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Up until yesterday (12/23/22), I had an Amazon Prime membership. The only thing I really wanted it for was to take advantage of the free shipping & expedited delivery schedule. The wife has her own Prime membership, but she also has a Kindle, a Firestick, and probably other Amazon-related things.
Both of us have the following delivery instructions on our respective accounts: Ring The Doorbell. Both of us are home 98% of the time, and unless we're outside in the back we can hear the doorbell from anywhere in the house (basement included).
But, sporadically for the past 9 or so months, there will be a delivery made without said doorbell. The only way we know if a delivery has been made is getting the email with the photo of the package (hopefully) near the front porch door, where it is under the overhang of the roof & as protected as possible from the weather.
From the city sidewalk, there's a concrete front walk that's about 12 feet long leading to 3 steps up to the front deck. From the edge of the deck right at the top step to the front porch door is 63 inches. Straight up from that point, at a height of 52 inches (chest high on me), is the doorbell button. Sounds simple, yes? From the street, to the front walk, up the 3 steps, place the package & take a photo, and then.....Ring The Doorbell.
Apparently not.
So, I got tired of the issue. Every time I'd get an email notification of a delivery, and no doorbell, I'd call customer service. Then, I added calling the Amazon main office out in Seattle to the list. I've probably talked with just about every level of customer service, logistics, and more. I've exchanged emails with reps in the Executive Customer Service Department. Everyone has their own spin on "We will make sure this doesn't happen again". And, as I know they are all doing their respective best to the limits they can do anything, I never got upset with them. Not their fault. I've also written letters to the Amazon CEO, because if you toss something far enough up the mountain, it usually hits the right person on the way back down.
More calls. More exchanged emails. Nothing really changed.
In talking with one of the reps on the phone, we discussed the entire "delivery instructions" concept. There's a place on a person's Amazon account page where one can leave said instructions, but there's also a disclaimer beneath that spot saying that the driver may not follow the instructions. The rep said that some people have such complicated & convoluted instructions that it would not be efficient or cost-effective for the driver to follow them. But he reassured me that in my case, given the relatively simple requirement (Ring the doorbell), there's no reason why a delivery driver cannot comply.
After a few more silent deliveries, I finally let them know that I was seriously considering cancelling my Prime membership. They offered an Alexa-based doorbell, and other things of that nature, thinking that it would help with delivery notifications. I politely declined these things. I'd already told them (any number of reps) that on the one day a week that we go get groceries & a delivery is made, I can only assume they followed through and rang the doorbell. Or, in decent weather, and we are out on the back deck, the same assumption. So if I'm home to hear the doorbell, what good is it going to do to have a robot tell me that a delivery has been made? The doorbell is louder.
So, last night (23rd) I went to the site and cancelled my membership. It's just not cost-effective for me, given the amount of time I have to spend on the phone repeatedly telling the same thing over and over to yet another rep. I have 3 options - 1. Wait until I have enough items to purchase that the total will qualify for the free shipping. 2. Shop on eBay. 3. Have the wife purchase the items & I pay her back.
I mailed a 3rd letter to the CEO this morning, as a courtesy. Letting him know exactly why I cancelled. All of the reps, at every level, have been very polite, but there are just too many layers of responsibility above the delivery driver that probably have a filtering effect on things. Yes, I'm well aware that in actuality, none of them really will lose any sleep over my cancellation. Amazon's stock prices will not waver one bit due to it.
But I will save time on the phone & a couple hundred bucks a year. I'll survive.
Both of us have the following delivery instructions on our respective accounts: Ring The Doorbell. Both of us are home 98% of the time, and unless we're outside in the back we can hear the doorbell from anywhere in the house (basement included).
But, sporadically for the past 9 or so months, there will be a delivery made without said doorbell. The only way we know if a delivery has been made is getting the email with the photo of the package (hopefully) near the front porch door, where it is under the overhang of the roof & as protected as possible from the weather.
From the city sidewalk, there's a concrete front walk that's about 12 feet long leading to 3 steps up to the front deck. From the edge of the deck right at the top step to the front porch door is 63 inches. Straight up from that point, at a height of 52 inches (chest high on me), is the doorbell button. Sounds simple, yes? From the street, to the front walk, up the 3 steps, place the package & take a photo, and then.....Ring The Doorbell.
Apparently not.
So, I got tired of the issue. Every time I'd get an email notification of a delivery, and no doorbell, I'd call customer service. Then, I added calling the Amazon main office out in Seattle to the list. I've probably talked with just about every level of customer service, logistics, and more. I've exchanged emails with reps in the Executive Customer Service Department. Everyone has their own spin on "We will make sure this doesn't happen again". And, as I know they are all doing their respective best to the limits they can do anything, I never got upset with them. Not their fault. I've also written letters to the Amazon CEO, because if you toss something far enough up the mountain, it usually hits the right person on the way back down.
More calls. More exchanged emails. Nothing really changed.
In talking with one of the reps on the phone, we discussed the entire "delivery instructions" concept. There's a place on a person's Amazon account page where one can leave said instructions, but there's also a disclaimer beneath that spot saying that the driver may not follow the instructions. The rep said that some people have such complicated & convoluted instructions that it would not be efficient or cost-effective for the driver to follow them. But he reassured me that in my case, given the relatively simple requirement (Ring the doorbell), there's no reason why a delivery driver cannot comply.
After a few more silent deliveries, I finally let them know that I was seriously considering cancelling my Prime membership. They offered an Alexa-based doorbell, and other things of that nature, thinking that it would help with delivery notifications. I politely declined these things. I'd already told them (any number of reps) that on the one day a week that we go get groceries & a delivery is made, I can only assume they followed through and rang the doorbell. Or, in decent weather, and we are out on the back deck, the same assumption. So if I'm home to hear the doorbell, what good is it going to do to have a robot tell me that a delivery has been made? The doorbell is louder.
So, last night (23rd) I went to the site and cancelled my membership. It's just not cost-effective for me, given the amount of time I have to spend on the phone repeatedly telling the same thing over and over to yet another rep. I have 3 options - 1. Wait until I have enough items to purchase that the total will qualify for the free shipping. 2. Shop on eBay. 3. Have the wife purchase the items & I pay her back.
I mailed a 3rd letter to the CEO this morning, as a courtesy. Letting him know exactly why I cancelled. All of the reps, at every level, have been very polite, but there are just too many layers of responsibility above the delivery driver that probably have a filtering effect on things. Yes, I'm well aware that in actuality, none of them really will lose any sleep over my cancellation. Amazon's stock prices will not waver one bit due to it.
But I will save time on the phone & a couple hundred bucks a year. I'll survive.