Where’s My Dinner?

The at the intersection of the Couch Potato and Technology consumers are now finding just what and when they can eat dinner. According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® industry insiders say that ‘high level data’ now ranks ‘When will Dinner Arrive’ as asked more often that ‘What’s for Dinner’.  To that end Amazon Echo has teamed up with Uber Eats to create a simple and seamless answer to the question, ‘When will dinner arrive’.

It’s at that intersection that a solution has been found. Recently, Uber Technologies, announced that consumers can now use their Amazon Echo devices to track the status of Uber Eats orders in the United States. This new integration unlocks real-time, hands-free order tracking for Echo users across the country.

The Uber Eats integration with Alexa gives consumers timely updates on critical points in the delivery process—starting when an order is being prepared through to when the driver is arriving, and when the order is delivered. Consumers can set how 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?"

Ethan Hollinshead, Lead Product Manager at Uber, stated, "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," ... "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 to get anything, from anywhere—which is always our priority."

Mark Yoshitake, GM and Director of Alexa Skills, stated, "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," ... "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."

Yes, Uber Eats order tracking on Alexa is available on Echo devices in the United States now. 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 case you did not know, to get started, go to the Voice Assistant settings in the Uber Eats app and turn on the "Track with Alexa" button. Then, after checkout, tap the Alexa.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter