Amazon packing skills... Or lack of lol

[Addicted2jeepz]

This post is only intended to be a public service message, and I spose a bit of a rant lol.

I placed an order with Amazon for several items. A 6" drop hitch, trailer safety chains, an oil filter, and some plastic clips. Well... I should have thought ahead and ordered the oil filter separately - they tossed all items in a box, absolutely zero packaging. Literally just tossed in the box! Needless to say the oil filter lost the battle with the trailer hitch and chains!!

I am NOT bashing Amazon - I buy a lot from them and they made it 100% right, they already sent out a replacement filter.
I'm sure they are short staffed just like many businesses are right now, mine included. The shortage of people wanting to actually work means the applicant has to be really REALLY bad to not get hired, or to get fired... Training is suffering during these staff shortages as well, the current good staff can't possibly keep up at times.

Anyway... Just a reminder to order your oil filters separately!!!

 

[JeffKeryk]

Don't even get me started about Wally World 5 qt oil jugs....

 

[PandaBear]

When you have too much automation, they probably expected that some will be "lost".

File for a refund / re-send. They probably will come by air to make up for it.

 

[Addicted2jeepz]

When you have too much automation, they probably expected that some will be "lost".

File for a refund / re-send. They probably will come by air to make up for it.

It says I'll have the replacement Friday. I'm sure you're right, that they expect a certain amount of loss.

 

[nthach]

When you have too much automation, they probably expected that some will be "lost".

File for a refund / re-send. They probably will come by air to make up for it.

Amazon would be all over automation - they own the infrastructure needed to make it happen(AWS). But, paying humans marginally more than minimum wage is cheaper than paying a team of developers in Seattle/SF/Austin and a crew of people to maintain those robots. And humans for now are faster than robots.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Amazon would be all over automation - they own the infrastructure needed to make it happen(AWS). But, paying humans marginally more than minimum wage is cheaper than paying a team of developers in Seattle/SF/Austin and a crew of people to maintain those robots. And humans for now are faster than robots.

Perhaps it takes a combination of human and robotic work.
Toyota believes robots should be used for work that is too dangerous for humans or too monotonous. Humans can be trained and retrained.

 

[PandaBear]

Amazon would be all over automation - they own the infrastructure needed to make it happen(AWS). But, paying humans marginally more than minimum wage is cheaper than paying a team of developers in Seattle/SF/Austin and a crew of people to maintain those robots. And humans for now are faster than robots.

Not really.

If you only have 20 in a warehouse and 20 developer then yes. However they probably have like 2000 developers and the workload of 2000000 warehouse workers + drivers + robot maintenance crew when your warehouse works 247 (say without these automation they have to hire 10x the warehouse packers), so they would definitely be more efficient in using robots as much as possible, with as many different box sizes and as many local warehouses as possible.

 

[Bud]

I learned that I have to be careful when I order my Amazon stuff. Couple weeks ago I ordered about ten items which included a gallon of Medina. When delivered the box was soaked through and everything inside covered with the Medina. Amazon refunded the cost of all items in the box, but next time I will order liquid fertilizer by itself as the packers don't seem to be very smart.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I'm sure they are short staffed just like many businesses are right now, mine included. The shortage of people wanting to actually work means the applicant has to be really REALLY bad to not get hired, or to get fired... Training is suffering during these staff shortages as well, the current good staff can't possibly keep up at times.

We have that problem at my work also. We have a handful that do frequent call-outs, but nothing can be done because you can't find replacements worth a lick. The couple decent entry level guys we have, I feel bad for, because I (or others) don't have the time to properly train them. Some in management have the misguided idea that anyone with a pulse can operate some of the machines (or learn to), but they seem to overlook that there's no time for training. Lately the solution has been some new equipment that some salesman says is easy as "opening a file and hitting the start button" but that's a farce. It'd be nice to find help that is ambitious and can self learn (none of the stuff we do is rocket science), but I've lost all hope in finding such an individual.

 

[nomas]

They're building an Amazon distribution center not too far from me . That building is massive . I hope they can find enough people to staff it .

 

[64bawagon]

They sent me two different packages last summer that had gallon cans of Fluid film. Both were broken open, both were wrapped in plastic, both spilled out into the box interior, both had dented cans that popped the lids off when dropped. All told about $90 worth of lost product, shipping costs to me and shipping costs back to them via UPS. Hard to imagine how you could possibly make that profitable.

 

[nthach]

They're building an Amazon distribution center not too far from me . That building is massive . I hope they can find enough people to staff it .

There’s a revolving door at Amazon Fulfillment.

 

[nomas]

There’s a revolving door at Amazon Fulfillment.

I've heard stories .

 

[slo town]

OP, check out my Amazon package today. A 14"x18"x10" box for one dishwasher back flow valve (it was part of a larger shipment that was split up). But at least it was packed well with the air balloon things.

Scott

 

[RazorsEdge]

I've never had any issues with Amazon deliveries myself. I just got this delivered today - SunJoe lawn dethatcher.

 

[Dave Hess]

There’s a revolving door at Amazon Fulfillment.

Amazon will soon be like UPS with unions and I’m sure with better pay and benefits, the revolving door will slow down.

Within 5 years all hourly Amazon employees will be union.

 

[PandaBear]

They sent me two different packages last summer that had gallon cans of Fluid film. Both were broken open, both were wrapped in plastic, both spilled out into the box interior, both had dented cans that popped the lids off when dropped. All told about $90 worth of lost product, shipping costs to me and shipping costs back to them via UPS. Hard to imagine how you could possibly make that profitable.

95% of the items they ship are dry and not easy to damage, so that's how they make money. Basically they are growing fast and they have other low hanging fruits to pick before they come back to fixing the occasional fluid leaks.

 

[GSCJR]

RA did the same thing to me, so it's not just Amazon. I ordered a drive belt tensioner and an oil fiter, and it arrived in a box with no packing material inside to be found. The filter was nicely dented on the side from the box being packaged too tightly and it got crushed. I still put it on my car though, I like to live dangerously.

 

[PimTac]

They're building an Amazon distribution center not too far from me . That building is massive . I hope they can find enough people to staff it .

They will but there is a lot of automation there as well. One can’t go by the building size.

 

[Addicted2jeepz]

We have that problem at my work also. We have a handful that do frequent call-outs, but nothing can be done because you can't find replacements worth a lick. The couple decent entry level guys we have, I feel bad for, because I (or others) don't have the time to properly train them. Some in management have the misguided idea that anyone with a pulse can operate some of the machines (or learn to), but they seem to overlook that there's no time for training. Lately the solution has been some new equipment that some salesman says is easy as "opening a file and hitting the start button" but that's a farce. It'd be nice to find help that is ambitious and can self learn (none of the stuff we do is rocket science), but I've lost all hope in finding such an individual.

It's scary to be honest, I worry for the future!