Imagine the ultimate department store. If you decide you want to go there, you can get there in 10 seconds. You walk in. You ask to see some headphones in Electonics. Instantly, you are transported to the right department and there in front of you are hundreds of headphones. Feeling overwhelmed, you ask to see just the noise cancelling headphones. Now you have a few dozen choices. It's still hard to decide until you notice that there is a sign above each model that lists the "Average Customer Review". Now you focus on the few that average 4 out of 5 stars or higher and are in your price range.
You pick one up, wondering what are its best and worst features. Suddenly, 55 people show up who bought that same pair of headphones and have strong opinions about them. They all want to tell you about their experiences to help you make the right choice. Again, you don't know where to begin. So someone suggests, "why don't you first ask the people who loved the headphones, the ones who gave them 5 stars?" You agree, and now you only have 20 people to deal with. They quickly tell you what they liked and didn't like. Then you check with a few of the people who did NOT like the headphones.
You repeat this process for the 2 or 3 other most highly rated and affordable headphones. Finally, you make your choice, basing it on detailed customer feedback, confident that you will be satisfied.
You decide you want to also get a new coffeemaker, some books, garden tools, and clothing. In every case you buy with confidence because of all the customers who let you know what worked well for them and what did not work.
This fantasy department store is how I see Amazon.com. I know this sounds like a commercial, but the site never ceases to amaze me, and I rarely end up with a product that disappoints me.
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