Amazon Is Testing a New Service That Would Require Drivers to Assemble Furniture Upon Delivery
Amazon drivers may soon be assembling items like bunk beds and treadmills in your home. Bloomberg reports that the online retailer is testing out a new service in which customers would be able to arrange to have their furniture or appliances assembled upon delivery, according to people familiar with the plan.
This service would allow Amazon to compete more effectively with competitors like Wayfair, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s, which all offer similar options. However, this new offering would create a new slew of responsibilities for its drivers. Bloomberg reviewed a presentation of Amazon's plans which noted that the company's drivers would not only have to unpack and assemble products upon delivery, but they'd also have to take the items back on the spot if the customer wasn't satisfied. In other words, they must take on some degree of customer service as well.
Examples shown in the presentation include a bed and mattress set and a sofa and ottoman. However, the outlet also noted that appliances like washing machines, dryers and dishwashers would also be included. Right now, this service is set to be introduced in Virginia and two other unnamed markets, the insiders shared.
While this potential offering may seem like an added bonus for consumers, it does sound like a lot of extra work for Amazon's drivers. Given the marketplace's vast selection of products (many of which are promised to arrive in one day), it would require drivers to know how to build and/or set up a number of products (which only seems to grow!) across a variety of brands. And we can say from experience, assembly isn't always as easy as it looks!
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