How I Fixed the Tub-Shower Diverter and Why Amazon is a Trillion-Dollar Company
Michael Dong
Subject matter expert in HPLC, CMC, and pharm analysis. PhD in analytical chemistry. Author of bestseller HPLC book and 130 articles.
How I Fixed the Tub-Shower Diverter and Why Amazon is a Trillion-Dollar Company
The tub/shower diverter did not work properly, and only half of the water was diverted when I pulled the rod out. Here is a dilemma most homeowners face: Do you call a plumber or try to fix the problem yourself? I am not particularly handy with plumbing though the likely fix is to replace a seal inside the spout – a simple enough task that I should be able to tackle.
Next is to get the replacement parts. I went to Walmart and two other hardware stores, and none carried these common spares. I called a bathroom plumbing supplier and was told to bring the spout for them to match the right part to the brand of the faucet, which was a Kohler.
The other channel was amazon.com, and I found and ordered a Danco repair kit for $7.32, available for next-day delivery on Sunday. I pulled out the old gate from the rod this morning using a pair of pliers. It took me 10 minutes to pry it out as I needed to lie on my back and force it out by prying out one of the prongs. The old seal looked OK though it was dry and brittle. I placed the new seal inside the old gate, and pushing the gate back in was easy.
The problem was fixed, and I probably saved myself $150-$200 from a service call.
I am an Amazon Prime member, and I was impressed by how the company continued improving its processes through technology, automation, and delivery services. A case in point is how Amazon can offer delivery of this repair kit flawlessly within 24 hours after ordering and still makes a profit. I guess it became a trillion-dollar company via a relentless pursuit of process optimization and delivering a convenient and satisfying customer experience. Just take a look at how Amazon informed its customer about the timing and status of the delivery process,
I read somewhere that Amazon makes most of its profits from Amazon web services (~80%) rather than the online shopping platform, which is a low-margin business.
Still, few companies work as well as Amazon.