Wednesday 12 February 2014

The Top Cat Useless Award 2014 goes to Amazon Customer Service

Yesterday, I called Amazon Customer Service about a problem I was having with my Kindle. The problem related to a specific book which I had purchased and downloaded from Amazon. I received no help, and the operator eventually agreed to transfer the call to a supervisor. While I was waiting for this blessed event, I finished reading the book (which I had started reading subsequent to starting the chat session with Amazon.)

You know what? I'm just going to let my chat transcript speak for itself.



Initial Question: I cannot see the book I downloaded in the collection to which I added it
07:39 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Hello, my name is Vaibhav. I'll be happy to help you.
Tabitha, may I know the name of the book?

07:40 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: Basic Bitch

07:40 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Have you made the collection on your kindle touch or kindle paperwhite?


07:40 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: yes


07:42 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): I have sent the book to your kindle.
Please turn on your kindle.


07:43 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: Don't be so silly. The book is already on my Kindle, in fact I am reading it now in between waiting a long time for your responses.


07:43 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): I am sorry for this inconvenience. May I know your exact issue?


07:45 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: It is what I described in the first thing I said. I cannot see the book in the collection I created. To put it even more simply,
1. the book is on my kindle
2. a collection is on my kindle
3. I added the book to the collection
4. The collection shows in the list that it has two books in it.
5. One of those books is Basic Bitch, which I just added to it, and the other is something else.
6. When I open the collection, it appears only to have the something else.

Please don't waste my time making me repeat myself.


07:47 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Have you created the collection in kindle touch or kindle keyboard?


07:48 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: I no longer have a kindle keyboard thanks to your people's sloppy workmanship

07:48 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Let us try to add the book in your collection again.
From the Home screen, tap the Menu icon and then tap Create New Collection.

07:48 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: So yes, kindle touch. The specific device was identified when I raised the problem. Please don't waste my time being too lazy to read what I have said.

07:49 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Enter a name for the collection and then tap OK.
Tap the checkbox next to the titles you’d like to add to this collection.

07:49 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: I do not want to create a new collection. I already have the collections I want. This collection has worked fine with every other book I put in it.

07:49 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Tap Done to save your changes.

07:49 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: Are you even listening to me?

07:50 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Tabitha, I am listening. If the book goes to your collection it should be there. I would request you to please add the book to collection again and then check.

07:51 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: The book is already added to the collection. This is shown by the box being ticked when I go into 'Add/Remove' in that collection.

07:51 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Let us try some troubleshooting steps then.

07:51 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: At last!

07:52 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Please press the power button of your kindle for full 30 seconds.
Let me know when you see the kindle screen again.

07:53 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): After you see the home screen of your kindle, check your collection again.

07:54 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: It has not made any difference.

07:54 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Please deregister the kindle and re-register the kindle again.
From the Home screen, tap the Menu icon, and then tap Settings. 

07:55 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Tap Registration and then tap Deregister.

07:56 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: I would have to turn the wireless on to do that. Then everything I've purchased since getting this crappy new device will automatically download. I like to control what goes on my device.

07:56 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Yes.
Turn on the wifi.

07:57 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): If you do not want to see your old books you can delete them from your kindle touch.
They will go to your cloud.

07:57 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: In any case, why would that make any difference? I have downloaded and read many books successfully and placed them in collections. Please don't waste my time doing things at random. If you don't know anything about it, get your supervisor.

07:59 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Please allow me a moment.

08:02 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): Thank you for your time. please uncheck the box from the collection your create and then add the book again to your collection. If this does not work I will transfer this chat to our manager.

08:02 PM(GMT) Tabitha Ormiston-Smith: That did not work.

08:03 PM(GMT) Vaibhav(CSA): I am transferring this chat to our manager. Please wait.


At 8:46 PM (GMT) I finished reading the book and terminated the chat session. Congratulations, Amazon Customer Service. You win the Topcat Useless Award 2014, for getting 0 out of 10 for customer service.

1 comment:

  1. Yeah, that sounds about right. I've done these types of jobs before and customer service reps are forced to follow a specific script even if it makes them sound like total idiots. This, of course, infuriates many people calling in to seek assistance. Bureaucrats.

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