SAN FRANCISCO—Uber Eats has partnered with Amazon’s Alexa to allow customers to use their Echo devices to track the status of their Uber Eats orders. The integration will give customers updates on different points in the delivery process, from order preparation to delivery.
Customers can also decide how they want to receive updates. Alexa can announce when there's a status change to their order from one or all of their household devices or they can choose to receive an Alexa notification instead—the light on their Echo device will change to yellow, and consumers can ask, "Alexa, what's my notification?"
"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 consumers 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 get anything, from anywhere—which is always our priority."
"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, GM 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. It's yet another example of how Alexa is helping make customers' lives easier."
Uber Eats order tracking on Alexa is available on Echo devices in the United States. Amazon is Uber's third partner in the voice-activated space, after announcing partnerships with Google Assistant and Apple's Siri for voice ordering integrations within the last year.
In late March, Panera Bread announced that MyPanera members can now order via Alexa on Echo Show devices. Ordering with Alexa provides convenience for MyPanera members and allows them to order via voice or touch—without having to open the Panera app. With this new feature, MyPanera members can simply ask Alexa to order their favorite Panera items for pick-up or delivery.
“While our guests love the Panera app, we know there are times where it’s just more convenient to be hands-free and order by voice, and we are thrilled to work with Amazon to design and offer another convenient way to order Panera,” said George Hanson, chief digital officer for Panera Bread.
Alexa is also making its way into the EV space. In January, EVgo and Amazon announced a partnership to give electric vehicle drivers the ability to ask Alexa to help them find and navigate to nearby EV charging stations, as well as initiate and pay for charging sessions at EVgo stations.