Better Than Amazon

We know Amazon is a lousy place to work for a lot of people. Underpaid drivers and stressed out middle-managers galore.

We know the Amazon machine has eroded competitors because they need to make profit but Amazon doesn’t.

We don’t have to like Amazon to recognize what they got right:

• Buyers want prompt, free delivery. So they ship fast, usually for free, even if it loses them money.
• Buyers want great prices. So they eschew profit in exchange for growth.
• Buyers want good customer service. So they have a near-universal “no questions asked” refund process.

For meaningful work to compete with whatever the cheapest Prime-ready option is, one must be better than Amazon’s best:

• Ship quickly, or make it worth the wait. The gap between order and arrival is an opportunity to delight, as well as a gap to close. Add delight.
• Good prices, or make it worth more. So the quality and social contribution becomes more than worth the extra they pay compared to the low-cost Amazon version.
• Easy refunds, or actually helping people. A refund leaves them where they were to start with, but a great partner takes it upon themselves to refund the solution but keep the problem… so that it can be solved properly.

Amazon has set the criteria for what “best” means to them.

But you get to set your own criteria, for the betterment of those you wish to serve, if you choose.