Amazon and Frustration-Free Packaging

Today, I got to witness an Amazon delivery contractor stumble through their delivery at my apartment complex’s Amazon Hub. From a far I’m sure it was very funny. I got to be up-close, and I’m very worried about what I witnessed.

The Amazon worker was not the subject of my worry. The panic I saw in his eyes, the worry he carried on his shoulders, and

After a string of package thefts, our apartment complex was able to nab a sexy Amazon Locker Hub in their gym. However, outside of business hours, the gym is card access only. As I walked toward the gym with my Amazon code in hand ready for the new Dream Theater album that arrived nearly one month late after my pre-order, I found a gentleman in a bright neon-green safety vest speaking Spanish into his phone with Amazon shipping boxes all over the hood of his sedan.

He interrupted his phone call to ask me about access, and I told him all about it. He agreed with no hesitation to allow me to take a picture of his driver’s license and I opened the gym for him. The sight of the massive Hub that dominated the gym’s back wall may have been the best part of his day. I asked if he wanted to take care of delivering his packages before I got mine considering I wasn’t in a rush, and he seemed to be pressed for time.

He scanned and stuffed all three of the packages in the Hub and was appreciative of my help. I explained he should relay the message to his supervisor that this location’s Hub is inaccessible after the leasing office’s business hours.

Frustration with Amazon

I sympathized for this man. I assume he was working diligently to hit tight deadlines which Amazon is known to press upon their workers. His worry and care showed was honorable, but also concerning. He explained he’d have to bring those items back to the delivery center if he couldn’t deliver them. That would have caused some frustration with those who ordered the items and were expecting them that day. That could have been phone calls to Amazon’s customer support where frustration grows outwardly.

There’s all sorts of problems here. Sure, there’s a highly efficient means for products to be delivered at a pace and cost only a first-world country could only dream. The truth is, I got to see the frustration with Amazon first-hand.

I’ve been more and more conscious of Amazon’s business practices as of late. Articles and blog posts about working conditions for blue and white collar position continue proliferate in the last decade. Hassan Minaj’s Patriot Act episode a while back described the company’s business practices and alleged antitrust practices.

Everyone is to Blame

I am very much the problem too. I have an Amazon Prime account with an Prime credit card. It made sense to me two years ago to get the card. 5% back on all Amazon purchases for a service I’m already paying to enjoy coupled with a Firestick that’s becoming my go-to streaming device.

That’s not all. I’ve been using Amaonz’s S3 and Glacier products to house archived data and distribute content as a content deliver network (CDN). The cost to store and server each month, consistently under $2 per month.

Let’s also not forget that Amazon is one of the largest search engines. That’s right, you cannot forget that Amazon’s growth, like Google, is about it’s search capabilities. Google wants to catalog the world, Amazon wants to sell it to you.

Amazon’s convenience has become someone else’s nightmare. Whether it’s a business owner or a worker.

Amazon is too big to continue to provide it’s partner business, consumers, and workers value. Something needs to give. I almost canceled my Prime subscription last year, I’m considering it more and more as my renewal gets closer.