Uber Eats has expanded in recent months to include everything from pet food to school supplies. Now, the company is integrating with Alexa to allow customers to track their food deliveries on their Amazon Echo devices.
“With order tracking on Alexa, managing orders from Uber Eats has never been easier – whether a favorite dessert or Friday night pizza heading to consumers’ doorsteps,” said Ethan Hollinshead, lead product manager at Uber. “We know that customers are busier than ever before and we are excited to launch our integration with Alexa that unlocks new ways to simplify the experience to help consumers to get anything, from anywhere – which is our priority.”
Notifications every step of the way
Uber announced that these new technological capabilities are available immediately in the United States. Consumers can test out the new features with their Echo devices when they place their next Uber Eats order.
For those who plan to try out how Uber and Amazon are working together, you first have to open Voice Assistant settings in the Uber Eats app and turn on the “Track with Alexa” option. Then, when the order is submitted, the device will alert you throughout the delivery process.
Like most Alexa notifications, users can update them to best suit their needs. Alexa can update you at each step of the ordering process – when the order is being prepared, when the driver is on their way, and when the order has been delivered.
However, consumers also have the option to make the notifications more discreet. Rather than the device announcing each phase of the delivery, Alexa can simply change the notification light to yellow, and consumers can choose when they want Alexa to announce the notification.
Additional options
There’s also the option to link the notifications to all of the Alexa devices in the home – or just one. This would mean that each device would announce an update to the Uber Eats order in real time – or just the one would.
“Simple ambient experiences let customers be more present with family and friends – they don’t need to be distracted by checking for delivery updates on their mobile apps,” said Mark Yoshitake, general manager and director of Alexa Skills. “Now, customers can settle in for their favorite movie and trust Alexa to let them know when their driver is approaching with their order, or update them if there is a material change to the estimated delivery time.”