The holiday season is upon us, and some of our favorite customer stories are about the power of gift-giving. Here are two of those stories, from customers who unwrapped or gave an Amazon device to a loved one and found new ways to use Alexa to stay connected and make their lives a little easier.
Alexa helps a “zero-tech” family connect
In Mexico, Yecely shared her family’s story of buying an Echo Dot for her aunt and uncle who, at the time, didn’t really use technology. Within a matter of months, they and Yecely realized that having Alexa in their homes was improving their lives and making them happy.
My cousin bought the fourth generation Echo Dot as a gift for my aunt and uncle. At the time, they didn’t even own smartphones—they were definitely zero-tech.
As the years went on, my aunt lost her sight and as a result, her life changed completely. Meanwhile, my uncle struggles with his memory, so remembering to take his medications is almost impossible for him. During the day, both of them are usually alone. It’s turned out that Alexa has been excellent at keeping them both company. My aunt and uncle learned to use Alexa very quickly, and my cousin set up a couple of reminders so that my uncle can easily take his medications when he needs to. In addition, my aunt loves reading, but since becoming visually impaired, she’s found it practically impossible. Now, she asks Alexa to read her a book, which has helped her feel more cheerful. I never imagined that a gift like this would help them improve their lives so much. Sometimes we can’t imagine how functional devices can be, but when you encounter a situation like that, you realize that the context makes them essential.
“I can talk to my house!”
William received his first Echo as a gift back in 2014, the year Echo was first released. In the years since, his love for Alexa—and his smart home collection—has grown into a smart home hub.
I spent my whole career in programming, so I had a natural interest in Alexa when I first heard about it. When I received Echo as a gift, I totally latched onto it and have been really excited to see it grow.
Since retiring, finding new ways to use Alexa and customize the service to my life has become a hobby of mine. These days, I use Alexa for so many things around the house. There’s the obvious things, like turning the lights on and off, helping to lock the doors, keeping the house cool—but I also take Alexa with me everywhere I go. I have an Echo Auto that I use to make sure the house is at a comfortable temperature when I arrive home. Or because my smartwatch is integrated with Alexa, I can go for a run without my keys or wallet, and Alexa will help me unlock the house when I return.
In one room of our home, we’ve set up a kind of smart home hub. We use a Fire TV Cube, not only to access our favorite programs, but to see our photos on the TV. We also use that TV to monitor our Ring cameras that look out over our front yard. Additionally, we have an Echo Show in that room, so we can chat with the grandkids even from afar. This hub really is the center of our home.
A while back, I watched a TV show and it showed the characters talking to their house. At the time, it seemed like the coolest thing, just beyond our imagination. Suddenly, I look around today and realize I’m living it. I can talk to my house!
We love hearing about how Alexa is being used in homes all over the world to bring joy, share strength, and keep us in touch with our loved ones. If you have a story of your own about how you use Alexa, we'd love to hear it, and we will continue sharing some of our favorite #AlexaStories.
You can email us or tag us on Twitter or Instagram @alexa99 or #AlexaStories. Additionally, to learn more about how Alexa is helping people in different ways, you can watch Alexa Stories videos at amazon.com/alexastories.
