Has Amazon Reached a Tipping Point
The Everything Store on Overload
How big and how fast can Amazon grow before the stress starts toppling the structures? It might be now.
We’ve been treated to headlines all year about Amazon’s soaring sales and profits, against an almost whispered background of disgruntled tales of employees held to stringent standards with barely (or no) time for bathroom breaks. (And of course union-busting.) How many of us are starting to see mistakes, mis-orders or mis-steps in Amazon’s up-to-now flawless example of orders and deliveries and cash, cash, cash.
My mini-story has no actual immediate harm to me. It’s just annoying that I have to now spend my time trying to sort out their error.
I ordered three items. Two were delivered. The text said three were delivered. I called and they promised quick shipment for the missing item.
Two days later the delivery text showed the item I wanted would be delivered tomorrow. At the same time I got an email that said they were delivering a different item tomorrow — one I hadn’t purchased,
Of course, I have no idea which one will show up. Will I have to repack it and arrange for pick up or drop it off myself? Ask and ask again: Will that original external hard drive I ordered get here in time to save my files?
This is another anecdote in my ongoing series on how customer service has been outsourced — to the customers.
