Samsung Is Trying to Outdo Apple’s Genius Bar

Samsung thinks it can do better than Apple’s Genius Bar. Reportedly, the South Korean tech giant is moving forward with a plan that it hopes will prove that it can outdo Apple in brick-and-mortar customer care.

According to Fast Company, Samsung is partnering with co-working startup WeWork to create a series of “Care Centers” that will allow Samsung customers to receive technical support and get their devices repaired. That’s the same basic premise as Apple’s in-store Genius Bars, but Samsung wants to one-up the Apple Store experience.

Unlike Genius Bars, which are built inside Apple’s brick-and-mortar retail outlets, Samsung’s Care Centers will be located in WeWork’s co-working spaces. The idea is that, instead of waiting around at a retail store, customers can get work done while they wait for technical support or repairs. They’ll be able to take ”full advantage” of the co-working environment and even partake in various refreshments.

“Service is a hassle.” Samsung VP of Design Mick McConnell told Fast Company. “The concept was, if I take time out of my day, at least I can sit in a conference room, make phone calls, and do work, as opposed to sitting in a busy room with a bunch of angry people.”

Samsung will actually be taking over portions of WeWork locations, installing stations with shared tables and Samsung workstations. But it doesn’t end at customer service: Samsung also announced that it plans to hold after-hours creative talks at its Customer Care locations — something that echoes what Apple already does at its stores.

Samsung will open three pilot locations at WeWork spaces in Detroit, Miami and Brooklyn later this month. They will offer “tier 1” support and will be able to send devices to repair centers — but no repair services will be available on-site initially.

Of course, even with its Care Centers, Samsung may already be a step behind Apple, who is already in the midst of a worldwide refresh of its retail locations. Indeed, gone are the days of the Apple Store and the Genius Bar — soon, there’ll be Apple Town Squares and Genius Groves.

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