100 Million Prime members (disclosure: I'm one.)

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by frahse

Thursday evening, I ordered one of my boys a new Stanley FatMax tape measure (NOT NOT Prime.) He uses them in his work.

Saturday afternoon, it was in my USPS box in front of the house. Less than 2 day delivery without Prime.

I have no complaints. I have not seen anything out of the ordinary or unexpected. i ONLY see extraordinary service and even Prime delivery when there is no Prime.

Disclosure, though the item wasn't Prime, I am a proud member myself.

((Do you suppose they know??))

I suspect it simply has to do with the USPS optimizing everything they ship. The convenience of online purchases probably made it a necessity (not just from Amazon). Small parcel service did not need to be optimized before, since volume wasn't sufficient. It used to be where I live that regular mail and packages got delivered seperately and most stuff from online came with UPS or FedEX. I cannot remember the last time a delivery truck showed up other than USPS in a long time. Also everything comes in one vehicle, nor more distinction between letters and packages.

[DiapDealer]

My two-day Prime shipping experience seems to be back to "normal." I've been able to order long past noon and still get it within 2 days, and Saturdays are back in the mix when calculating delivery estimates.

So even if your experience seems to turn sour on you, keep in mind that it may only be a temporary glitch in logistics. Mine was clearly a storm-damaged fulfillment center that took a few months to sort out.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

My two-day Prime shipping experience seems to be back to "normal." I've been able to order long past noon and still get it within 2 days, and Saturdays are back in the mix when calculating delivery estimates.

So even if your experience seems to turn sour on you, keep in mind that it may only be a temporary glitch in logistics. Mine was clearly a storm-damaged fulfillment center that took a few months to sort out.

And yet, it was badly handled.

Communication about the problem would have mitigated a lot of irritation. People mostly get that stuff happens. Send an automatically generated email to Prime customers on their first affected order explaining the situation and apologizing, and including some sort of give-back (since they weren't providing a paid-for service).

Instead, I think you had to put a lot of time into this, met with a lot of stonewalling, and while I think you got a free month of Prime, you earned that and it was a miserly recompense on an hourly basis. I'd be surprised if they didn't lose customers during the glitch, when if they had responded preemptively with a free month of Prime while it was sorted, people would have been understanding and delighted.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by issybird

And yet, it was badly handled.

Communication about the problem would have mitigated a lot of irritation. People mostly get that stuff happens. Send an automatically generated email to Prime customers on their first affected order explaining the situation and apologizing, and including some sort of give-back (since they weren't providing a paid-for service).

Instead, I think you had to put a lot of time into this, met with a lot of stonewalling, and while I think you got a free month of Prime, you earned that and it was a miserly recompense on an hourly basis. I'd be surprised if they didn't lose customers during the glitch, when if they had responded preemptively with a free month of Prime while it was sorted, people would have been understanding and delighted.

I don't entirely disagree. It could have been handled better (even though I ended up getting three free months of Prime, $25 in promotional credits, and one free order--refunded, and told to keep it when it turned up--before all was said and done).

But I can't deny that I'm still delighted it's back to normal (even though I had to work a bit for recompense). In the end, the goal is to get my stuff when I expect to get my stuff. I don't care about getting warm and fuzzy feelings from the people selling/getting me my stuff. So while I wish they would have told me what was up right away, I'm still calling "back on track" (with a little extra swag to boot) a good thing.

I'm just trying to remember that while I know that Amazon isn't "my friend," they're also not my mortal enemy--bent on ruining my online shopping experience forever. Even the warehouses of all-powerful corporate entities sometimes have their roofs ripped off and their interiors flooded by storms. The customer service reps of said all-powerful corporate entities may not be privy to the particulars behind regional logistics problems. They don't watch my local news after all. And managers everywhere leave their employees in the dark most of the time.

Amazon and I are square right now. I'm getting the level of service I expect for my money, and I was was fully refunded (plus an extra $25 and one free order) for the three months of Prime I paid for where my expectations weren't being met. *shrug*

Not fantastic, not awful, but just above quite adequate. I'm fully on board with "quite adequate" in this day and age.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by issybird

And yet, it was badly handled.

Communication about the problem would have mitigated a lot of irritation. People mostly get that stuff happens. Send an automatically generated email to Prime customers on their first affected order explaining the situation and apologizing, and including some sort of give-back (since they weren't providing a paid-for service).

Instead, I think you had to put a lot of time into this, met with a lot of stonewalling, and while I think you got a free month of Prime, you earned that and it was a miserly recompense on an hourly basis. I'd be surprised if they didn't lose customers during the glitch, when if they had responded preemptively with a free month of Prime while it was sorted, people would have been understanding and delighted.

This is what some corporations fail to get. Being proactive and admitting mistakes go a long way to keeping customers, if not happy, at least not angry. Unfortunately, most corporations view customer service as a cost center to be cut, rather than an asset.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

This is what some corporations fail to get. Being proactive and admitting mistakes go a long way to keeping customers, if not happy, at least not angry. Unfortunately, most corporations view customer service as a cost center to be cut, rather than an asset.

I think they hope most customers won't even notice. If they tell everyone, potentially every customer wants compensation or bennies. This way, they only have to deal with the ones who notice and complain.

I'm not saying it's a good (or bad) thing. Just that it could explain it.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

This way, they only have to deal with the ones who notice and complain.

That's me! I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to voicing my displeasure. I question a higher price than I was expecting at the register. I go back to the restaurant when I discover the guy at the thrive-thru window gave me the wrong food. I call the ISP when there's a lapse in service. I'm not rude or gruff--merely firm and straight-forward. Walk, or be walked on, I say. There's a reason the phrase "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" came into being.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I think they hope most customers won't even notice. If they tell everyone, potentially every customer wants compensation or bennies. This way, they only have to deal with the ones who notice and complain.

I'm not saying it's a good (or bad) thing. Just that it could explain it.

I don't think Amazon had to knock itself out to inform customers who hadn't shopped there in months, but as soon as someone who was entitled to Prime Two-Day shipping couldn't get it, it should have triggered an automatic explanation and give-back. Because I'm quite sure those customers noticed that something they expected (and paid) to get in two days wasn't coming for four or six. Now, whether or not they thought it worth their while to contact CS is a very different thing, because sometimes it just isn't worth the time or frustration. But not complaining does not at all equal not noticing, and those who don't complain so you can fix it are the most likely to move on in quiet frustration/annoyance/anger and find another etailer who does provide paid-for services.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by issybird

I don't think Amazon had to knock itself out to inform customers who hadn't shopped there in months, but as soon as someone who was entitled to Prime Two-Day shipping couldn't get it, it should have triggered an automatic explanation and give-back. Because I'm quite sure those customers noticed that something they expected (and paid) to get in two days wasn't coming for four or six. Now, whether or not they thought it worth their while to contact CS is a very different thing, because sometimes it just isn't worth the time or frustration. But not complaining does not at all equal not noticing, and those who don't complain so you can fix it are the most likely to move on in quiet frustration/annoyance/anger and find another etailer who does provide paid-for services.

Yep. Traditionally in the south, people don't complain, they just don't come back.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Yep. Traditionally in the south, people don't complain, they just don't come back.

And twenty years later they are still holding the grudge.
Apache

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Apache

And twenty years later they are still holding the grudge.
Apache

Maybe in Georgia, the standard is 20 years or so, but in South Carolina we have much longer grudge retentions.

[pdurrant]

Moderator Notice

The US civil war discussion has been moved to the (opt-in) P&R forum.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

This is what some corporations fail to get. Being proactive and admitting mistakes go a long way to keeping customers, if not happy, at least not angry. Unfortunately, most corporations view customer service as a cost center to be cut, rather than an asset.

Sometimes people/corporations like ourselves make mistakes. We do ourselves and others a disservice not to point these out so that others won't suffer in the future.

[tubemonkey]

Amazon's No-Rush Digital Credits no Longer Apply to Xbox Gift Cards or Digital Games

If you've been saving up your No-Rush credits to buy some games on Steam, we have some bad news for you.

Amazon's No-Rush Shipping credits have long been a way for savvy Amazon Prime members to get a little extra out of their purchases. By selecting the No-Rush Shipping option, Prime users trade fast delivery (it takes six days instead of the customary two) for long-term value (in the form of digital credits that can be redeemed for different products). However, one of the biggest draws of the No-Rush Shipping program has now been removed.

Prime members used to be able to redeem their No-Rush Shipping rewards for Xbox gift cards and digital games. No longer. As of now, the following caveat is included in Amazon's terms and conditions for No-Rush Shipping:"Offer only applies to products sold by Amazon.com or digital content sold by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (other than limited digital content). Rewards may not be used for the purchase of software subscriptions, gift cards, digital video games or memberships." You can check out the full, current terms and conditions for No-Rush Shipping here:

* bolding added

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Amazon's No-Rush Digital Credits no Longer Apply to Xbox Gift Cards or Digital Games



* bolding added

That makes actually sense. If you buy a gift card, then Amazon has to pay the money you redeem. As long as it works still on ebooks, I am happy.