News

Apple employees: We know where you are

November 28, 2011

Apple employees in Palo Alto, Calif., know the location of all their customers, thanks to a new technology the company is using to help speed purchases.

According to the NY Times, an iPhone owner can use the free Apple Store app to shop before entering the store. When she arrives, the app's location feature alerts store workers on their iPhones, and they can find her and bring over her purchases.

Apple retail employees had already been able to locate customers who request assistance in the store via iPads mounted next to products in the store showing information and purchase options. Customers can tap a button on one of these iPads to request employee assistance, and a message appears saying a representative is on the way.

The new app shows an illustration of the shopping floor and highlights the customer's location in red. Employees carry iPod Touches with a thick, black case containing a credit card reader, a bar code scanner and a battery pack, allowing them to complete a customer's transaction when ready.

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