It’s
not often that we’re faced with the dilemma of choosing between two
exceptional customer experiences. The advent of Apple’s iPad poses that
dilemma for me. I’m almost certain that once I start using Apple’s
iPad, I will use my Amazon Kindle less and less. And that means that my
impulse buying, not just of digital books, magazines, and newspapers,
but also of digital music, movies, TV shows, and games will move to
Apple. Why? Because the iPad is seductive. It embodies the incredible
Apple “i-”user experience and I’ll be able to enjoy crisp black and
white reading, brilliant color reading, and interact with my content,
my friends and colleagues, and the world while relaxing in my favorite
leather armchair or lying in my hammock.
This
troubles me. I am seduced by the iPhone, but I’m still in love with the
Amazon customer experience. Amazon has made my life easy since 1994. I
entrust most of my purchases to Amazon. They rarely let me down. I’ve
had great customer experiences. I act on many of the recommendations
they give me because they know what I love.
Seeking Advice When Torn between Two Loves
So, this week, I sent out an SOS to my family, friends, and my smartest
customers—Patty’s Pioneers and Patty’s Visionaries—the people who are
my role models—the lead users who break new ground in customer
experience and business innovation. I asked them for advice: Advice for
me and advice for Amazon. Here are a few of the things they recommended
for me, for other loyal Amazon customers, and for Jeff Bezos at Amazon
to consider:
According to my clients, Amazon should:
1. Make it easy to buy digital goods FOR all platforms FROM all platforms.
2. Sell easily portable content
3. Provide the best digital library and back-up services
4. Continue to offer the Kindle Reader software across all devices
5. Support color and better graphics on its e-Readers
6. Sponsor an Open Source e-reader platform
7. Embrace ePub and other E-Book formats that are publishers’ standards
8. Provide competitive commissions; but compete on price
