There are already plenty of tasks that Alexa can do for users, but now there’s one more—Alexa device owners can now use an audio command to contact the customer service department of Amazon’s e-book company, Audible. This marks the first live customer experience made available via Alexa. It’s designed to simplify the process of connecting consumers with live Audible agents and save them the trouble of sending an email or finding a support line number.
“At Audible, we are always looking to further personalize the listening experience on behalf of the millions of customers we serve. Audible isn’t just a destination, it’s a lifestyle that keeps people entertained and inspired while going about their daily routines, so we’re thrilled to offer listeners hands-free customer support from a live person while they cook, craft, or relax at home,” Abhinav Mathur, Audible’s senior vice president of Global Customer Care, said in a statement.
Amazon has already experimented with using hardware as a medium for connecting customers with support agents via its Mayday button, which connected Fire tablet users to customer service representatives. The service didn’t last long, however, because users weren’t accustomed to using a tablet to place phone calls. With Alexa-enabled devices, particularly the Amazon Echo, consumers are familiar with using the technology to call family and friends using voice commands. Therefore, Amazon and Audible are banking on the hope that calling a business with Alexa’s help will feel intuitive as well.
To use the new feature, users simply have to say “Alexa, call Audible,” and the technology is already available to all Alexa device owners in the U.S. “Enjoying Audible on Alexa has never been so easy and convenient, and we hope this innovation ushers in a new era of customer service,” Mathur said. Whether or not more brands proceed to make their customer service departments reachable via Alexa remains to be seen.