We've all heard horror stories about customer service gone wrong, but with these Amazon tips and tricks your next shopping experience can be a positive one!

Here are 16 useful customer service tips for Amazon addicts.

How to Contact Amazon Customer Service

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The beginning of any frustrating experience with customer service is not knowing exactly how to get ahold of a real person to talk to. Amazon offers several options for you to choose from, depending on your preferred method of communication and the type of problem you're facing.

1. Contacting Amazon by Phone

Calling Amazon by phone is definitely the simplest way to contact them, but not the most efficient use of your time. No matter what your question is, you can reach a customer service agent by calling their toll-free number: 1 (877) 586-3230. Be aware that you will have to spend a significant amount of time listening to on-hold music, and that you may be asked a number of questions before your customer service agent is able to help you. 

You can also choose to have Amazon call you by navigating through their Contact Us page and selecting "Phone," which will bring you to a page where you are able to enter your phone number and select whether you would like Amazon to call you right away, or in a few minutes' time.

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2. Contacting Amazon by Chat

The most targeted way to communicate with Amazon is to follow their online contact us process and then choosing to chat with a representative online. I've found I've rarely had to wait longer than a few minutes to be connected with a customer service representative through chat, and their responses are always prompt.

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This method is preferable to calling Amazon directly because the selections that you make using the online form will guide your request to a customer service representative who is familiar with the kind of problem you are having. Also, this is a great option for those who don't like talking on the phone or who communicate better through writing. You can also choose to have a transcript of the chat emailed to you, which can be helpful if you need to refer to a specific number or guarantee later.

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3. Contacting Amazon by E-mail

Your final option for contacting Amazon directly is to send them an e-mail. The nice thing about this option is that you are able to send Amazon all of your information in the initial e-mail, which in a best case scenario might allow you to take care of an issue in a single email exchange!

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To contact Amazon by e-mail, you follow the same form as you would for chat or to have Amazon call you, but select the e-mail option at the end. The e-mail will be sent from the address linked to your Amazon account.

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Unfortunately, there is always the possibility that your initial e-mail may not contain all the information your customer service representative needs – in this case, you will end up in a back-and-forth exchange very similar to one you would have using the chat service, just with a little more time spent waiting between e-mails.

4. Amazon Co-Pilot

What is Amazon Co-Pilot?

In 2015 Amazon introduced a new form of customer service that can be a huge help for people who are less familiar with online shopping or who just aren't understanding their customer service representative's directions.

You can access the home page for Amazon Co-Pilot by clicking Help on Amazon's top menu bar, then Need More Help at the bottom of the page, followed by clicking Amazon Co-Pilot, but you will be unable to access Co-Pilot until you are on the phone with a customer service representative.

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While you are on the phone with your Amazon customer service rep, you can let them know that you would like to use the Co-Pilot feature. The support person will give you a code for you to enter on the Co-Pilot home screen, and then they will be able to navigate the Amazon website for you on your computer.

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Don't worry – the customer service representative can only access Amazon webpages while connected to your browser through Co-Pilot, not your webcam or any other open windows, webpages, and/or programs.

5. Using Amazon Help Forums

If you have a question and don't care who it is that answers, you may find that the Amazon help forums are all you need. The forums can be accessed by pressing Help on Amazon's top menu bar, and then selecting Need More Help? at the bottom of the page followed by Ask the Amazon Community.

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On these forums users can answer each other's questions and offer advice or solutions for frustrating situations. If you're looking for a refund the other users won't be able to fix things for you, but they might have excellent suggestions about the best ways to ask for one or what you can expect from your customer service experience.

There are three easy ways to search for the answer to your question

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  • Search for past questions (1): With millions of people using Amazon every day, chances are that someone out there has had the same problem as you. Do a quick search of questions that are already part of the forum and see if your question has already been asked (and answered!).
  • Ask a new question (2): If you haven't seen the answer to your question after searching your key words, you can ask the forum yourself. Include as much information as possible (with the exception of any identifying information, of course!), and then see what the community has to say. Remember to take answers with a grain of salt – they may be faster and more candid than responses from Amazon customer service representatives, but they also don't have the same authority and may not be up-to-date on Amazons policies and procedures.
  • View Recent Questions (3): You may be lucky enough to find the answer to your question (or any number of other helpful hints and tips) by scrolling through the questions and answers recently posted by others in the Amazon community. You may even be able to lend a hand and answer a question or two for someone else who's looking for clarity!

6. Third Party Sellers

When ordering from Amazon it's important to be clear on whether you are purchasing directly from the Amazon site or from a third-party seller. While Amazon may be able to help with some issues that happen on a third-party transaction, you're likely better off starting your problem solving process with the actual seller.

If you want to contact the seller directly, it can be a bit of a process. The following steps will walk you through the rabbit trail of links you need to follow.

  • First, you will want to look up the order (either through a confirmation e-mail or under "my orders" online). The seller's name should appear under the title of the item, and should be a hyperlink.
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  • After clicking on the seller's name you'll be directed to a page that will show you other items that they sell and recent feedback they have received. Click on "Detailed Seller Information" under their name and feedback rating to be directed to the next page, where you will receive detailed information about who to contact for the problem you are having (for example, refunds tend to go through Amazon, while product information and shipping questions should go through the third-party seller).
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  • If you are still certain that you should be contacting the third-party seller, your next step is to press on the hyperlink for the seller's customer service
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  • The links should take you to a contact form which will allow you to fill in the details of your question and send an e-mail to your seller from the e-mail address associated with your Amazon account. The response time for these e-mails will depend on the individual seller, as they operate independently from Amazon itself.
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What can Amazon Customer Service do For You?

It's easy to shrug your shoulders at the little mishaps and surcharges that are a part of most online shopping experiences. However, Amazon customer service receives top marks for a reason – the customer service representatives can really make a difference in your online shopping experience. Consider asking them for help with the following things:

  • Amazon Policies: No one knows Amazon's policies and practices better than the customer service reps! If you're confused about how long you have for a return, have questions about shipping times, or just want to understand the system a little better it's worth reaching out. You'll be able to get a quick, verified answer without spending too much time navigating Amazon's maze of a website.
  • Refunds: If you need a refund on a subscription (such as an automatic Amazon Prime renewal) or an item that wasn't as described, arrived late, or arrived damaged, customer service will usually follow through without any hassle.
  • Price Changes: There are a lot of great ways to save on Amazon, so if you make a purchase and then notice the price has dropped (within seven days of your purchase), customer service will generally be able to refund the difference between the prices.
  • Missing Packages: If your package has disappeared without a trace, contact customer service. They may be able to give you an updated estimate of its arrival date, ship a replacement, or potentially even provide a refund.

How to Get the Most out of Your Customer Service Experience

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No matter which method you choose to get in contact with Amazon, there are some guaranteed ways to get the most out of your customer service experience.

  • Be Polite: Sometimes you need to publicly call a company out, but unless it's truly a dire situation there's nothing that's going to help you out more with customer service representatives than treating them like human beings and being polite throughout your interactions. You're still allowed to voice your frustrations, but do so in a way that recognizes that it isn't the customer service rep's fault, and allows you both to work together to find a solution.
  • Be Prepared: Try to have all the necessary information (such as order numbers, product names, important dates, credit card numbers, etc.) with you before you contact Amazon. This simple step will greatly improve the efficiency of your phone call or chat!
  • Explain the Problem: Try to give your customer service representative all the pertinent information about your situation up front so that they know how best to help you. Give them a quick summary letting them know who you are, which order you're calling about, and what went wrong – this provides a great base for your customer service rep to build off with additional clarifying questions.
  • Ask for What You Want: If you want a refund, a replacement, an explanation, or a change made to your order, let the customer service rep know! This is a win-win situation – your customer service rep understands what you are looking to get out of the conversation, and you have a much better chance of seeing the end result that you're hoping for.
  • Press Restart: Sometimes conversations with customer service just don't go well – maybe you don't click with the representative, maybe there was a miscommunication – whatever the case, if a conversation isn't going well, don't be afraid to hang up the phone or close the chat and try your luck again with another customer service rep.
  • Be Aware of the Rules: Amazon has incredible customer service, but there are still strict rules in place about what representatives are (and aren't) allowed to do. Be aware of the policies and procedures before so that you don't make any requests that are completely outside the scope of what Amazon is actually able to do.

Is That Really All It Takes?

Amazon consistently receives top marks for its customer service, and it is definitely a priority for the company – Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, told Forbes magazine in 2012 that all of the upper-level executives must attend two days of call-center training every year in order for them to understand what customer service is all about.

I have to say, my personal experiences with Amazon's customer service have always been great – I never had to wait long for a response, have received several refunds without any hassle, and have always felt like a valued customer. Has this been your experience with Amazon?

If you have any tips and tricks for Amazon's Customer Service, I'd love to hear about them in the comments! 

Image Credit: customer service agent by Tyler Olson via Shutterstock, docstockmedia via Shutterstock.com