iPhone Product Launch Pt. 2 - Buying and Activation

What steps can you redesign or eliminate in your customer’s buying experience?

Unlike recent tech launches (PS3, Wii), the iPhone’s supply paced demand this month. How refreshing. In most cases, an iPhone could be purchased when the customer wanted it. Many AT&T stores were sitting on local inventory when the Apple stores ran dry. Happy customers were able to quickly hand their cash to Apple.

Here’s how it went down for me at the local Chandler, Arizona AT&T store (Chandler Blvd. & 101). Arrive at 7:30, opening night. The line has died down, the staff is still geared up, there are balloons and security guys out front. I walk in, say “Hey do you guys have any iPhones?” They say “yes we do”, and I happily hand them my money. I am out of the store in 5 minutes! Apple took the activation nightmare out of AT&T’s hands. No standing around waiting, watching a sales person typing and staring at the screen for hlf and hour.
Upon arriving at home, I unbox the iPhone and plug in into my Mac. iTunes pops up and asks if I would like to activate the new phone. 10 minutes later my phone is activated and has media on it. This first call I get on the phone if from the AT&T guy who sold it to me. He says “I see you have already activated your phone, I want to let you know I am manually deactivating your old Blackberry data plan.” Thank you!

This process could not have been more painless. No line. No waiting. No red tape. No problem. Making a purchase and activation process as simple as your phone’s UI is just another way to build brand experience. Apple had even mandated a special bag that AT&T had to put the phones in. No step in the buying experience process had been left to chance.