One small note on the Amazon thing.
So you may remember that, not terribly long ago, I made a post about interacting with customer service, including the request that you reward as much for good service as you punish for bad service. Remember, if a person only ever gets negative feedback, regardless of the quality of the work they're doing, they're eventually going to stop trying for positive feedback. What does this have to do with Amazon? Simple:
They have fucked up. Most royally, whether by accident or by design, they have fucked up. This isn't really up for debate. How malicious and intentional it is is hard to say -- I've seen "it was a bad sorting algorithm," I've seen "it was a ploy to drive up sales for the Kindle," and I've seen "it was intentional homophobia," and all three have valid supporting arguments -- but it happened, and if my reading lists are anything to go by, Amazon is currently in the middle of the world's biggest shitstorm.
I really hope the rep whose ill-starred "it was anti-adult-content" reply keeps getting batted around didn't come up with that on his own. Although odds are good that he's losing his job over it, even if that's what his supervisor told him to say.
Regardless, here's the thing: I see people swearing they'll never give Amazon their money again, even if the bad judgment call is reversed, even if apologies are made and everything is put back in order. I don't think this is the world's best plan. You train dogs by giving them treats and telling them how good they are, and you train people much the same way. If Amazon fixes this in a timely manner, reward them, either by making purchases and sending them letters telling them why those purchases were made, or -- if you really never want to give them money again -- just send them a note of thanks.
We're much swifter to get impassioned and rage at the machine than we are to do the after-battle paperwork, but the after-battle is just as important to the cause. If you want them to avoid pulling tricks like this, remember that "hitting the pocketbook" can work on both sides of the equation.
Hopefully, Amazon will decide to be a good dog.
They have fucked up. Most royally, whether by accident or by design, they have fucked up. This isn't really up for debate. How malicious and intentional it is is hard to say -- I've seen "it was a bad sorting algorithm," I've seen "it was a ploy to drive up sales for the Kindle," and I've seen "it was intentional homophobia," and all three have valid supporting arguments -- but it happened, and if my reading lists are anything to go by, Amazon is currently in the middle of the world's biggest shitstorm.
I really hope the rep whose ill-starred "it was anti-adult-content" reply keeps getting batted around didn't come up with that on his own. Although odds are good that he's losing his job over it, even if that's what his supervisor told him to say.
Regardless, here's the thing: I see people swearing they'll never give Amazon their money again, even if the bad judgment call is reversed, even if apologies are made and everything is put back in order. I don't think this is the world's best plan. You train dogs by giving them treats and telling them how good they are, and you train people much the same way. If Amazon fixes this in a timely manner, reward them, either by making purchases and sending them letters telling them why those purchases were made, or -- if you really never want to give them money again -- just send them a note of thanks.
We're much swifter to get impassioned and rage at the machine than we are to do the after-battle paperwork, but the after-battle is just as important to the cause. If you want them to avoid pulling tricks like this, remember that "hitting the pocketbook" can work on both sides of the equation.
Hopefully, Amazon will decide to be a good dog.