I was feeling cool, special, a little bit VIPish (if thats a word).
A few months ago, I finally forked over my seventy bucks and signed up for Amazon Prime. I’ve been a big fan of Amazon for a long time. And I’ve spent a fair share of my disposable income with them, a good bit of which has been on shipping charges.
But, I admit, it wasn’t until the third or fourth time I saw Mitch Joel talk about it at the SOCAP Annual conference last Fall that I took the plunge.
Then along came the Kindle Fire. I felt hosed, ordinary, a little bit outcast-ish.
Maybe I’m being a bit over the top, a bit sensitive. But, what I viewed originally as a well designed experience in my Amazon Prime membership, a membership for which I paid, was now being given away for free to those Kindle Fire buyers. I’m not one.
I’m an Apple loyalist. iPhone, iPad, Macbook Air, Airport, Apple T.V.
And because of that, I have to admit I felt a little sting. I chose my platform. I’m not buying a Fire. So, why should that fact determine my value to Amazon. I’m not the biggest spender. But, I’m guessing I’ve funneled more of my income to Amazon over time than many of those Christmas Day Kindle recipients.
A core principle of good customer experience design is the demonstration of respect for and consideration of the customer, first and foremost.
I’ll bounce back. But, Amazon extinguished a bit of my enthusiasm with this move.
