Christmas is coming, we are all shopping like mad and, due to the credit crunch, trying to do it as frugally as possible. My procurement method of choice is shopping on line. I love it, been doing it for years and each year I do more.
The ease of logging on to Amazon or Play.com and surfing through recommended options is just marvelous. Knowing what someone likes and being able to see “ people who bought X also bought Y” makes buying the correct presents a lot easier than in previous years.
And what about the excitement of Ebay shopping? The thrill of netting a bargain in the dying seconds of an auction is fab feeling, and losing a bid in the same way is also a bit of an adrenalin surge too. Ebay is an Aladdin’s cave of wonders and if you are ever at a loose end try typing in any random word and you will be amazed at the strange, the bizarre and the downright dross that people are trying to sell.
Ever fancied a lie detector, a tin of Roadkill Stew or the wishbone from someone’s Christmas turkey? No? Well, I am sure that there is something there that you would love to find in your Christmas stocking.
With all this stuff on line, and with it being so easy to find and buy what you want, how come no one has managed to sort out a sensible delivery method? You know, one that is prepared to deliver when you are at home.
The majority of my purchases come via Royal Mail who does a pretty good job most of the time. If I am not in, the depot is close enough for it still to be convenient to collect but why do they only open from 7.00am to 12.30pm? Surely that is just wrong (or, in this day and age, not particularly customer friendly)?
Then there are the delivery companies who leave you a note saying: “We tried to deliver to you but you were obviously out earning enough to pay for these frivolous items so we have taken them back to our depot which is hidden in an industrial estate 22 miles away and you can only collect your item when you should be at work.”
When will someone come up with a system that allows you to get the stuff you want, where you want it and when it is convenient to you?
Anyone coming up with a system that:
• delivers what you need
• delivers it when you need it
• delivers it to you where you happen to be
deserves an award.
Chris
(from the awarding winning company, Learning Pool)
Tags: delivery, E-learning, just in time, online shopping, procurement
December 2, 2008 at 10:09 am |
Ah yes, the joys of on-line shopping, Amazon is a favourite of mine too. Last year I thought I was pretty smart doing about 90% of my shopping on-line. Like you, my nightmare started at the delivery end. Waiting in a queue for over an hour for every item isn’t recommended!
December 7, 2008 at 9:59 pm |
Amazon has saved my life but it looks like a might have to book a day off work just for the post office.