Customer Service: The Hunt for a Human, The New York Times, 30 Dec 2004

“Try to reach customer service at Amazon.com to fix a problem with an order and you will encounter one of the most prominent and frustrating aspects of the Internet era: a world devoid of humans. Not only is there no telephone number on Amazon's Web site, but the company makes a point of not including one. Instead, customers are asked to fill out an online form and wait for a response.�

Full story at http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/30/technology/circuits/30serv.html?ex=1262149200&en=bbdfc24ff7dc818a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt