Apple, currently in the spotlight with Ashton Kutcher’s Jobs and Carl Icahn‘s Twitter “masterpiece” after taking a few hits from Android rivals is still running the show and winning the hearts of customers.

This very post comes from my recent experience with the company. First, while looking from far away. Then from becoming a customer. And last from turning more and more to Apple.

There is no point in telling Apple’s story again and again. The innovation, the design, the user experience and customer service.

They had it all when not any tweet or speaker was mentioning those. Apart from Jobs himself.

But then, in these troubled times for the brand, why are they “still wonderful” when I look at them ?

No geek nor Apple lover?

Yes, that is me. My very first Apple purchase was an iPod shuffle. The very small, clippable, device which I have been using since then when going out for a run.

I have also never been a geek or anything like interested in computer and computing. Meaning I would go crazy in front of my frozen Windows and fight my way through viruses with anything called Norton but would not even think about any Mac.

I also remember a time when customers would mainly be beardy geeks and developers or people with money and inflated self-esteem.

This has kept me slightly away from the brand for years. And then I finally tried it again (always liked my iPod so much that there was no reason the product would be poor) and I purchased an iPhone 4.

It was a great phone. Even if I still admit being frustrated with the fact that everything around it was under Apple’s control (and iTunes for instance).

I liked it anyway and was more than annoyed when it was stolen.

Am off. And back with a discovery.

That “tragedy” drove me towards Android and a very poor Samsung experience followed by an average Sony one.

Those were enough for me to recall that my iPhone 4 was a pleasure to use in the end. Hence my purchase of an iPhone 5.

And a new path walked on my Apple journey : the Apple Store.

For the very first time in my life I actually entered an Apple Store and bought my phone there. That was an eye-opening experience on the actual quality of customer service provided.

I did not enjoy it, I truly loved it.

That was in Glasgow, Scotland.

Back in Paris, I have been to one of the stores a couple of times and was back there today to get a new MacBook.

Yes my Apple squad has kept on increasing. But what I noticed again, other than the usual high quality of the laptop is the ever-amazing quality of the service provided by the staff.

I spent almost two hours there and had three people taking care of fixing any issue and making the experience the best for me.

And that happens in a well-designed shop where anybody can enjoy to stay for a wee while (at least when it is not packed with “tourists” – people just wandering around) and still be fairly relaxed.

Apple is wonderful.

That is where Apple is wonderful. There is no way any of their current competitors can match this level of quality and service provided.

And this is a game-changer. Customer experience (or say user experience) is one of the hot topics at the moment.

Apple have had it mastered for quite a while and they now have completely turned me into one of their minions :)

So, fellow minions, tell me, is customer experience what got you hooked ?