Back in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries there was a type of monopoly known as a "vertical monopoly." This was where a company controls basically every step of the process for creating and selling its product. The best example of this was a steel company would own the mines to get the raw minerals, the transport to get them to the mills, and the mills to turn the raw materials into steel. So they basically owned every step of the process of production.
Like horizontal monopolies--the type where say, US Steel would own every steel mill in America, or how "Ma Bell" controlled all phone service in America until it was broken up--this was outlawed early in the 20th Century. That doesn't mean there aren't still vestiges of it. For example, a few years ago Amazon switched from using UPS and USPS for its packages to its own fleet of delivery trucks.
This seemed like a good idea for Amazon because while there would initially be a cost in vehicles and employees, it would ultimately save money. And in theory it might be more efficient and better for the customer, right? Wrong! Amazon's delivery service is the absolute worst. Worse than the postal service! And that's saying something.
It didn't start out so bad but as the pandemic progressed, it just got worse and worse. I'm sure staffing issues are a big part of it. The people they hire are probably the ones who couldn't get hired by UPS, FedEx, DHL, or the post office. So they're just not very good at their jobs. They don't seem to care at all, just half-assedly throwing stuff on steps or in doorways. Where I live you're extremely lucky if they even get it in the right building.
The worst part is there is seemingly no accountability. As a customer you can hit the thumbs down on your delivery, but you can't make a specific complaint. You can contact Customer Service and they'll have someone call you. Why? Probably because they know their service is shit and don't want anything on the record for people to see.
One time when their driver threw my stuff on the middle of the steps in the snow I took pictures and posted them online to shame Amazon. Of course I got one of those auto replies, "I'm so sorry, contact me and tell me what happened." So it looks to other people like they're doing something. But really that doesn't do anything. I got an email back with boiler plate saying that you can include instructions for the driver. So it's my fault because I didn't tell the driver not to throw my shit in the middle of the steps in the snow?
Sometimes I'll be coming home or taking trash out or something when they're delivering and I can watch in real time as they open a door and whip something inside or just dump shit on the steps. They have no shame at all in half-assedly doing their jobs. Why should they?
Not long after they started their delivery service, I came home one night and the driver was just staring at the doors to my building. When I opened the door, he reacted with surprise and wonder, like I'd just unlocked King Tut's tomb or something. Because apparently he couldn't figure out that there are two doors and the one on his right only opens if you open the one on his left first. So I guess he never even tried opening the left door because it was unlocked and doesn't need a key card or anything. That's the kind of intellect we're dealing with.
Twice in 4 days I had to track down packages that were left at an address ending in 600 not 601. Because apparently they don't bother to really look at the labels and match them. Which is literally a primary function of their job! In my job if I don't match payments to the right account, I get an email or some bitch coming to my desk to complain. But I don't think anything happens to these assholes because they do it again and again and again.
One of the major issues with trying to do something like this is Amazon had no experience at being a delivery company because their fulfillment had been done by others. To their execs it probably seemed easy enough: buy some trucks, hire some people, have the people drive the trucks and drop packages off. How hard is that? It turns out to be pretty difficult, at least to do it more than half-assed. Unfortunately the customers have endure Amazon's growing pains.
But what can you really do? Not order from Amazon, pretty much. Am I going to do that? Probably not. So there's really no motivation for Amazon to get its shit together to have an actual, professional delivery service and not something worse than Doordash randos. Really we need to get back to outlawing stuff like this because while companies can save a buck, it doesn't make a better service for the consumer.
On another note, something I've seen in a lot of reviews since the pandemic started is that Amazon is cheaping out on packaging. Complaints are especially high for action figures because people want them in "mint" condition and then they get figures with boxes smashed like something from the Amazon Warehouse discount brand, making the figures almost worthless. I've had other things packed really badly, like a jar of peanut butter that was just thrown in a light bag so when it got to me the safety seal was broken open. I got my money back for that screw-up. So besides being bad at delivery, Amazon has been bad at packaging too.
It's unlikely to happen anytime soon, but when you let quality slip this way, it opens the door for competition. Poor packaging and poor deliveries disillusion customers to your brand and so when they can find a better option, they will. See the auto industry in the late 20th Century or KMart in the 90s. Walmart, Target, Overstock, or some new player might start eating up some of Amazon's business. The downfall might never happen or not happen for a while but the poorer your company's product, the better chances of your company's demise.
I'm just saying.
2 comments:
You're right, they have no incentive to get better.
Is the delivery service mostly in large cities? Our Amazon packages mostly come through USPS here.
I agree delivery from Amazon isn't as good as it used to be. About two years ago, I got rid of Amazon Prime because the delivery speed wasn't any better than their regular delivery. Then there was one time when a package I received was supposed to have two items in it, and it only had one. I searched everywhere for another package and found nothing. Then I had to wait two days before I could let them know it never came. I order dog food from Chew.com because it's faster than Amazon, so perhaps it is going to hurt them if customers find other companies to be faster.
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