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Apple Online Store Updates Sales Chat Support, Testing Screen Sharing Virtual Tours in Brazil
As part of today's Apple online store downtime, the company appears to have rolled out an enhancement of its sales chat support services for those looking to purchase an Apple product. While sales chat has been available for quite some time through individual product pages, the changes include a revamped chat window with a more modern appearance.
As has long been the case, sales chat support is available only during certain times of the day and dependent on availability of chat agents.
Even more interestingly, Apple appears to be using its Brazilian store as a test market for even further enhancements that allow sales specialists to share their screens with potential customers to help walk them through a product's features. MacMagazine.com.br provides an overview the process [Google translation], showing how users can participate in a virtual tour with the chat appearing along the right side of the browser window while the specialist shares his or her screen to walk through the product's features.
The report indicates that the screen sharing virtual tour feature is limited to the iPad 2 for the time being, but that the company has plans to extend it across its product lines.
As has long been the case, sales chat support is available only during certain times of the day and dependent on availability of chat agents.
Even more interestingly, Apple appears to be using its Brazilian store as a test market for even further enhancements that allow sales specialists to share their screens with potential customers to help walk them through a product's features. MacMagazine.com.br provides an overview the process [Google translation], showing how users can participate in a virtual tour with the chat appearing along the right side of the browser window while the specialist shares his or her screen to walk through the product's features.
The report indicates that the screen sharing virtual tour feature is limited to the iPad 2 for the time being, but that the company has plans to extend it across its product lines.
[ 33 comments ]
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90 months ago
Now that's incredibly handy, trying to guide an aging person (such as a parent) through something over the phone is like walking through fire.
"Click on the menu button..... No the menu button.... THE MENU BUTTON, it looks like a button with 'MENU' written on it......."
And so on.
"Click on the menu button..... No the menu button.... THE MENU BUTTON, it looks like a button with 'MENU' written on it......."
And so on.
90 months ago
LOL. I live in Brasil. It's horrible to pay taxes like brazilian people pay. The government here in Brasil it's horrible. Is a government of corrupt politicians.
Thats the result of bad administration!!! Bad Government = Horrible Country
If you ever studied Tax Law, you would understand that, once a government approves additional taxation, it will almost never accept to relinquish it. Furthermore, Brazil is a federative republic - the President is not able to change the whole taxation system at will...exactly the same happens with the horrid tax system in the US - the only advantage is that taxes are still lower over there.
As for corruption, please stop this usual mongrel dog complex that affects many Brazilians - according to the latest Transparency International reports, Brazil's corruption levels are way better than China and Russia, better than most of the Americas, much better than most of Eastern Europe and Africa, and at similar levels as "rich" countries such as Italy. So try to put a little perspective into things instead of spouting the same blabla to non-Brazilians.
90 months ago
Good to see the Brazilian market leading the way once more - once the taxation of Apple devices gets to a more reasonable level there, the increasingly wealthier local consumers will be even more willing to buy from Apple than what they are already doing right now.
Next logical step: MAJOR Apple Stores in São Paulo, Rio and Curitiba - mark my words for this extremely important emerging Western power.
Next logical step: MAJOR Apple Stores in São Paulo, Rio and Curitiba - mark my words for this extremely important emerging Western power.
90 months ago
If only they could extend the same level of interactivity to their godforsaken "support" forums.
90 months ago
Well at the price they pay for Apple product, they at least deserve extra customer services.
Seriously how can people manage to live in Brasil with such taxes?
Just imagine what they could do WITHOUT excessive taxes, huh? In any case, the main burden talked about here is on imported electronics, which in any case can be fairly easily bought on instalments.
Moreover, Brazil has an extensive local industry for computers and the like, giving people the possibility to buy without incurring the same taxation as traditional Apple products.
Although this should change for the better once more and more iPads/iPhones are produced locally, the main issue depends on whether the average Brazilian consumer wakes up to the fact that what he pays is NOT ONLY due to taxes - companies love to put a huge mark-up due to those consumers' extremely high willingness to pay whatever price for a nice gadget. Ironically, they now face the same situation I see in Switzerland: people paying a LOT more just because they can and accept to - the traditional economic concept of welfare, if you will.
Besides, although there is still considerable poverty in the country, one cannot forget that Brazil has 190 million inhabitants, of which at least 30% can easily afford to buy the most expensive things...companies love that, especially for electronics and vehicles.
90 months ago
Screen sharing makes a lot of sense. It's incredibly frustrating to troubleshoot an issue on a computer without being able to see it, or at least have the user see an image of what they should be doing. iChat screen sharing has revolutionized the tech support I provide to my parents and grandparents! :)
90 months ago
Now, about this information, I do hope that Apple looks to Brazil with more attention from now on:p
I agree; in any case, I can assure you that the ONLY reason Apple Stores are not yet there is the high local price for imported devices. If you remember the story some time ago, SJ replied to the Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro's plea for an Apple Store by just stating that "your taxes are crazy".
I am of the opinion that, in order for Brazil to remain competitive, taxes WILL have to come down, notably those impacting energy and infrastructure costs. Brazilians have grown richer over the last years, with a continued decrease in inequality levels. The result? A bigger consumer market. The downside? More people ready to pay MORE for a status gadget.
As I said above, EVEN when you take all taxes off the price, you can easily see that companies are ripping Brazilian customers big time (especially in cars, motorbikes and electronics). So unless Brazilians themselves start talking with their wallets and demand more transparent pricing, companies will continue to profit from those consumers' willingness to pay.
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Believe me. Brazil sucks!!!
You would hate to live here. I know that Brazil isn't THAT BAD. But still horrible to live here.
Your opinion is pathetic, but I respect it. I am a native-born Brazilian and have lived there for 30 years before coming to Europe for additional higher studies and work - there are wonderful things in my country, as well as a good number of issues to be resolved. But every time I return (at least once a year), I see how vast the improvements have been compared to ten years ago or so.
Advice to you: if you stopped being a mongrel dog Brazilian and started being a little more patriotic (just like US citizens love to be despite their own problems), you would see that we are better than many countries in countless things. Just work hard and do your part instead of always complaining about the "government".
90 months ago
I am of the opinion that, in order for Brazil to remain competitive, taxes WILL have to come down, notably those impacting energy and infrastructure costs. Brazilians have grown richer over the last years, with a continued decrease in inequality levels. The result? A bigger consumer market. The downside? More people ready to pay MORE for a status gadget.
As I said above, EVEN when you take all taxes off the price, you can easily see that companies are ripping Brazilian customers big time (especially in cars, motorbikes and electronics). So unless Brazilians themselves start talking with their wallets and demand more transparent pricing, companies will continue to profit from those consumers' willingness to pay.
I agree. We have to increase investments on infrastructure and sustainable energy. I'm not very consumerist. I prefer human relations than tech gadgets, so very high importing taxes don't annoy me too much. However, brazilian people traditionally uses financing when buying any product, even the cheaper ones. Now, we are facing better interest rates and people tend to use even more financing. Brazilians should hold their consumerist impetus while saving money, forcing industry to put the prices down.
Car industry is the most notable example: it's a very subsidized sector by the government but car prices are higher than Mexico or Argentina.
90 months ago
LOL. I live in Brasil. It's horrible to pay taxes like brazilian people pay. The government here in Brasil it's horrible. Is a government of corrupt politicians.
Thats the result of bad administration!!! Bad Government = Horrible Country
Maybe you can move to China, so you can get Macs for very reasonable prices. However, your wages will be a bit lesser.
There is corruption in every country. If we know about brazilian corrupts, this is a good sign of democracy. Is up to us fire and arrest them!
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Believe me. Brazil sucks!!!
You would hate to live here. I know that Brazil isn't THAT BAD. But still horrible to live here.
Horrible is such an abstract term. Can you explain it more deeply?
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