Amazon Flex • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Flex

#131

Post by popopje » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:46 PM UTC

mattmanser wrote: post #106

popopje wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Package delivery is never a good experience in the UK i have my packages delivered to a friendly shop nearby - to my house, it's a nightmare. The collect+ system also works reasonably well, i take that option if offered. (where it's delivered to a local cornershop or similar and you walk to pick it up) I really feel there should be a gap in the market for "last mile" delivery to be solved properly, but i suspect ther…

Every time I use collect+ the shop always seems to complain about it (it's too big/I'm too busy/etc.). These have all been various different shops.

i have had issues with that on one occasion too, now i remember.. (package was refused by the shop, went back to the depot for another day, changing the address to my home added another day etc etc.)

Re: Amazon Flex

#132

Post by herge » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:46 PM UTC

shawnee_ wrote: post #118

Q: Where can I deliver with Amazon Flex? A: Amazon Flex is available now in Seattle. It will be available soon in New York, Baltimore, Miami, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Portland. Smart move by Amazon to refrain from making any Bay-area city one of its test markets. It's like Amazon is saying "we don't need to prove this will work in the bubble; let's base our test data set on realistic markets…

Also, gentrification and the rights of workers in a sharing economy are still hot-button political issues in the Bay-area. Who's going to picket Amazon Flex in Indianapolis?

Re: Amazon Flex

#133

Post by LesZedCB » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:47 PM UTC

ekianjo wrote: post #81

LesZedCB wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing is inherently wrong with the job per se, it's that the general acceptance of a commoditized workforce is dangerous in that it circumvents many other protections offered by regular jobs (not that those are that much better) in disguise because it has a relatively high hourly rate. Your effective hourly rate after paying for health insurance plus other company provided benefits is likely much closer to normal r…

> basic income this is not the place for discussing this here, but the inherent problem with this basic income idea is that there's no way to provide such money in developed countries which are already indebted to the bone. Unless you decide to seize savings and declare the country a communist dictatorship or something.

Well, since you decided to discuss it anyway... :)

Basic income is wealth redistribution function. There is a massive income inequality problem in the US (a trivial google search will reveal, if you aren't aware of already), and a basic income would rebalance taxes as well as replace some other social programs in order to pay for it. See this reddit post for more info about income inequality and taxes.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BasicIncome/comments/3mqnyg/how_inc...

Re: Amazon Flex

#134

Post by martingordon » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:47 PM UTC

One of the reasons I hesitate to use Amazon Now is that big "suggested tip" field. I don't tip the UPS delivery person, why should I tip my Amazon Now delivery person? What's been the norm for you all?

Re: Amazon Flex

#135

Post by doki_pen » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:47 PM UTC

kra34 wrote: post #95

doki_pen wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering they are pushing cost for vehicles, vehicle maintenance, insurance, payroll taxes, fuel, unemployment insurance and uniform onto their workers, I'd say they are paying peanuts. You'd have to shortsighted to see why this is worse than a normal job. I'd also guess that the rates will drop the minute they get some traction, just like Uber.

Are Uber lyft and everyone other one of those companies pushing the same costs out to their drivers?

I assume so, since they consider their employees contractors.

Re: Amazon Flex

#136

Post by scrollaway » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:48 PM UTC

ekianjo wrote: post #127

scrollaway wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And people who refuse to see it are usually blind... The supermarkets I go to have greatly reduced their cashiers. In most cases by at least half, especially in small shops (3 cashiers has become 2-3 machines and one human). As for bakers, they don't just make bread and cake. Excellent video on the subject: CGPGrey - Humans Need Not Apply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU

> As for bakers, they don't just make bread and cake. yet it's still their main product and they are stopping making it even though industrial bread is cheaper. So your point is ?

My point is it's a pretty terrible example for you to pick. Baking is not a low-skill menial job. It's certainly not first in line in the "jobs that will get replaced by a machine" domino line.

Re: Amazon Flex

#137

Post by Avalaxy » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:48 PM UTC

3pt14159 wrote: post #53

I'm surprised they aren't launching with cyclists too. Maybe they don't know the size of the backpack / basket that the delivery person has? I kinda just bike around Toronto for fun / exercise (up to 100kms in a day) and if I didn't have to alter my bike I could consider doing it. Plus it is faster in many parts of the city to bike than to take car or transit.

Aside from that it seems like a horrible waste of non-renewal energy source to let someone drive to an address just to deliver one package.

Re: Amazon Flex

#138

Post by jameshart » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:48 PM UTC

mattmanser wrote: post #106

popopje wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Package delivery is never a good experience in the UK i have my packages delivered to a friendly shop nearby - to my house, it's a nightmare. The collect+ system also works reasonably well, i take that option if offered. (where it's delivered to a local cornershop or similar and you walk to pick it up) I really feel there should be a gap in the market for "last mile" delivery to be solved properly, but i suspect ther…

Every time I use collect+ the shop always seems to complain about it (it's too big/I'm too busy/etc.). These have all been various different shops.

Ah, the famous British customer service experience.

Re: Amazon Flex

#139

Post by popopje » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:49 PM UTC

TheOtherHobbes wrote: post #108

popopje wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Package delivery is never a good experience in the UK i have my packages delivered to a friendly shop nearby - to my house, it's a nightmare. The collect+ system also works reasonably well, i take that option if offered. (where it's delivered to a local cornershop or similar and you walk to pick it up) I really feel there should be a gap in the market for "last mile" delivery to be solved properly, but i suspect ther…

I've had terrible experiences with some couriers, but good experiences with DPD. They provide a one-hour delivery window, a map with local van tracking, and the driver usually arrives in the earlier half of the time slot. You can choose an alternative date or delivery to a neighbour right until the van rolls up. Short of Star Trek teleportation or Magic Drone Technology[tm], it's probably as a good a service as it ca…

have you switched delivery to neighbour on the day? i have, to a direct neighbour, and the new date given was 24hrs later. I eventually cancelled delivery of that package because it still wasn't with me 4 days later. Generally i've had poor experiences with DPD, just like any other.

Re: Amazon Flex

#140

Post by tokenizerrr » Tue, Sep 29, 2015, 1:49 PM UTC

ekianjo wrote: post #89

tokenizerrr wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They'll be deprecated as soon as self driving cars become viable. The same goes for most jobs like this, technology will catch up eventually and make them obsolote.

I'm still waiting to see cashiers disappear in supermarkets. Or bakers, since bread and cake production could be completely automatized by now. Strangely they are not going away. I wonder why... People who predict extinction of jobs are usually wrong.

I would also like to add that large scale bread production is already mostly automated. You will still have local bakeries because fresh bread is nice, and the automation needs large factory halls that are unlikely to be near your home or match your schedule.