Back on 06.Jan I was posting about Circuit City losing a bunch of money by firing 3,400 people who worked there and knew what they were doing and replace them with cheaper, and much less knowledgable, sales clerks.

That is not “customer service” in my book.

As I noted there, BestBuy was making lots of money because they understood customer service … they hired people and then trained them so they would know their stuff.

And, as I had posted just a bit before, my favorite computer store, MicroCenter understands customer service. Their employees know their stuff.

Now I’ve discovered a New York Times article about Amazon.com and customers. In this article, Joe Nocera, a New York Times columnist, tells how he didn’t get his PlayStation 3 from Amazon.

It seems it was shipped. It was delivered. His neighbor signed for it. And then, his neighbor, trying to be helpful, set it outside his door where it was stolen. Now remember … it was signed for.

Anyway, Joe called Amazon and asked for a replacement. As Joe said …

In my heart of hearts, I knew I didn’t have a leg to stand on. I was pleading for mercy.

The Amazon rep, listened, and then …

 After assuring himself that I had never actually touched or seen the PlayStation, he had a replacement on the way before the day was out. It arrived on Christmas Eve. Amazon didn’t even charge me for the shipping. My son was very happy.

 Joe goes on to tell all about Amazon and Jeff Bezos and Jeff’s obsession with the customer, with customer service and with what drives the customer experience.

Amazon.com’s margins are low, but their customers are loyal. They don’t do what makes money this quarter … they do what makes money year after year.

They train and empower their customer service reps so that they can agree to reship a $500 product … and land millions of dollars worth of free PR in the New York Times.