Apple continues to make changes in an effort to reduce the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes.
This time around it’s another change to rules at Apple Stores, according to Business Insider. The report indicates that Apple’s retail employees are currently being instructed not to offer customers try-ons of either the Apple Watch or AirPods (and AirPods Pro). The goal is to reduce the possibility of spreading the coronavirus from person to person. However, Apple Store employees have been told not to stop customers from trying these products on at all.
So if you really want to try on an Apple Watch or the AirPods, you still can.
Apple Store employees are being instructed not to encourage customers to try on products like the Apple Watch and AirPods, and to only allow customers to do so upon request. It’s part of the broader measures Apple is taking to protect its staff and customers amidst the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, which has killed 31 people in the United States and infected more than 1,150 as of Wednesday. The company has also reduced the number of stools and chairs in stores to promote distance between people.
The important part here is that Apple Store employees are no longer proactively offering try-ons for these Apple-branded products. It’s a small change, sure, but it’s just one piece of a larger puzzle for Apple as far as in-store routines to help reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
We’ve previously reported that Apple is also making other changes in its retail stores. That includes more thorough cleaning throughout the day, as well as reducing crowd sizes so customers aren’t jam-packed right next to one another. In related efforts, Apple is also offering unlimited sick leave for employees who who coronavirus-like symptoms.
Meanwhile, Apple has canceled all Today at Apple sessions in the Seattle, Washington and San Francisco Bay Area, California. And in the Apple News app, the company launched a dedicated special coverage section to track the global outbreak of the coronavirus, which has been declared a pandemic. In Italy, Apple has closed all of its retail stores for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus outbreak.