9 Things Apple Store Employees Really Want You to Know

If you're an iPhone or Mac user, or even if you aren't, there's a good chance that you've been to an Apple Store. These clean and sleek retail outlets are like small bastions of the company's design aesthetic and customer philosophy. And they're spread out across the world and of course, staffed by Apple Store employees.. But even if you are an Apple Store regular, there are actually quite a few things that you might not know about the brick-and-mortar outlets and the people who work there. Use the Right Arrow to Learn 9 Things Apple Store Employees Really Want You to Know.

9 Their Kindness Has Another Purpose

While being friendly and cordial is probably the most basic aspect of good customer service, Apple Store employees actually use kindness and attentiveness for another purpose: theft deterrence.

Demonstration devices at Apple Store locations aren’t security tagged, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to steal. Apple Store employees are trained to engage with every customer that walks into the store. That’s good for customer service, and it also lets potential thieves know that an Apple retail outlet isn’t an easy target (for the most part).

8 They Don’t Know Your Password

This is true for basically every web service, social media platform or tech company. Apple Store employees don’t know your password, and they can’t help you access it through some social means.

If tech employees or companies could see your password, it would defeat the entire purpose of a password. Save yourself (and your friendly neighborhood Genius) some grief and get your login credentials before heading off to the Apple Store. If you’ve lost it, try going to the Apple ID website rather than to a brick-and-mortar outlet.

7 They Don’t Know Apple’s Secrets

Sure, Apple employees may, obviously, work for Apple. But that doesn’t mean that they know Cupertino’s most deeply held secrets. They probably don’t know any more about the iPhone X Plus than you do.

Apple is infamous for its strict secrecy culture, so it stands to reason that new product information is revealed only on a need-to-know basis. Apple Store employees aren’t on that list — so they won’t necessarily find out about new products until Apple officially unveils them during a keynote speech.

6 It’s Not Easy to Get Hired at an Apple Store

In the eyes of many people, customer service jobs seem like they’re on the lower end of the totem pole. But Apple employees want you to know that it’s really not easy to get a job at an Apple retail outlet.

According to a 2009 Business Insider story, it’s actually much easier to get accepted at Harvard University than it is to land a job at an Apple Store. Yes, that’s a true statistic — and it doesn't even account for the weeks of rigorous training that new employees have to undergo before getting their official Apple shirt. Hopefully, this gives you some newfound respect for your local Genius.

5 Don’t Lie (They Can Tell)

Sure, lying about accidentally getting your iPhone wet might seem like it would save face. But it doesn’t. Apple technicians can tell that you splashed water on your device.

“Lying is never a good idea at the Apple Store,” an employee named James told Mental Floss. They can tell if you’ve had your screen replaced by a third-party, or have voided your warranty in some other way. The best rule of thumb is to just be as blatantly honest and upfront about an issue — and what you may have done about it (or how you caused it).

4 They See A Lot of Things (That They Wish They Didn’t)

Sometimes, during routine repair or technical service operations, Apple Store employees will need to transfer photos or data. Inadvertently, this means that they see a lot of private pictures.

As one could imagine, that includes important photos like a person’s children or family events. But it can also include pictures that Apple Store employees probably really wish they hadn’t seen. Do yourself a favor and delete anything you wouldn’t want a random stranger to see before heading to the Genius Bar.

3 “Please, Book an Appointment”

While certain emergency situations can rule this out, for the most part, you should try your hardest to book an appointment in advance before heading off to your local Apple Store for repairs or service.

“Please listen to me when I say (to book an appointment), we want to take care of everyone,” one Apple Store employee said in a confession on Reddit. But when you show up out of the blue, it can make that process more difficult for everyone involved. Your “quick fix” might actually take up more time than you think — both yours and theirs.

2 The Problem With Your Device Might Be You

If you run into a problem with your Apple device, the fault likely lies with Apple, right? In most cases, the answer is a resounding no — according to former Apple Store employees.

“The vast majority of the time, the biggest problem is user error,” a former Apple Store employee told Mental Floss. You might not know how to use your Apple device, or you might have done something that inadvertently screwed it up. Either way, be honest (see #5) and prepared to realize that you might be the problem.

1 Don’t Be Mean or Entitled

This is common human decency, but it warrants inclusion because it’s so important. In the simplest terms possible: you should be nice to Apple Store employees. You should not be mean to them.

“Be humble, be understanding, and don’t be entitled,” one Apple Store employee wrote anonymously on Reddit. Basically, if you’re nice, employees will go out of their way to make sure your question or issue is solved. If you’re exceedingly unpleasant, they can (justifiably) make your life harder. So don’t be mean to them.