How does Amazon get away with no service? (email/phone)

[AffiliateDreamer]

Hi,

Do you guys feel others can pull off what amazon has done in regards to their lack of service? It would be great if you don't have to answer emails and phone calls.

How exactly did they pull this off?

[jwurunner]

I believe it would be hard to grow to the same size as Amazon, without good customer service, in this day and age. When Amazon got started they received a few hundred million in seed money for infrastructure and marketing.

They have created a great website with a strong following. Remember, for all the people that have a bad experience many more have a great one. With there marketing budget, they are able to replace customers for less marketing costs than the cost of customer service.

[LifeinAsia]

Do you guys feel others can pull off what amazon has done in regards to their lack of service?

Although I haven't needed customer service recently, I never had any problems before when I had an issue that needed resolving. All e-mail inquiries were handled promptly and efficiently.

[zuko105]

I've recently made a purchase and was really impressed with their automated purchase system.

Made a purchase with the wrong card and I went back to change it, no problem.

When I changed the card, I noticed that it was going to be shipped to my old work addy. So I changed that no problem.

Picked the free 5-7 business day shipping, and still got it in 2 days.

I think their automated system really does a good job in place of a personal touch.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with them. I still prefer them over a lot of other stores I shop at.

[Jane_Doe]

They do make phone calls. I have talked to them recently regarding an order where I mistakenly marked the wrong size and to return print cartridges past the return period when my printer died and I replaced it with a new model. They were very helpful both times.

I think Amazon probably has the most efficient customer service set up on the Internet. I do as much of my regular shopping there as I can. I signed up for Amazon prime, which is a two day delivery service on all your orders, and half the time the orders actually arrive the next day.

[edited by: Jane_Doe at 8:23 pm (utc) on Mar. 17, 2008]

[Rugles]

They get away with it ... because people trust them.

That is a powerful brand name. I order from them at least once a month and have had nothing but positive experiences.

[ispy]

They almost always deliver quickly and on time. Products are adequately represented. The site is instantly updated with current inventory. etc.

Any customer who needs to call or email outside of the rare instance is most likely what I have come to call a 'nag', and we all know that these are better off going elsewhere rather then bogging down the system.

[HRoth]

I think it has a lot to do with people wanting what they have. I don't think Amazon has terrible customer service, but I have seen how some sites in niches near mine provide absolutely horrible customer service, even are antagonistic to their customers, and yet they prosper and become larger year after year. From what I have seen, it is because they are selling something hard to come by, something their customers really want, to the point that they are willing to put up with abuse and exorbitant prices. I myself buy some stock from a distributor that absolutely does not stand behind their products. If they sell you something problematic, so much so that you can't use it, they will pitch a fit about you returning it and stonewall and insist on a restocking fee and act like you must be some kind of dumbbell, to put it nicely. And yet I do keep buying from them because they have certain things I can't find anywhere else.

[ispy]

HRoth, I think you are my competitor.

[HRoth]

You mean, I'm the loser who's nice to his customers and you're the of customer service? :)

[edited by: minnapple at 1:15 am (utc) on Mar. 25, 2008]
[edit reason] I think we can leave the s word out [/edit]

[ispy]

#*$! on you.

[purplecape]

Amazon also has extremely generous return policies, as I was reminded recently when I ordered something through Amazon from a third party merchant who did NOT have such policies, and had to pay a 20% "restocking fee," even though the item was returned unopened and promptly.

In my experience, Amazon has some of the better customer service on the net. I'd rather email customer service and get a problem resolved that way than sit on hold for half an hour on the phone.