Does “Alexa, thank my driver” still send tips? Amazon is ending the program.
- The company said Wednesday that the program would apply to the first 1 million grateful.
- On Amazon’s website, the company confirmed that more than 1 million thanks had been received by Thursday, ending the promotion with a $5 tip.
Amazon has ended a promotion that allowed customers to thank their drivers with a tip paid for by Amazon, a spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY on Saturday.
The company said Wednesday that the program would apply to the first 1 million grateful. A day later, all of the company-sponsored $5 tips had been given out, the company said.
The promotion allowed shoppers to show appreciation to the driver who delivered their last package by giving them $5, at no cost to the customer. Customers with an Alexa, Alexa-enabled device, or Amazon Shopping mobile apps can start the tip by saying “Alexa, thank my driver.”[ads1];
In addition to the $5 tips, the five drivers with the most appreciation will be awarded $10,000, plus an additional $10,000 to their chosen charity, Amazon said in a news release Wednesday.
“‘Alexa, thank my driver’ exceeded our expectations. We are happy to see customers interested in thanking their drivers and encourage them to continue to do so,” Amazon spokeswoman Lauren Samaha said in a statement sent to the US TODAY Saturday morning.
“Drivers will continue to be notified of the appreciation received. The promotional period where drivers receive a $5 thank you has now ended,” Samaha added.
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On Amazon’s website, the company confirmed that more than 1 million thanks had been received by Thursday, ending the promotion with a $5 tip.
The “Alexa, thank my driver” campaign came as drivers continue to face a surge in delivery demand for the holiday season. It followed earlier reports of poor working conditions and the biggest union push in Amazon’s history. In one company, Amazon workers in Staten Island, New York first voted to unionize in April — and last month, a judge ordered Amazon to cease and desist from retaliating against unions in the warehouse.
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On Wednesday, the same day the “Alexa, thank my driver” campaign was announced, Washington DC Attorney General Karl Racine also announced a lawsuit accusing the company of stealing tips from drivers and misleading customers. The lawsuit said Amazon used more than $1 million from D.C. consumers’ tips between 2016 and 2019 to subsidize its own labor costs.
In a statement sent to USA TODAY earlier this week, Amazon spokeswoman Maria Boschetti said the lawsuit “involves a practice we changed three years ago and is without merit — all of the customer tips in question were already paid to the drivers as part of a settlement. last year with the FTC.”
Contributor: Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY.
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