confidence to break down and solve every puzzle.

The world is ever-changing, and your company’s policies should adapt to that concept. If you try to memorize solutions, you risk repeating procedures that may no longer be relevant or effective. Instead, I encourage you to always know how to navigate your resources and get in the habit of double-checking your company’s policies and procedures before providing a customer with a solution.

Taking These Skills With Me

Overall, the character traits that enabled me to be successful in a CSR role are compassion and empathy, patience, creativity, research skills, keen attention to detail, and a passion for the products and services I was representing. These are things that I have carried with me beyond call center customer service, and I believe them to be invaluable skills for almost any job. Ultimately, the skills associated with a CSR role are an asset I will continue to utilize regardless of my job title.