I really like Amazon. I've been a member since 2003. (Oy, that's a long time and a lot of purchases.)
I am an Amazon Prime member. I have an Amazon Fire HD. I pay for Kindle Unlimited. I have an Amazon Echo.
I like the Amazon infrastructure.
Oh wait. What's that? Amazon Echo?
It may be the one that finally turns me off a system I really enjoyed.
I got my Echo back in December. Magical. Much more responsive to voice control than my Moto X Pure phone which uses the Google Now system.
Ok, the Echo's search and intuitive responses weren't quite as good as Google's - how could it be - but the way you could speak to it and have it respond was much better.
I got a kick out of showing guests how I could just casually say, "Alexa, what's the weather for tomorrow" without having to speak like a robot or shout, and it would respond immediately.
But mostly I used my Echo for music playbacks.
And it was never a problem until now.
It has developed a strange bug and, although it seems easily corrected, there seems to be no way to fix it, and - this is the frustrating part - apparently no way to make the people at Amazon understand what the issue is.
After seven
emails to the help desk at the Echo app over the last week trying to explain the issue, I tried one more time. I got passed around to
three reps this time. I especially enjoy the snark from the rep at 10:48 PT saying he didn't want to waste my "precious time."
Below is my last online chat with them. And, again, this is my eighth time trying to get help with this issue.
(Jeff Bezos, maybe take a break from the space shuttle stuff and take care of your main business?)
Conversation opened. 1 read message.
Your Chat Transcript from Amazon
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Hello,
Here's a copy of the chat transcript you requested:
Initial Question: I have had recurring problems with the Echo and it never seems to get solved
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10:19 PM PDT Ashok(Amazon): Hello, my name is Ashok. I'm here to help you today.
10:19 PM PDT Me: Hi
10:19 PM PDT Ashok: Hi James
10:20 PM PDT Ashok: I'm sorry to hear that you have a problem with the Echo
10:21 PM PDT Me: Will
you be the correct dept to take care of it because it really seems to
be a tech issue that no one there seems to be able to fix?
10:22 PM PDT Me: Hello?
10:22 PM PDT Ashok: I can understand your concern.
10:23 PM PDT Ashok: No worries, please hold on a minute while I check on that for you.
10:23 PM PDT Me: ok
10:27 PM PDT Me: Hi how long do your responses take? Are you still connected?
10:27 PM PDT Ashok: A
member of our Amazon Echo Specialist team will need to help you with
this; however, they don't have chat support and unfortunately, phone
service support is also out of hours. .
10:27 PM PDT Me: Well thats why I asked if you were able to help
10:28 PM PDT Ashok: Please hold on a minute while I forward this information to our Amazon Specialist team on your behalf.
10:28 PM PDT Me: I've sent a lot of responses thru the Echo app about this issue over the last week and no one has got back to me it's very frustrating
10:30 PM PDT Me: Just
so it's on the record - I have asked Echo to play the artist Mel Torme
it keeps coming back and saying "here is a sample of "Melt with Me" -
this just started happening. It always played Torme with no problem before either thru prime or through my Amazon library
10:30 PM PDT Ashok: Yes, I'd like to help you, please wait, let me connect your chat to our Appstore team.
10:31 PM PDT Swetha(Amazon): Hi James!
10:31 PM PDT Me: Hi there
10:31 PM PDT Swetha: I'm Swetha from Amazon Digital Support!
Yes, I'm with you!
Hope you are doing good.
10:32 PM PDT Me: Thanks. And Hi Swetha are you able to see what the issue is?
10:32 PM PDT Swetha: Yes James! Please allow me a moment while I check your previous correspondence.
10:32 PM PDT Me: Ok although i seem to get put on hold a lot with these chats but ok
10:32 PM PDT Swetha: I'm sorry about that!
10:33 PM PDT Swetha: From the issue what you have described, I understand that you are having a problem while accessing Amazon Echo app.
10:34 PM PDT Swetha: My sincere apologies.
10:35 PM PDT Swetha: Are you referring to the Order #116-4325902-7753841 placed on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 9:01 PM (PST) ?
10:36 PM PDT Me: NO! did you get any background on what the issue was? It is about Echo not responding correctly
10:37 PM PDT Swetha: Sorry about that. I understand the problem. Let me connect you to the Mp3 specialists.
10:38 PM PDT Me: not MP3 it is ECHO do you know what that is?
Amazon Echo?
Have you heard of it?
10:38 PM PDT Amit(Amazon): Hello my name is Amit. I am a part of Amazon Mp3 support team. I'll certainly try to help regarding your concern.
10:39 PM PDT Me: Why?
It is not an MP3 problem it is Echo is anyone there on the ball?
10:40 PM PDT Amit(Amazon): I'm sorry we were disconnected. I can pick up where we left off.
10:41 PM PDT Amit: James, Echo is also a part of Amazon music.
10:41 PM PDT Me: hey thats good will you actually realize what the problem is or this a joke for Amazon?
10:42 PM PDT Amit: May I know the problems you are getting with your Echo Device?
10:42 PM PDT Me: Ok I have explained it about 8 times I guess i have to try again?
10:45 PM PDT Me: I
am asking Echo to play the artist Mel Torme. This was never a problem
until last week it now says "Here is a sample of Melt With me" a song I
have never heard of and have no interest in. I have Torme in my library
and he is on Prime music I am enunciating normally
It keeps playing a sample of this song instead of Mel Torme
10:45 PM PDT Amit: James, I don't want to misguide you but Echo troubleshooting team is available on call only. You can reach Echo Customer Support by phone directly and toll-free at 1-877-375-9365 or by e-mail at alexa-support@amazon.com. They're available from 3 a.m. to 10 p.m
Pacific time, seven days a week. If you need to troubleshoot your Echo
device, we recommend that you contact Echo Customer Support by phone.
When you contact them, please make sure you have the device and any
accessories that came with your device with you.
10:46 PM PDT Amit: You
can also contact them directly from the Alexa app on your compatible
phone, tablet, or desktop browser. From the app, open the left
navigation panel, and then select "Help." You'll see options for
emailing or calling us. If you choose to call Alexa Customer Support
through the app, this allows them to have your account information ready
when they call you. To learn how to download the Alexa app, go to:
10:46 PM PDT Me: Ok. Thats what I asked when the original rep came on and they kept saying sure its MP3
And you said that too I clearly said its a problem with Echo
10:47 PM PDT Me: what is going on there?
10:47 PM PDT Amit: James, its a part of mp3 but really we do not have necessary tools to troubleshoot the echo issues.
10:48 PM PDT Me: It's NOT mp3 is an Echo problem
10:48 PM PDT Amit: So I request you to please contact the Echo Team directly on call.
I do not want to waste your precious time.
10:49 PM PDT Me: Ok
I responded to an email asking if I needed any help and you and your
colleagues came on you are clearly useless on this. Amazon really has to
get its act together
10:49 PM PDT Amit: I've
passed your feedback to the Amazon technical team for consideration as
we make future improvements. Customer feedback like yours really helps
us continue to improve our products and provide better service to our
customers. |
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