what i learned waiting in line for an iphone

I won't gush about the wonderous new phone. If you're looking for iPhone porn, there's plenty of other places for that.

But I'd like to thank Apple for an excellent customer experience. Like many others, I went to my local Apple store Friday afternoon, and waited in line. I'd never done anything like that before. (I'm not very good in one place, for any longer than 50 minutes.) But Apple made it easy. Here's how:

+ Open wifi. Sure, they have that on every day. But on Friday, I was able to continue my workday, (until my laptop battery ran dry), which helped pass the majority of time.

+ Apple employees greeting line waiters, and handing out Smart water. (Maybe that's what the Apple geniuses drink?) Simple. Didn't cost them much. But showed they cared.

+ Great company. It was funny to see a line of a hundred or so people, 50% of them with ibooks on their laps. We all had something in common. Many demographics, but a love for one brand that brought everyone together. I got to meet Richard Shear (two people down from me in the line), who owns another design firm, LMS Design. Really cool guy. (And awesome package designers.)

Richard's friend in line was none other than Grant McCracken, whose blog (this blog sits at the...) I subscribe to. I've been a fan of his brilliance for a while, and had no idea we lived in the same state - much less shopped at the same Apple store!

+ When the doors opened, and we were ushered in, I was greeted by a wall of Apple employees applauding and cheering. A little overwhelming, but momentous. As I left the store with the Jesus phone in hand, the wall of employees cheered and applauded more. I can't remember the last time that I felt that great about spending $600.

I've reaffirmed a few great brand lessons here:

1. Treat your customers like heroes. They are.
2. Find a way to let your customers share their brand love.
3. Show (and let your customers share) in your over-the-top brand pride.

Now, I'll get back to my iDevice.