Amazon gets rid of "order specialists"?
11-20-02, 02:19 PM
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Amazon gets rid of "order specialists"?
I just got what I thought was really bad news from Amazon. I have limited experience with their CS, so feel free to correct any of the following if I'm wrong, but...
I was checking a pending order just now when a button came up that asked me if I wanted to apply an outstanding balance from a gift certificate. I thought, why not, and clicked on the button. And then almost screamed out loud, because I suddenly remembered what would happen next: the coupon I used when I originally placed the order would disappear. And it did.
I cursed under my breath, but I knew I could get the order fixed by calling in. I'd done so in the past by speaking to the people Amazon internally identified as "order specialists"--at least in my experience--who seemed to know a great deal more than the regular folks, and could fix problems fast. I'd say to them "my coupon disappeared," they'd know instantly what I was talking about. When I mentioned to one of them that it'd be great if he could pass along a comment about getting that problem fixed, he said, in a friendly fashion, "you're preaching to the choir"--which meant to me that these folks were pushing for a fix.
So I called up today about the disappearing coupon, and spoke to the normal CS guy--friendly, but not first-class knowledgeable. After some hemming and hawing--and telling me the coupon didn't appear; what kind of lousy system doesn't have a ledger that shows you changes in the last ten minutes?--he gave me a partial credit.
I said, well, thanks, but I want to deal with the larger issue; could I speak to an order specialist?
He said sure and put me on hold.
And then came back and said they don't have order specialists any more. That he was supposed to fill that position.
I said, well, can I speak to a supervisor?
He said, there isn't anyone--I fill that position.
I said, there must be someone there to whom I can speak. He put me on hold for something like ten minutes, and then finally came back on. He gave me some add'l credit, I think, but got no one else on the phone.
So, the guy was pleasant enough, but the bottom line is that Amazon order specialists are gone (?), and that the one and only person you speak to is your only chance to get something corrected. Or at least this was my experience today.
I'd be happy to be corrected if this ain't so. But if it is, I think this is terrible news.
I was checking a pending order just now when a button came up that asked me if I wanted to apply an outstanding balance from a gift certificate. I thought, why not, and clicked on the button. And then almost screamed out loud, because I suddenly remembered what would happen next: the coupon I used when I originally placed the order would disappear. And it did.
I cursed under my breath, but I knew I could get the order fixed by calling in. I'd done so in the past by speaking to the people Amazon internally identified as "order specialists"--at least in my experience--who seemed to know a great deal more than the regular folks, and could fix problems fast. I'd say to them "my coupon disappeared," they'd know instantly what I was talking about. When I mentioned to one of them that it'd be great if he could pass along a comment about getting that problem fixed, he said, in a friendly fashion, "you're preaching to the choir"--which meant to me that these folks were pushing for a fix.
So I called up today about the disappearing coupon, and spoke to the normal CS guy--friendly, but not first-class knowledgeable. After some hemming and hawing--and telling me the coupon didn't appear; what kind of lousy system doesn't have a ledger that shows you changes in the last ten minutes?--he gave me a partial credit.
I said, well, thanks, but I want to deal with the larger issue; could I speak to an order specialist?
He said sure and put me on hold.
And then came back and said they don't have order specialists any more. That he was supposed to fill that position.
I said, well, can I speak to a supervisor?
He said, there isn't anyone--I fill that position.
I said, there must be someone there to whom I can speak. He put me on hold for something like ten minutes, and then finally came back on. He gave me some add'l credit, I think, but got no one else on the phone.
So, the guy was pleasant enough, but the bottom line is that Amazon order specialists are gone (?), and that the one and only person you speak to is your only chance to get something corrected. Or at least this was my experience today.
I'd be happy to be corrected if this ain't so. But if it is, I think this is terrible news.
11-20-02, 04:08 PM
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