Would you work at Amazon?

[Martinus]

Local bookstores very rarely carry books I need.

Obviously, I use Amazon for ordering books in English, so already this makes them much harder to find in Warsaw, even in shops that carry foreign books. On top of that, I do not read a lot of fiction or bestsellers, so I am usually looking for very specific specialist books on topics I am interested in at a given moment (and ones that might have been published many years ago). Amazon is peerless in that.

[Maladict]

Local bookstores very rarely carry books I need.

Obviously, I use Amazon for ordering books in English, so already this makes them much harder to find in Warsaw, even in shops that carry foreign books. On top of that, I do not read a lot of fiction or bestsellers, so I am usually looking for very specific specialist books on topics I am interested in at a given moment (and ones that might have been published many years ago). Amazon is peerless in that.

That is true, although I'm surprised how many books my bookstore can get from their depot. I read almost exclusively non-Dutch, and often the more obscure non-fiction kind.
Amazon is peerless, which is why I keep my wish list there. Buying from them is just not as satisfying to me.

I do buy out of print books from Abebooks, which is owned by Amazon.

[Monoriu]

The biggest problem with online purchases is delivery.  Home delivery just doesn't work in this day and age, with long working hours.  An emerging solution that is already starting to happen is a distributed system of mini-logistics centres that are close to the customers and have long opening hours.  The 7-11s near my home are willing to take delivery for me to pick up.  The main problem with them is that (1) they are only willing to take small packages and (2) they only work with one or two delivery companies, and Amazon is not one of them.  Given time, if these centres become more sophisticated, retail shopping will no doubt decline further. 

[Martinus]

The biggest problem with online purchases is delivery.  Home delivery just doesn't work in this day and age, with long working hours.  An emerging solution that is already starting to happen is a distributed system of mini-logistics centres that are close to the customers and have long opening hours.  The 7-11s near my home are willing to take delivery for me to pick up.  The main problem with them is that (1) they are only willing to take small packages and (2) they only work with one or two delivery companies, and Amazon is not one of them.  Given time, if these centres become more sophisticated, retail shopping will no doubt decline further.

They just leave packages for me at the reception in my apartment building. But Poland now has this largely popular system of pack-o-mats where you can essentially collect your package from an automated "vending machine" located near your home, by entering the PIN code given to you by the supplier. These things are growing in popularity and already are located at many street corners in big cities.

[Monoriu]

They just leave packages for me at the reception in my apartment building. But Poland now has this largely popular system of pack-o-mats where you can essentially collect your package from an automated "vending machine" located near your home, by entering the PIN code given to you by the supplier. These things are growing in popularity and already are located at many street corners in big cities.

The management company of my housing estate is not willing to take delivery.  They are really worried about being accused of losing packages.  They also won't let the delivery people dump the packages in front of my door.  So I have to be at home when the delivery people come, and that's just not possible. 

That vending machine idea sounds fantastic.  I have yet to see them though. 

[garbon]

I generally get all my packages at work but then for big deliveries just work from home that day.

[Martinus]

Yeah, my management company is relatively new (the building was only settled 3 years ago, with most people moving in during the last 1-2 years) so probably they didn't get any major charges yet - I expect them to change that after a while.

Fortunately, for the time being at least I work about 5 minutes' walk from my flat, so when I need to collect the package in person I can ask them to call me when they deliver and get home before they do.

The "vending machine" thingies are indeed a very interesting innovation - the guy who started the company doing that is winning all kinds of awards for new businesses. Apparently, the working conditions in package sorting warehouses of this company are comparable to those in Amazon warehouses, though.

[Monoriu]

I generally get all my packages at work but then for big deliveries just work from home that day.

Working from home is not an option in my job.  I can tell Amazon to send a CD to my workplace.  That works.  It is less practical to tell the supermarket to deliver the 100 rolls of toilet paper, 100 bottles of water, 10kg of washing powder, and 50 boxes of tissue to my workplace.  I will be talked about behind people's backs for years 

[Martinus]

I generally get all my packages at work but then for big deliveries just work from home that day.

Working from home is not an option in my job.  I can tell Amazon to send a CD to my workplace.  That works.  It is less practical to tell the supermarket to deliver the 100 rolls of toilet paper, 100 bottles of water, 10kg of washing powder, and 50 boxes of tissue to my workplace.  I will be talked about behind people's backs for years 

Oh, wouldn't stuff like that be delivered by a local supermarket, though? In which case I assume you can specify the hour of delivery (at least that's how it works in Warsaw). I get most of my groceries delivered between 8 and 10 p.m. on weekdays.

[Monoriu]

Yeah, my management company is relatively new (the building was only settled 3 years ago, with most people moving in during the last 1-2 years) so probably they didn't get any major charges yet - I expect them to change that after a while.

I am perfectly happy to pay a reasonable fee if the management company is willing to take delivery.  That's a very valuable service to me and will solve lots of problems.  The problem however is not money.  They are worried about being sued.  "What if we lose a package of diamonds?  What if somebody else along the delivery chain screw up and we get the blame?  What if..."  That's what's in their minds.  That's not going to be solved by charging people fees. 

[Martinus]

Yeah, my management company is relatively new (the building was only settled 3 years ago, with most people moving in during the last 1-2 years) so probably they didn't get any major charges yet - I expect them to change that after a while.

I am perfectly happy to pay a reasonable fee if the management company is willing to take delivery.  That's a very valuable service to me and will solve lots of problems.  The problem however is not money.  They are worried about being sued.  "What if we lose a package of diamonds?  What if somebody else along the delivery chain screw up and we get the blame?  What if..."  That's what's in their minds.  That's not going to be solved by charging people fees.

I meant charges as in being sued. I get their point.

[garbon]

I generally get all my packages at work but then for big deliveries just work from home that day.

Working from home is not an option in my job.  I can tell Amazon to send a CD to my workplace.  That works.  It is less practical to tell the supermarket to deliver the 100 rolls of toilet paper, 100 bottles of water, 10kg of washing powder, and 50 boxes of tissue to my workplace.  I will be talked about behind people's backs for years 

Oh, wouldn't stuff like that be delivered by a local supermarket, though? In which case I assume you can specify the hour of delivery (at least that's how it works in Warsaw). I get most of my groceries delivered between 8 and 10 p.m. on weekdays.

Also, Amazon is starting to work on (I know of New York and London) deliveries in particular small windows of time.

[Monoriu]

Oh, wouldn't stuff like that be delivered by a local supermarket, though? In which case I assume you can specify the hour of delivery (at least that's how it works in Warsaw). I get most of my groceries delivered between 8 and 10 p.m. on weekdays.

It depends on the retailer.  If a retailer is large enough to have its own delivery team and fleet, they maybe willing to deliver after 8pm on weekdays.  But most are not.  Most retailers rely on delivery companies, and the delivery companies won't let people specify times.  Well I can specify times but they never follow them.  They just assume there is somebody at my home and they can come any time they want.  If they fail to deliver, they'll simply try again later in the week.  To save cost, they'll always follow their own route that is most convenient to them and ignore customer designated times.  That works for families with a stay-home mother, a grandparent, a retiree, or a live-in maid.  But not me. 

[Martinus]

I am surprised by this, Mono. I always think that Poland is relatively near the end of the spectrum when it comes to level of service, and Hong Kong being a financial center would be more accomodating for people who work. Here, all major retail grocery/supermarket chains (including the upmarket ones) have their own delivery service and you can specify delivery hours with no problem. They are also very responsive in terms of delivery timing (so, until app. 3 p.m. I can order a delivery for the same evening).

[Monoriu]

I am surprised by this, Mono. I always think that Poland is relatively near the end of the spectrum when it comes to level of service, and Hong Kong being a financial center would be more accomodating for people who work. Here, all major retail grocery/supermarket chains (including the upmarket ones) have their own delivery service and you can specify delivery hours with no problem. They are also very responsive in terms of delivery timing (so, until app. 3 p.m. I can order a delivery for the same evening).

The delivery companies cater to majority demand.  They are right - the majority of households have somebody at home during normal business hours in weekdays.  It only costs US$400-500 per month to hire a full time live-in maid, and there are like 300,000 of them here.  A lot of women don't work to take care of children.  Even if they work, they tend to do less time-consuming jobs.  The households without children, without live-in maids, without grandparents, where both husband and wife have full time office jobs are definitely in the minority.  I often get amazed reactions when I tell people that we are both office drones.