Why are Amazon Fresh product prices not updating for 30% of items?

Introduction

The Amazon Fresh product pricing issue, where 30% of items are not updating, presents a critical challenge that could significantly impact customer trust and business performance. I'll approach this problem systematically, focusing on identifying the root cause, validating hypotheses, and developing both short-term fixes and long-term solutions.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the scope, I'm thinking this might be a systemic issue. Can you confirm if this 30% is consistent across all product categories or concentrated in specific areas?

Why it matters: This helps determine if the problem is widespread or localized. Expected answer: It's spread across categories, but some are more affected than others. Impact on approach: If concentrated, we'd focus on those specific categories first.

• Considering timing, I'm wondering if this coincides with any recent system updates. Have there been any significant changes to our pricing or inventory systems in the past week?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with new issues. Expected answer: A minor update was pushed to the pricing algorithm last week. Impact on approach: This would shift our focus to the recent update as a potential cause.

• Thinking about data flow, I'm curious about our price update frequency. What's our normal cadence for price updates, and has that changed recently?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is with the update process itself. Expected answer: Updates typically occur hourly, but there's been no intentional change. Impact on approach: If unchanged, we'd look at potential bottlenecks in the update process.

• Considering user impact, I'm interested in customer feedback. Have we seen an increase in customer complaints or support tickets related to pricing?

Why it matters: Gauges the real-world impact and urgency of the issue. Expected answer: There's been a 15% increase in pricing-related complaints. Impact on approach: High customer impact would prioritize quick, visible fixes.