Apple recently opened a new retail store in Manhattan's former Meatpacking District last Friday and is the second biggest in the US. The whole building is three stories tall, with two floors showcasing Apple products and the third dedicated to customer service.

The dedicated customer service floor gives one-on-one sessions and offers free classes on how to use Apple computers with their "genius bar." The genius bar stretches 46 feet and can accommodate 100 customers an hour.

Aside from the genius floor space, the store is also manned by "geniuses" and "concierges" (talk about fancy) that roam the floor, ready and willing to share their specialties with the Apple line, including their knowledge in video editing and digital photography.

Would the extravagant attention to their customers pay off? If history is any precedent, the answer is "you betcha." Apple stores have raked in US$ 1.2 billion in the last quarter; a 42% jump from last year.

They currently have more than 200 stores in five countries with plans to open 40 more next year. Now that's service. Now if only they gave out free iPod Touch samples...