Hermes has become the first parcel company in the UK to enable Amazon Alexa enabled customer tracking of parcels being delivered through its network. Consumers will be able to use voice commands via Alexa-enabled devices such as Amazon Echo or Echo Dot to track their parcel after enabling the skill on the Alexa app.
Customers can initially interrogate Alexa for a status update as to the location of their parcel but Hermes will also add the ability for customers to change their delivery experience as well as arrange returns through Alexa, explained Hermes CEO Carole Woodhead, at The Delivery Conference yesterday.
The company will also develop additional features, such as being able to ask where the nearest myHermes ParcelShop is, set delivery preferences such as safe place location and preferred neighbours and schedule courier collections.
Woodhead revealed that the company will also trial customer selectable slots in 2017 for both next day and same day deliveries. “It’s all part of our change to become more customer focused,” she said.
The delivery firm is also working with autonomous delivery vehicle firm Starship Technologies. The duo completed their first automated parcel delivery in a trial in Greenwich Village in London in December.
Image credit: Amazon
