Social media fail: Amazon catches it in the neck following Twitter online delivery boast
Over the weekend, Amazon’s social media team decided it would be a good idea to praise the e-commerce giant’s delivery service.
Big mistake.
Scores of people replied to the tweet, venting spleen about their bad delivery experiences.
“Not when the delivery driver won’t deliver because your dog is in the yard. Yes, the dog is yappy but I have a doorbell on the gate and a package box outside of the fence. No excuses! I’m not happy,” said one.
Another claimed: “Mood after ordering three medicine cabinets, all broken in transit/upon arrival, waiting weeks and dozens of exchanges for a refund without taxes, then with taxes, and STILL WAITING for a refund of the shipping fees almost TWO MONTHS LATER: (no emoji for foaming at the mouth).”
Even RTIH’s Editor and Founder, Scott Thompson, got involved.
To be fair to Amazon, its Amazon Help account replied to many of their customers’ messages, offering to address issues being flagged up.
But nonetheless, not the greatest idea to pat yourself on the back in a public forum.
When you’re a company of Amazon’s size, and an often controversial firm that divides opinion, you’re asking for trouble.
Just Walk Out tech
BaxterStorey has opened a new store leveraging Just Walk Out technology, making it the first hospitality business in the UK to adopt the Amazon checkout-free solution.
Located at the latter’s London headquarters in Shoreditch, Social Bee aims to offer a fast and frictionless shopping experience for employees by eliminating queues.
In a LinkedIn post, Craig Clarke, Principal, GTM - Just Walk Out Technology at Amazon, said: “Great to see this store launch and the collaboration from teams across Amazon and BaxterStorey.”
MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
Marymount University recently become the first higher education institution in the US to have an on-campus convenience store powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out tech.
Customers use their credit card at the entry gates of Saints 24, grab what they need and the technology automatically detects what is taken from (or returned to) store shelves, creating a virtual shopping cart.
When people have completed their shopping, they can leave the store without stopping to check out, and their credit card will be charged for the items they took.
“At Marymount, we are proud to be known as ‘Arlington’s University,’ as no other college or university has its main campus within Arlington County. And in recent years, we have seen Arlington rise even higher in importance for our nation’s economy – with no better example than Amazon’s decision to locate its HQ2 right here,” says Dr. Irma Becerra, President of Marymount University.
“Becoming the first university in the US to collaborate with Amazon in incorporating its Just Walk Out technology at an on-campus convenience shop demonstrates how Marymount is leading the way in fostering an innovative and exciting student experience that appeals to the tech-savvy college students of today.”
In initial planning for the Saints 24 store, Marymount administrators surveyed student leaders in the University’s Student Government Association (SGA) to hear firsthand what products they would most like to see in a new convenience shop on campus.
Their recommendations led to an available item list that includes food options featuring freshly prepared sandwiches, wraps, salads, sushi, yogurt and ice cream, as well as other items such as toiletries, and feminine hygiene products.
“Marymount is committed to providing students with new and exciting on-campus experiences that cater to their needs, and we’re proud to collaborate on their first checkout-free store,” says Dilip Kumar, Vice President at AWS Applications.
“Now, students and guests can grab food, beverages and other essentials in a way that is easy and convenient for them.”
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