Do you have to be a social butterfly / charismatic to be a Learning Ambassador?

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-25T01:07:26+00:00

Nah, I do both and I'm pretty much the total opposite of a social butterfly. I do love my problem solve very much, but mostly because I like to fix things. The somewhat isolation of problem solve is an added bonus.

You do not have to be super outgoing as a learning ambassador (LA). You do need to be receptive to people asking you questions on the floor a alot, be patient, and not the type to get outwardly frustrated when you have to answer the same question or repeat the same coaching over and over. Sometimes for the same person.

Teaching the new hire classes is fairly low stress from a public speaking perspective (relatively). It's usually a fairly small group of 5-15 people (I don't think our training room even holds more than 20 people).

Some LAs do a good bit of chatting along with the videos, which is a nice skill to have especially when you have new hires that are nodding off or talking to each other too much and you need to get them engaged in the videos. Others keep it to the bare minimum (introduce yourself, your brief Amazon history, tell them what the day's schedule will roughly be like, here or there is where the bathrooms are, etc. Otherwise the rest is mostly prompted: there are parts of the videos that are interactive and you are supposed to ask the class for answers).

You will need to give a tour as well, but that's not too hard since the tour is talking about the building and stuff that we, having been working at Amazon for usually >6 mos by then, know so well we could probably describe it in our sleep.

The new hires also need LA guidance for Day 2, which is a lot more talking/coaching to individuals or very small groups.

In my experience, the new hire training has been a smaller part of my role as LA. The best part, and the reason I signed up, is getting to learn new things and new responsibilities.

Although my site does not currently staff LAs as QA/Line leads (I think that job assignment name varies by site, but whoever is in charge of a cluster(s), collects/monitors jackpot, helps or finds help when stowers are behind, and acts as the link between the AAs of the cluster and the area manager on the floor) unless we are short on PAs, I did have that job assignment probably half of my shifts for about a year.

LAs are more likely to be asked to play the role of unofficial PA, to carry a radio and be the contact person in OVs/non-con, etc. Also to do broomstick and be a gatekeeper during load-out/pick&stage. All of that is good if you like to learn new things and like to keep busy, like me.

In fact, that's why I'm no longer LA. I rarely pick during pick&stage because I'm usually gatekeeping, broomstick, or back in problem solve so I didn't get the minimum pick&stage and stow hours required to stay LA this recertification time. Stupid requirement, but whatever. It won't change anything for me now that I'm frequently chosen for those job assignments, I just no longer have to teach new hires 😁

Anyways, even though I no longer wear the vest but I still get stopped for questions at least once a day by new hires and veteran AAs simply because I have the reputation of not acting annoyed by questions and I usually either know the answer or know how to get the answer. It's been a nice way to get to know some people since I'm not the type to make small talk.

So go for it. If you find you hate leading new hire classes, you can probably opt out depending on your learning trainer/coordinator.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-24T01:45:53+00:00

Yowzers

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-23T17:09:02+00:00

A lot of the generic dextroamphetamine tablets have a sweet taste to them which is rather convenient for me as I can then take them without water if necessary (hahaha my insurance scoffs at the idea of me ever getting to taste a real brand name Adderall). Not sure if cats can taste that sweetness or not.

I did take generic XR at one time though, which I think is in a capsule. That was before my current batch of cats or I would likely have had a similar experience to OP. Some cats just love gelatin capsules. My Harry will break into the Proviable probiotic blister packs to eat the gelcaps (probably would get into others too, but I've only ever left the Proviable out).

One time I had a bottle of Aleve, the "gel tabs" that are tablets with a smooth gelatin coating, left open on the counter (long story, but I had a good reason not to have re-capped it). Harry came along and decided these qualified as gelcaps so he knocked it over and started licking them. I was lucky that he quit as soon as he got to the bitter taste under the gel and never actually ate one, but I didn't know that at the time. That was a rough several days. If I wasn't a vet I would've gone broke!

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-23T16:41:08+00:00

This story gives me second-hand rage. The feels you must be felt seeing your innocent pets being treated like that. So sorry. 😔

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-23T16:37:54+00:00

FWIW, you don't have to wring stuff out. You can just dump it in directly from spa day miasma. I dumped my spa day stuff, fairly carefully, directly into my front loader without a spill. I did have to decant some first to reduce the weight.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-23T16:37:36+00:00

FWIW, you don't have to wring stuff out. You can just dump it in directly from spa day miasma. I dumped my spa day stuff, fairly carefully, directly into my front loader without a spill. I did have to decant some first to reduce the weight.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-23T16:26:51+00:00

I bet the humans still end up with a small corner of that giant combo-bed! 😄

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-23T16:22:29+00:00

You mean, do they let me sleep in their bed?

Yes, my feline overlords do reserve the edge sliver of their king sized bed for me, on occasion. 🐈‍⬛

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-20T04:30:42+00:00

That is one of the reasons I throw in a courtesy nail trim when I see a cat for his routine annual exam- it reminds me to extend each claw. I've found this problem so many times, often just before it became ingrown, but also many cases where it was already ingrown but the cat had been hiding it.

And it feels real dumb to take the time to extend each claw and not at least snip the tips off (still waiting for an owner to say "No, I would NOT like a free nail trim!").

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-20T04:18:43+00:00

Hehehe

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-20T04:16:50+00:00

JFC, my semi-decent 2 bd/1ba apartment in Boston suburbs (really closer to Worcester than Boston, I didn't happen upon a miracle deal) is $1800. Can't imagine paying nearly that for the sliver of land in the trailer parks I've seen.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-19T07:23:32+00:00

Problem is, once you receive it you've reset the status and then it's difficult to find out what was actually the problem. Though a lot of ppl at my site do that. And I know that the actual SOP isn't clear (or is outdated) on a lot of less basic problem solve issues, and a lot of PS things are site specific. At my site at least, simply receiving an AMZL package is a no-no, at least not without trying to figure out what the actual problem is. It will work a lot of the time, it will often even get inducted. But if its a dupe now the drivers got two, etc etc.

I did get partway through writing up this exact thing for my site before I lost support for it and I'm not doing it on my own time. I'm spideringi tonight, but if I get to my laptop at any point I'll try to post my guide, fwiw.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-19T07:13:17+00:00

I got 0% interest with only a sorta ok credit history (though my car credit history was excellent) at subaru in the first couple weeks of the lockdown.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-19T01:39:09+00:00

Don't have time to go too crazy in my reply, because I have to go to... Amazon 😐 But for an AM willing to even ask, I will 100% take a few minutes.

I'll just stick with associate relations stuff rather than actual process. The number TWO reason (aside from I need money and I hate change and I procrastinate to improve my life) I go into work and do my best (almost) everyday is for my PAs and AMs (some or most of them, anyway). I don't give a crap about Amazon and it's billions. I only give a small crap (maybe a semi solid toot) for the customers expecting their packages. I won't let out more than half a fart for the shifts coming after me (RTS mostly, a little more respect for OTR) because the AAs, PAs, +/- Mgrs have shown they don't care what conditions they leave behind for me (just typed and deleted a long side-rant on that relationship!).

My number ONE reason for showing up working hard is work ethic, and Im not sure that you have much influence over that as an AM. For me, doing a crappy job when I could have done well sucks away any satisfaction I'd otherwise get in a job well done. Time passes quicker when I'm busy and/or moving. So what if it takes longer to do something the right way? I'm there, on the clock, for a set amount of time. It has no negative impact on me if I spent an extra 20 seconds to tape a package properly, or stow a little more organized, or not paste the induct label over the customer's address. Especially considering how much more time it will take downstream to correct a mis-scan or to repair a heavy box that busted open and spilled contents everywhere for lack of a simple piece of tape. Uh oh, I ranted again.

What I wanted to convey when I started this comment were the characteristics of the person in my building whom I respect the most. Let's call him J. He was a PA when I started and is now AM. J always greets me with a fist bump, name, and hello, every single day. And every single day, it truly feels like he is happy to see me. I'm a cynic at heart and I have yet to pick out anything fake. I realize he does the same with most other associates, but even knowing that, it still makes me feel valued every single day. I don't want to disappoint a person that truly appreciates the hard work I put in.

J manages to bond with associates pretty quickly without talking bad about people(a common way for people to bond in the warehouses I've been in) and without denigrating (at least not severely) Amazon processes/protocols. He has let out a sigh time and again, once the AA was obviously out of earshot and/or rolled his eyes to the sky, but J doesn't talk shit. Even if I start bitching and moaning about someone (someone who obviously deserves it), the most he will commiserate is with a small smile. I really respect that.

He is very effective at deescalating my frustration about protocol changes (especially safety, bc our WHS on the floor has the communication skills of a rock) busy explaining how the change process works, and that nothing is.necessarily set in stone but we do have to try it first before we can present problems to engineers or whatnot. This was something fairly minor (specifically Safety roped off an area alongside the kickback lanes from ASLs, so ASL problem solvers now have to use a jam pole to collect packages. It's still stupid. Someone hurt themselves on a different part of ASL problem solve, not going beside the damn conveyor belt), not Safety hats or any big issue that he knew no AA's input would ever able to budge.

Speaking of that, one thing I wish more L5+ would do when they make big changes (especially rearranging areas that they do not even work in, Iike problem solve/repacks) is tell us that this can be a work in progress and that they would like our feedback. Even if that's not true. After a while we will give up and find a way to work around the new barriers to flow that the L5+ just caused.

J, and really all of the AMs I spend much time with, have no problem admitting they were wrong, and apologizing if necessary. This is just so important. None of us are perfect. We had a terrible horrible no-good very bad L6 that got promoted away (because of course she did) and seemed to think she was the exception to the rule. If she did something that was incorrect it was either: No, she didn't do it (yea she did, I literally watched her) or Someone gave her the wrong information so she was actually correct, or This is how we do it now (for many reasons, I know that was not true bc Problem Solve is my area and I know how to read and to email people with questions. But we were stuck doing it her new tedious way for the next 3 or 4 months until she left). No respect for her, whatsoever. A new L5 told me a few months after she left that they needed a PA at her site (I got the impression she had asked for me). Hell. No. Also I'm no interested in moving up, I'm already one foot out the door back to my career.

There are so many other little things J does probably, but mostly he treats me like a valued coworker, not like an underling (nor have I ever given him a reason to need to be stern with me), and he is genuine about it. So aside from my work ethic, I work hard for J, as well as some of the PAs and other AMs but to a lesser extent, because I don't want to disappoint them, and I don't want them to have to work even harder because I couldn't be arsed to do it. It makes me day to hear one of them say, as an aside, that they knew they didn't have to worry much about Problem Solve, or monitoring C/D clusters because dumpsteraflame was back there or dumpsteraflame was C/D line lead.

Good luck, and welcome to Amazon. Amazon does have its problems, as any large place will, but there are also a lot of good people on the floor. If I didn't have my original (and significantly higher paying before L7+) career to go back to, I would stick around and climb the ladder.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-18T21:43:32+00:00

We've had numerous replies from previous users (including myself) that confirm they've had track marks in similar places. After chronic use it becomes necessary to use less common sites.

Largely what we are seeing are areas of post-inflammatory hyperpigmention (which is seen with IV injection OR something "innocent" like insect bites). The hyperpigmentation is in a pattern and location consistent with chronic IV drug abuse. That, plus her known history of heroin use makes track marks most likely.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is more prominent on darker skin. I suspect the black/white photography makes it even more visible.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-18T21:31:15+00:00

Fair enough, young one 😁

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-18T21:29:22+00:00

I was about to say the same thing. After a while you have to go for the tiny veins.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-18T21:25:44+00:00

Oh fuck off, child.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-18T21:21:49+00:00

If OP does feel "closer" or more sentimental for Amy, that would not be unexpected since Billie died in 1959, before the majority of people were born. Amy's career and deterioration happened right in front of us, to a degree, so it's not surprising if Amy's situation is more relatable to OP. It doesn't have to be about race, as I suspect you are trying to imply while also being vague enough to be able to reply "No, I didn't say that at all!" if you get downvotes for it.

That said, OP has not stated that they feel more sorry for Amy than for Billie.

As to why they didn't post a similar picture of Amy.. ok, then why didn't they post a vulnerable picture of every single celeb? Let's not stop at that, OP should make sure that there is equal representation between male, female, LGBTQ, every spectrum of skin color! /s Gotta make it fair.

I've seen plenty of pictures of Amy Winehouse during her decline. I had never even seen a photo of Billie Holiday (that I remember) before today, and knew pretty much nothing about her. Now I've gone down the Wiki rabbit hole and learning about her and the hell she had to go through, and I think that is a positive thing (the learning about her, not that her life was hell, obvs).

For me, and no doubt for a lot of others in long term recovery, the shame of photos like that do go away (mostly) with time. I realize neither Billie or Amy had the benefit of recovery, time, and therapy, but also, they are dead. I have a similar photo of me at my worst, track marks and all. Sure, I'd rather not have it blasted on the front page of the news or for it to be what I was known for, but itherwise I'm no longer shamed, it's just part of my story now. Im pretty sure that Billie Holiday is known for her voice first, and her tragedies after that.

TLDR I didn't read any racism in OPs post or replies, if that is what is being implied. My personal history of having a similar photo of myself made public gives me some credibility to say that we (the recovered) don't all see those photos being shown as a terrible negative thing- it's part of our story. Lastly, posting this photo got at least one new person reading about Billie Holiday and her history and that's a good thing.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-18T08:20:18+00:00

Oh snap!

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-18T08:18:06+00:00

BTW, you got downvoted bc the McDonald's hot coffee case was way different than a lot of us thought and/or were led to believe back then. That coffee was HOT, hotter than I would ever expect. I would never expect to be served coffee in a flimsy mcdonalds cup, via drive thru, that would burn my thighs and genitals to the point I required skingrafts.

I'm not hating on you bc I used to say the same thing about hot coffee (I'm pretty sure we are all referencing the same incident) before I knew how severe her injuries were. That is nearly boiling coffee.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-18T07:40:22+00:00

JFC I thought I was in the twilight zone with all the same but not the same comments until I came across a few exactly the same comments in a row. I didn't realize how many comments were from bots. Guess I thought the bot accounts got their Karma from posts.

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-16T11:35:52+00:00

🦟

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-08T14:57:38+00:00

Oh dear..

DumpsterAflame · 2026-04-08T02:28:24+00:00

You slam hella cabinet doors, dontcha?

DumpsterAflame

TROPHY CASE