Amazon has hired an army of unnerving Twitter ‘Ambassadors’ who fire off swathes of upbeat tweets about life working inside one of the firm’s infamous warehouses.
The accounts frequently jump to the defence of the online retail giant in response to random Twitter users criticising its notoriously poor pay and working conditions.
In one response, an Ambassador known as Phil said he ‘doesn’t feel mistreated’ in his building after one Twitter user said the company treats its employees ‘like s**t’.
He added: ‘I even get to use a real bathroom when I want.’
Ambassador Shaye tweeted a separate user who criticised Amazon’s poor wages: ‘Did you know that Amazon pays warehouse workers 30% more than other retailers?’
She claimed the company treated her ‘much better than previous employers’.
Amazon says its ‘FC Ambassadors’, who are all full-time employees with the company, are hired to ‘educate’ members of the public about work at its facilities.
The move follows a flurry of recent poor press over conditions at its ‘fulfilment centres’ – facilities that sort and package products in preparation for shipping.
The centres were branded one most dangerous places to work in the US by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health in a damning report published in April.
An independent survey the same month found that of 100 fulfilment centre workers, more than half suffered from depression, while eight had considered suicide.
Amazon has hired an army of unnerving Twitter ‘Ambassadors’ who fire off ceaseless upbeat tweets about life as a worker in one of the company’s infamous factories. In one response, an Ambassador known as Phil said he ‘doesn’t feel mistreated’ in his building
As many as 16 Amazon Ambassador accounts have surfaced online within the past two weeks in response to negative press surrounding the company.
They responded to tweets about an alleged rise in health and safety complaints at Amazon facilities following Prime Day, as well as a recent report that Amazon UK workers are forced to urinate in bottles to ensure they meet their quotas.
Each account is eerily similar in its look and tone, sporting an Amazon smile logo as a header image and featuring a picture of the user in the factory they work in.
Users only use their first name, and all include ‘Amazon FC Ambassador’ in their Twitter handle. Many obscure their faces in their profile pictures.
Ambassadors’ Twitter bios – the part of a profile where users describe themselves – are also uniform, each using the same format to list the time they have been an ‘Amazonian’ and the location of their facility – all of which are US-based.
Each account also promotes a link to schedule a tour at one of Amazon’s North American fulfilment centres.
Amazon has hired an army of unnerving Twitter ‘Ambassadors’ who fire off ceaseless upbeat tweets about life as a worker in one of the company’s infamous factories
Each account is eerily similar in its look and tone, sporting an Amazon smile logo as a header image and featuring a picture of the user in the factory they work in. Pictured are some examples of the profiles
Amazon says its ‘FC Ambassadors’, who are all full-time employees, are hired to ‘educate’ members of the public about work at the firm’s facilities
They mostly belong to packers, stowers or pickers at Amazon locations ranging from Jacksonville, Florida, to Kent, Washington.
Carol, who works at an Amazon facility in Kent, says working a picker ‘keeps the night interesting, waiting to see what is going to come across my screen next.
She has told several users that she makes around $15 (£12) an hour, not counting any overtime.
Carol, who works at an Amazon facility in Kent, Washington, says working a picker ‘keeps the night interesting, waiting to see what is going to come across my screen next
Amazon Ambassador Shaye has responded to a number of people criticising the company, even though she does not appear to know the targets of her messages
The Ambassador accounts mostly belong to packers, stowers or pickers at Amazon locations ranging from Jacksonville, Florida, to Kent, Washington
Adam, a stower based in San Marcos, Texas, says warehouse workers get healthcare coverage from day one.
In one response he said the company will help pay employees’ school tuition fees.
An Amazon spokesperson told MailOnline that the accounts are all real employees who work as Ambassadors full time.
An Amazon spokesperson told MailOnline that the accounts are all real employees who work as Ambassadors full time
Users only use their first name, and all include ‘Amazon FC Ambassador’ in their Twitter handle. Many obscure their faces in their profile pictures, or use snaps of pets
They said: ‘FC ambassadors are employees who have experience working in our fulfilment centers.
‘The most important thing is that they’ve been here long enough to honestly share the facts based on personal experience.
‘It’s important that we do a good job of educating people about the actual environment inside our fulfillment centers, and the FC ambassador program is a big part of that along with the fulfilment center tours we provide.’
Amazon’s fulfilment centres were branded one most dangerous places to work in the US by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health in a damning report published in April
WHY HAS AMAZON BEEN CRITICIZED FOR ITS TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES?
Amazon has been accused of ‘dehumanizing’ its staff to deliver products to customers.
Workers at the internet shopping giant’s distribution centers face disciplinary action if they lose a punishing race against the clock to track down items ordered by online shoppers.
Staff paint a picture of a stressful environment ruled by the bleeps of handheld devices – nicknamed ‘the gun’ – instructing them which items to collect.
Bosses are said to push staff so far past breaking point that they ‘practically combust’, while regular sackings to keep workers on their toes were described by one HR manager as ‘purposeful Darwinism’.
According to an expose last year, the company’s best workers are known as ‘Amabots’ – because they are so ‘at one with the system’ they are almost cyborgs.
In November shocking claims were made about the online retailer’s newest warehouse – which the company refers to as a ‘fulfilment centre’ – in Tilbury, Essex.
The packing plant is the biggest in Europe, the size of 11 football pitches, and is due to ship 1.2million items this year.
In November shocking claims were made about the online retailer’s newest warehouse – which the company refers to as a ‘fulfilment centre’ – in Tilbury, Essex
The investigation, by an undercover reporter for the Sunday Mirror who spent five weeks there, suggested workers suffer mentally and physically as they try to meet demand.
He said that some of his colleagues were so tired from working 55-hour weeks that they would ‘sleep on their feet’.
‘Those who could not keep up with the punishing targets faced the sack – and some who buckled under the strain had to be attended by ambulance crews,’ he added.
Just the following month it emerged Amazon delivery drivers are asked to drop off up to 200 packages a day, are paid less than minimum wage and urinate in bottles because there’s no time to take a break
Legal firm Leigh Day, which led a case against taxi giant Uber, is representing seven drivers who say the agencies used by Amazon are mistreating them.
While Amazon does not employ the drivers directly, the drivers, who are recruited through agencies, work via an Amazon app and follow delivery routes made by the company.
But drivers who are given up to 200 packages a day to deliver, say that traffic jams, weather and speed limits make it near impossible to deliver all of the parcels in a timely fashion.
A spokesperson for Amazon said: ‘Amazon provides a safe and positive workplace. The safety and well-being of our permanent and temporary associates is our number one priority.’