By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    football analytics
    The Role of Data Analytics in Football Performance
    9 Min Read
    data Analytics instagram stories
    Data Analytics Helps Marketers Make the Most of Instagram Stories
    15 Min Read
    analyst,women,looking,at,kpi,data,on,computer,screen
    What to Know Before Recruiting an Analyst to Handle Company Data
    6 Min Read
    AI analytics
    AI-Based Analytics Are Changing the Future of Credit Cards
    6 Min Read
    data overload showing data analytics
    How Does Next-Gen SIEM Prevent Data Overload For Security Analysts?
    8 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Aa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Business Intelligence > An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos
Business Intelligence

An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos

PhilSimon
Last updated: 2010/03/11 at 3:33 PM
PhilSimon
6 Min Read
SHARE

This post might not be a wise move but I never claimed to have a perfect batting average in the wisdom department. David probably shouldn’t tick off Goliath in general. In this case, when it comes to selling books, Amazon is clearly the 800 lb gorilla in book sales. Maybe I shouldn’t write this post.

On the other hand, how do you effect change if you don’t express your dissatisfaction with the status quo? Not by silence. What the hell…I’m going for it.

Why I’m Miffed

More Read

benefits of ai in customer service

Problems Solved with AI And Machine Learning in Customer Service

5 Data-Driven Amazon Ads Ideas to Skyrocket Sales
The Growing Importance Of Data Collection For Customer Service
Machine Learning Provides An Edge With Amazon FBA Product Selection
Big Data Leads To An Impressive Array of Chatbots In Customer Service

The source of my disgruntlement is Amazon, but not as a customer per se. I’m writing as an author and one not happy with its customer service. I’m particularly miffed at the time that it is taking Amazon to post my book videos to the main page of each. The two in question are:

  • the second edition of Why New Systems Fail
  • my new book, The Next Wave of Technologies

By way of background, Amazon has been allowing authors to post audio or video content on their book pages on a limited basis. For a few examples, see Chris Anderson’s Free: The Future of a Radical Price…

Link to original post.

This post might not be a wise move but I never claimed to have a perfect batting average in the wisdom department. David probably shouldn’t tick off Goliath in general. In this case, when it comes to selling books, Amazon is clearly the 800 lb gorilla in book sales. Maybe I shouldn’t write this post.

On the other hand, how do you effect change if you don’t express your dissatisfaction with the status quo? Not by silence. What the hell…I’m going for it.

Why I’m Miffed

The source of my disgruntlement is Amazon, but not as a customer per se. I’m writing as an author and one not happy with its customer service. I’m particularly miffed at the time that it is taking Amazon to post my book videos to the main page of each. The two in question are:

  • the second edition of Why New Systems Fail
  • my new book, The Next Wave of Technologies

By way of background, Amazon has been allowing authors to post audio or video content on their book pages on a limited basis. For a few examples, see Chris Anderson’s Free: The Future of a Radical Price or my friend Scott Berkun’s latest Confessions of a Public Speaker. Both of these have informative multimedia files attached to their book pages, allowing would-be readers to watch or listen to the authors talking about their books. I can’t help but think that each “extra” makes it more likely that visitors will buy each book, something that benefits everyone: the author, the publishers, and ultimately Amazon.

In my case, both of my publishers (Cengage and John Wiley & Sons) are allowed to submit videos for Amazon’s approval and did. I could understand any difficulties if I didn’t have proper publishers, but that’s not the case.

Customer Service at Amazon

Here’s the vexing part of the last few weeks. Amazon has amazing customer service. Take a look at BusinessWeek’s customer service rankings. Amazon is routinely high up on the list. On a personal level, I buy items from Amazon very often and, for books, almost exclusively. I have zero complaints with regard to shipping, its return policy, its selection, and the overall experience. That’s why I keep coming back. I’d argue that customer service and pro-consumer offers such as free shipping have allowed Amazon get to be so big, so powerful.

Possible Reasons for the Delays

Now, I could understand the problems if I had filmed long videos or if they were of questionable quality. However, neither of those arguments holds any water. I didn’t go all Blair Witch on these.

Don’t believe me? Judge for yourself.

  • Why New Systems Fail Video
  • The Next Wave of Technologies Video

I’ve been gently asking my publishers about the nature of the delays over the last six weeks. I truly believe their responses: they’re doing everything that they can do make this happen. Evidently it’s very hard to talk to a “person” there to expedite things–or at least understand what’s going on.

Questions

This makes me wonder about a few other things:

  • Why does it take Amazon more than a few weeks to enable “Search Within Book?”
  • Is customer service different for customers and authors?
  • Aren’t authors and vendors customers in some sense as well?
  • Is this the beginning of a sense of complacency at Amazon?

TAGGED: amazon, customer service
PhilSimon March 11, 2010
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn
Share
By PhilSimon
Phil Simon is a recognized technology authority. He is the award-winning author of eight management books, most recentlyAnalytics: The Agile Way. He <consults organizations on matters related to communications, strategy, data, and technology. His contributions have been featured on The Harvard Business Review, CNN, The New York Times, Fox News, and many other sites. In the fall of 2016, he joined the faculty at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business.

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

Shutterstock Licensed Photo - 1051059293 | Rawpixel.com
QR Codes Leverage the Benefits of Big Data in Education
Big Data
football analytics
The Role of Data Analytics in Football Performance
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
smart home data
7 Mind-Blowing Ways Smart Homes Use Data to Save Your Money
Big Data
ai low code frameworks
AI Can Help Accelerate Development with Low-Code Frameworks
Artificial Intelligence

Stay Connected

1.2k Followers Like
33.7k Followers Follow
222 Followers Pin

You Might also Like

benefits of ai in customer service
Machine Learning

Problems Solved with AI And Machine Learning in Customer Service

11 Min Read
data-driven amazon ads strategies
Big Data

5 Data-Driven Amazon Ads Ideas to Skyrocket Sales

5 Min Read
data collection for customer experience
Big DataData CollectionExclusive

The Growing Importance Of Data Collection For Customer Service

5 Min Read
machine learning in ecommerce
ExclusiveInfographicMachine Learning

Machine Learning Provides An Edge With Amazon FBA Product Selection

10 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

giveaway chatbots
How To Get An Award Winning Giveaway Bot
Big Data Chatbots Exclusive
ai is improving the safety of cars
From Bolts to Bots: How AI Is Fortifying the Automotive Industry
Artificial Intelligence

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?