Taking Responsibility: SuperBookDeals Screws Up, Amazon.com Steps Up

If your business is a brokerage, where it’s up to another company to actually perform once you put the deal together — or if you’ve ever just referred a friend somewhere and regretted it afterwards –  you’ll sympathize with Amazon.com. Their “Marketplace” is essentially one big brokerage/referral program — “We don’t have the item you’re looking for, but these guys do.”

Unfortunately, sometimes “these guys” mess up. And even though you didn’t cause the problem, your good name is on the line. This post gives the whole sordid tale of my dealings, via Amazon.com, with an outfit called SuperBookDeals — an online store that got it wrong and really didn’t care.

By necessity, Amazon, who must deal with millions of customers, automates as much as it can. They have standard procedures for dealing with Marketplace order disputes, and the procedure normally takes several weeks.

But, I was delighted to learn, they also have an Investigations Team, staffed by real human beings. You’ve got to complain loudly to get to them, but once you do, they’re empowered go take care of business.

This evening Amazon issued me a full refund, and also gave me a credit to cover the postage costs I incurred.

Today’s customer service lesson — even if it wasn’t your fault, take responsibility for making it right. Your reputation depends on it.

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