Customers Appreciate Transparency

While checking the delivery status of some supplies I had ordered from Amazon, I noticed an interesting message.

Ahead of the step-by-step tracking information I've become accustomed to getting for my Amazon purchases, was this short sentence:

"You're seeing the same order status information that our Customer Service associates can access."

Was this put there to dissuade customers from calling Amazon to ask about their deliveries?

Almost certainly. When you're calling customer service for information, you're looking for information you don't already have; if you knew the person you'd be waiting on hold to speak with wouldn't have any new information to give you, would you spend your time making the call? Probably not, and that frees up Amazon's customer service agents to help customers who they can better serve.

But the note isn't just beneficial to Amazon.

By being candid and upfront with me, the company is saving me the time I might otherwise spend following up on my delivery, and the frustration of being told by an agent that they can't tell me anything I didn't already know.

And retailers who can save customers time and frustration benefit from doing so.

Customers appreciate transparency.

When you're able to give it to them, choose to do that.

Especially when it's this easy to do.