Amazon.com has rolled out a smart home consultation service, free of charge for consumers looking to know more about home automation, according to multiple published reports.
According to the retailer’s website, once a consultation is requested, trained Amazon employees are deployed to a consumer’s home to demonstrate a variety of connected devices including its voice activated home assistant device, Echo with Alexa AI.
The Spoon, a news blog focused on the connected kitchen and founded by Mike Wolf, creator of the Smart Kitchen Summit in Seattle, first reported on the service. In the report, Wolf said, “The consultation consisted of a free 45 minute visit from an expert who would evaluate my WiFi signal strength, let me try out smart home products and, of course, test run voice control of my home with Alexa. At the end of the visit, the consultation would create a customized recommendation list of smart home products.”
Manufacturers and retailers have noted a strong need for consumer education in the smart home space. Amazon was unavailable for comment, but this new consumer education focused service seems to be the online retailer’s latest push in an effort to become the frontrunner in voice activated home automation.
The service is currently only available in seven west coast cities including Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. Amazon has yet to confirm the service’s start date or how long it will be continued, but to date the service has been reviewed by 85 customers starting in November 2016.
