Comments on: The lessons of Amazonfail http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/ Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:50:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Hal O'Brien http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-387 Hal O'Brien Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:12:59 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-387 Amazonfail may well have long-lasting repercussions among Amazon's core constituencies -- both readers and writers. Certainly one suspects Wall Street thinks so. In the three days since Amazonfail broke, AMZN stock is down $5.06/share, underperforming the Dow, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ. Jeff Bezos is personally down $491 million. Amazon's market cap is down $2.2 billion. The stock got downgraded today. It'll be interesting to see what's happened to their cash flow. Amazonfail may well have long-lasting repercussions among Amazon’s core constituencies — both readers and writers.

Certainly one suspects Wall Street thinks so. In the three days since Amazonfail broke, AMZN stock is down $5.06/share, underperforming the Dow, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ. Jeff Bezos is personally down $491 million. Amazon’s market cap is down $2.2 billion. The stock got downgraded today.

It’ll be interesting to see what’s happened to their cash flow.

]]> By: Official Shrub.com Blog » Blog Archive » Update on AmazonFail http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-386 Official Shrub.com Blog » Blog Archive » Update on AmazonFail Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:49:43 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-386 [...] an apology. I feel pretty much the way that are pretty much summed up in Kelley Eskridge’s take on Amazonfail from a managerial perspective: Amazon is perceived right now as everything from deeply clueless to [...] [...] an apology. I feel pretty much the way that are pretty much summed up in Kelley Eskridge’s take on Amazonfail from a managerial perspective: Amazon is perceived right now as everything from deeply clueless to [...]

]]> By: Insert Copy Here » A technical fix is easier to than a PR fix. http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-385 Insert Copy Here » A technical fix is easier to than a PR fix. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:26:52 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-385 [...] Read about Amazon’s glitch, or #amazonfail if your twitterspeaking, at Humans at work. [...] [...] Read about Amazon’s glitch, or #amazonfail if your twitterspeaking, at Humans at work. [...]

]]> By: Amazon Fail- or Why I’m Still Pissed Off « ELEANOR’S TROUSERS http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-384 Amazon Fail- or Why I’m Still Pissed Off « ELEANOR’S TROUSERS Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:33:53 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-384 [...] you can find great insights on what happened, and didn’t happen quickly enough here, here, here, here, here, and here, new definitions of Amazon Rank, and calls to arms here, here, here, and [...] [...] you can find great insights on what happened, and didn’t happen quickly enough here, here, here, here, here, and here, new definitions of Amazon Rank, and calls to arms here, here, here, and [...]

]]> By: Amazon Fails to Understand Convergence « Digital Observations http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-383 Amazon Fails to Understand Convergence « Digital Observations Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:18:38 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-383 [...] Humans At Work A blog about project and people mangement, discussing how the management of Amazon mishandled the situation: “Amazon has handled this communications crisis in the worst possible way, which is to ignore the outrage and throw corporate-speak at the issue.” [...] [...] Humans At Work A blog about project and people mangement, discussing how the management of Amazon mishandled the situation: “Amazon has handled this communications crisis in the worst possible way, which is to ignore the outrage and throw corporate-speak at the issue.” [...]

]]> By: Eleanor's Trousers http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-381 Eleanor's Trousers Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:38:45 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-381 I'm afraid the PR disaster will be way worse for Amazon than the initial coding "glitch," whether it was indeed a glitch or not. Personally, I'm not ready to make nice and they can enjoy watching the hundreds of dollars I spend on their site go somewhere else. I’m afraid the PR disaster will be way worse for Amazon than the initial coding “glitch,” whether it was indeed a glitch or not. Personally, I’m not ready to make nice and they can enjoy watching the hundreds of dollars I spend on their site go somewhere else.

]]> By: Shelli Stevens http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-380 Shelli Stevens Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:22:28 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-380 What a fantastic post! What a fantastic post!

]]> By: Kelley Eskridge http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-379 Kelley Eskridge Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:19:55 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-379 Thanks all for your comments. I think <strong>Bart</strong> (#9) and others are right -- we don't yet know what really happened, and I hope my post doesn't sound as though I'm accusing Amazon of anything specific beyond possible bad process and definite bad communication. <strong>Elizabeth</strong> (#12), your analysis of the reasons behind the silence sound spot on to me. In the absence of direct evidence, I don't think the corporation is acting in deliberately homophobic way. I don't think they've been trolled or <a href="http://tehdely.livejournal.com/88823.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bantowned</a>. I tend to assume, based on my own corporate experience, that a process got broken and ran out of control. That can happen so many ways, especially when multiple teams are working on something without clear handoffs or much exchange of information. And I do recognize that the customer service message was probably a default scripted message. What an unfortunate time to use it... <strong>vanderleun</strong> (#11), yes, people will pile in on stuff without knowing the backstory. They do it predictably, loudly, and often with messy results. That's exactly why it's so important for companies to get out in front of the story as quickly as possible. Thanks all for your comments.

I think Bart (#9) and others are right — we don’t yet know what really happened, and I hope my post doesn’t sound as though I’m accusing Amazon of anything specific beyond possible bad process and definite bad communication. Elizabeth (#12), your analysis of the reasons behind the silence sound spot on to me.

In the absence of direct evidence, I don’t think the corporation is acting in deliberately homophobic way. I don’t think they’ve been trolled or Bantowned. I tend to assume, based on my own corporate experience, that a process got broken and ran out of control. That can happen so many ways, especially when multiple teams are working on something without clear handoffs or much exchange of information.

And I do recognize that the customer service message was probably a default scripted message. What an unfortunate time to use it…

vanderleun (#11), yes, people will pile in on stuff without knowing the backstory. They do it predictably, loudly, and often with messy results. That’s exactly why it’s so important for companies to get out in front of the story as quickly as possible.

]]> By: Donna George Storey http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-378 Donna George Storey Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:44:05 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-378 Yes, great post! Especially since the issue has raised so many strong feelings, it's helpful to see such a well-organized analysis. You are so right that this has touched people emotionally, even if it is some machine-driven glitch or whatever. I write erotica and am very sensitive to censorship and prejudice, especially since I crossed over to the "bad girl" side from academia. Many of my colleagues write gay and lesbian fiction and Amazon used to be one place where we could safely sell our work without apparent judgment (because many small bookstores simply won't carry our work). Whether or not there was any intention, when suddenly a search for "homosexuality" gets you "A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality" the strong feeling is that Amazon has gone right wing, and even when things are "mended," that feeling still lingers that they COULD go right wing at any time. I was looking for an explanation and reassurance that they will continue to provide an open marketplace for books without censorship, but no such sign. Yes, great post! Especially since the issue has raised so many strong feelings, it’s helpful to see such a well-organized analysis. You are so right that this has touched people emotionally, even if it is some machine-driven glitch or whatever. I write erotica and am very sensitive to censorship and prejudice, especially since I crossed over to the “bad girl” side from academia. Many of my colleagues write gay and lesbian fiction and Amazon used to be one place where we could safely sell our work without apparent judgment (because many small bookstores simply won’t carry our work). Whether or not there was any intention, when suddenly a search for “homosexuality” gets you “A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality” the strong feeling is that Amazon has gone right wing, and even when things are “mended,” that feeling still lingers that they COULD go right wing at any time. I was looking for an explanation and reassurance that they will continue to provide an open marketplace for books without censorship, but no such sign.

]]> By: david http://humansatwork.com/the-lessons-of-amazonfail/comment-page-1/#comment-377 david Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:17:53 +0000 http://humansatwork.com/?p=1547#comment-377 Great post, i think the witch hunt will continue and amazon will be burnt far worse than they first thought over the issue. Best of luck to the next casulty to repeat their mistake. Great post, i think the witch hunt will continue and amazon will be burnt far worse than they first thought over the issue.

Best of luck to the next casulty to repeat their mistake.

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