Amazon is giving customers a new way to thank the drivers who deliver their packages, just in time for the holidays. Specifically, its "Alexa, thank my driver" program asks them to do so via its voice assistant Alexa.
Unfortunately for Amazon, the timing of the program’s launch yesterday is awkward in a few ways. First, it follows news that Amazon is planning big layoffs, with a focus on the teams working on Alexa and the devices used to access it. Second, it comes the same week as a lawsuit alleging the company used deceptive methods to lead consumers to believe that tip money went directly to drivers as extra pay, when it really was used to subsidize their base wages.
