According to a new study by the NPD Group (www.npd.com) nearly 60% of customers who had dealt with Apple tech support said they are more likely to purchase another Apple product.

The positive tech service also helped change consumer perception of Apple, according to the research group. Thirty-one percent said they had a much more positive view of Apple after their service.

That service left almost all of the 40% of Apple owners who took their Apple devices to the Genius Bar very happy. Nearly 90% of consumers who used Apple’s tech service said they were extremely or very satisfied. In contrast, top two box satisfaction among all consumer service interactions was 78 %.

A major part of their satisfaction came from the fact that only a small percentage actually paid for their service. According to the report, 88% of Genius Bar consumers said their service was free compared to 78%of all consumers. The majority of the support was for troubleshooting (37%), followed by product repair (28%), how-to support (18%), software installation/upgrade (11%), and product installation/set-up (7%).

"Tech support is a great service for the consumer, but more importantly it’s a brand-building element for the retailer and manufacturer," says Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "People tend to associate any type of tech support as a negative experience, but Apple has demonstrated that those 'negatives' can be turned into positive brand experiences and result in a trip back to the store."

Physical presence is key to creating those positive brand experiences. According to the NPD study consumers were more genuinely satisfied when their service was a personal interaction inside a retail store. Fifty-three percent of consumers were extremely satisfied with their in-store experience, more so than any other type of service interaction. Younger consumers, despite their reputation as preferring more virtual interactions, were more likely than any other age group to want to use the service in the store, with 45% of respondents preferring this method.

"Retailers are rediscovering the value that services can offer the consumer," says Baker. "Store foot traffic has declined over the years leaving fewer and fewer in-person interactions.  Having a strong tech support in-store model helps fill the transaction void and builds brand awareness and satisfaction."

Methodology

A U.S. representative sample of approximately 2,000 adults (18+) completed on online survey through NPD’s online panel in May 2012.  Some of the participants were pre-identified as consumers who had returned or needed tech support on consumer electronic devices in the past 12 months.