乔布斯传 第476期:顾客体验(1)

 The Customer Experience 顾客体验

Jobs hated to cede¹ control of anything, especially when it might affect the customer experience. But he faced a problem. 乔布斯不喜欢失去对任何事情的控制，尤其是关系到顾客体验的事情。但是他面临着一个问题。

There was one part of the process he didn't control: the experience of buying an Apple product in a store. 在这个过程中有一个部分他还没有控制到：那就是在商店里购买苹果产品的体验。

The days of the Byte Shop were over. Byte Shop的时代已经结束了。

Industry sales were shifting from local computer specialty² shops to megachains and big box stores, 计算机行业的销售已经从本地的计算机专卖店过渡到了大型连锁商店和量贩店，

where most clerks had neither the knowledge nor the incentive³ to explain the distinctive⁴ nature of Apple products. 但是在这些地方，大部分店员既不具备苹果产品的基本知识，也没有意愿去为顾客解释产品的独特性能。

"All that the salesman cared about was a $50 spiff," Jobs said. 乔布斯说：“所有的销售员都只关心那50美元的销售提成。”

Other computers were pretty generic⁵, but Apple's had innovative⁶ features and a higher price tag. 其他的计算机都很普通，但是苹果计算机有一些创新的功能，价格也更高。

He didn't want an iMac to sit on a shelf between a Dell and a Compaq while an uninformed clerk recited the specs of each. 他不希望iMac被放在戴尔和康柏的旁边，然后不懂行的店员向顾客背诵出每台计算机的配置。

"Unless we could find ways to get our message to customers at the store, we were screwed." “除非有办法在商店里就把我们的理念传达给顾客，否则我们就完蛋了。”

In great secrecy⁷, Jobs began in late 1999 to interview executives who might be able to develop a string of Apple retail⁸ stores. 1999年中后期，乔布斯开始秘密地面试一些能开发苹果零售店的管理人员。

One of the candidates had a passion for design and the boyish enthusiasm of a natural-born retailer⁹: 其中一个候选人热爱设计，他就像是天生的零售商一般拥有孩童般的热情，

Ron Johnson, the vice¹⁰ president for merchandising at Target, 罗恩·约翰逊当时是塔吉特公司负责销售规划的副总裁，

who was responsible for launching distinctive-looking products, such as a teakettle designed by Michael Graves. 主要工作是发布有特色的新产品，比如迈克尔·格雷夫斯设计的茶壶。

"Steve is very easy to talk to," said Johnson in recalling their first meeting. 约翰逊回忆起他们的第一次会面时说：“史蒂夫非常平易近人。

"All of a sudden there's a torn pair of jeans and turtleneck, and he's off and running about why he needed great stores. 他穿着髙领衫和破旧的牛仔裤，开门见山地谈起他为什么想要开零售店。

If Apple is going to succeed, he told me, we're going to win on innovation. 他告诉我，如果苹果想要成功，那一定是通过创新取胜。

And you can't win on innovation unless you have a way to communicate to customers." 但如果你无法把创新之处传达给顾客，你就无法通过创新取胜。”

 

1 cede   

v.割让，放弃

参考例句：

• The debater refused to cede the point to her opponent.辩论者拒绝向她的对手放弃其主张。
• Not because I'm proud.In fact,in front of you I cede all my pride.这不是因为骄傲，事实上我在你面前毫无骄傲可言。

2 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

3 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

4 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

5 generic   

adj.一般的，普通的，共有的

参考例句：

• I usually buy generic clothes instead of name brands.我通常买普通的衣服，不买名牌。
• The generic woman appears to have an extraordinary faculty for swallowing the individual.一般妇女在婚后似乎有特别突出的抑制个性的能力。

6 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

7 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

8 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

9 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。