Amazon: A Creature Of Our Own Making

It's hard to have missed the recent hubbub about Amazon's corporate culture. I'll resist the urge to launch into an analysis and lecture about its culture and rather focus on a different side of the story that jumped out at me when I read the NY Times article that ignited this most recent firestorm.  

“A customer was able to get an Elsa doll that they could not find in all of New York City, and they had it delivered to their house in 23 minutes,” said Ms. Landry, who was authorized by the company to speak, still sounding exhilarated months later about providing “Frozen” dolls in record time.

That becomes possible, she and others said, when everyone follows the dictates of the leadership principles. “We’re trying to create those moments for customers where we’re solving a really practical need,” Ms. Landry said, “in this way that feels really futuristic and magical.”

I'm sorry, but when did getting a doll delivered to my front door in less time than I can cook dinner become a “really practical need”?? Has our addiction to instant gratification really become so bad? What are we teaching our children? Certainly not that good things come to those that wait. I suppose it's time to clean that tarnish off our silver platters. On second thought, let's just buy new ones - it'll probably be quicker.  

I'm all for customer service and a "customer is always right" mentality.  But come on, customers - let's get real.  Let's take a good, hard look at our expectations, standards and rights as consumers, and not mistake one for the other.  

And when toxic corporate cultures are created to meet these ever-loftier expectations, let's not stand there in shock and indignation, condemning the very monster we helped to create by setting the bar so high and rewarding its success by contributing to its colossal growth with our "1-click" purchases.   

Now, let me be clear on this: I am not defending Amazon's corporate culture nor do I believe that such a culture is the only way for a company be successful (look at Google and Starbucks). But you also didn't have to agree with Bela Karolyi's controversial coaching style to recognize its effect on gymnastic legends like Mary Lou Retton. The difference between Amazon employees and Karolyi's gymnasts of course, is that the former are adults, making the decision to work at, stay at or leave Amazon of their own, free, adult will.  

I simply am suggesting that before we jump to condemn a private company's internal culture, we should first take a long, hard look at our own, tarnished social culture. I believe Amazon's culture is simply a symptom of a much larger problem - a problem for which, sadly and truthfully, we are responsible.

We seem to suffer from a sort of Frankenstein-syndrome, where we end up in the predicament of trying to tame the very Creature we helped to create in the first place.  (Kind of like the NFL.)  

If we are so adamantly appalled at Amazon's corporate culture, let's stop being enablers and cultivate the cultures in our own backyards.  Let's put away our smartphones and make our purchases from our own, local shops. Let's lower our demands, just a little. Not at the expense of basic consumer rights and good, quality service, but in the name of empathy, sustainability, and humanity. Let's recall the difference between "need" and "want" and teach our children the valuable virtue of patience. Let's recognize the cost to our environment and privacy to meet our so-called need for better, cheaper, NOW! 

Yes, absolutely: retailers, service providers, and businesses must take responsibility to provide the highest level of service and quality, at all times, without exception.  But as customers, clients and consumers, we have a responsibility too: to recognize the difference between maintaining high standards and unreasonable expectations. May we all find the courage to demand high standards, the grace to accept reasonable limitations and the wisdom to know the difference. Maybe, just maybe, we can find a happy medium.