Francisco Ramos, an owner based in Denver, said he believes that Amazon's system can make owners even more than the money advertised, and that those who fail to hit the range are simply making poor business decisions. Ramos, who feels sympathy for Amazon's business practices, believes the company's decision-making is oriented toward maintaining delivery speeds and pleasing the customer, sometimes regardless of the consequences for specific DSPs. For example, Ramos said that Amazon sometimes added DSPs with new, less-qualified owners just to ensure that deliveries were always fast (especially during the peak months of the coronavirus pandemic), even when there was less work available for each LLC. "Their targets, you've gotta be barely average to hit those targets. And if you try a little harder, those targets are a piece of cake to blow right by," he said.
But all of the other DSP owners, managers and drivers interviewed for this story, including those making profits in the middle or higher end of Amazon's advertised range, told Protocol they see their success as born from a combination of luck in terms of delivery location and a willingness to skirt Amazon's rules for the program. Aside from Ramos, all of the business owners and drivers interviewed for this piece see themselves as working primarily for Amazon, not for an independent small business. That mentality has added to the disappointment for workers seeking autonomy, like the veteran interviewed for this story.
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