Amazon will soon shutter Mayday, the live video tech support once touted as one of the best things about the company's Fire-branded products.
Customers used Mayday whenever they were in a technological bind; at the push of a button, Mayday summons tech support advisers within seconds, and those representatives helped users address whatever problem customers may have.
Amazon launched Mayday in 2013 with uproarious fanfare, but now it's shuttering it without much foreshadowing beforehand or any grand announcement. It wasn't until GeekWire caught wind of Mayday's demise that it became news. A memo on Mayday's support page confirms the "service will be discontinued in June 2018."
"You can still contact Amazon customer service any time through Phone, Email, and Chat," the memo says.
What To Do Now That Mayday Is Leaving
As an alternative, Amazon advises users to rely on the User Guide and Help Videos instead, which are stored under the Help section of Fire devices. Also, users can always find Help through Quick Actions, or by swiping down from the top of the screen. A Help App is also available on the home screen, notes Amazon.
Clearly, Mayday didn't become as vital as Amazon hoped for it to be. Granted, the feature must have been helpful for a lot of users, but the company now has its Alexa voice assistant, which helps users with basic tech support and allows Amazon to cut down on costs. For Amazon, Mayday is a brilliant, but unnecessary feature given the state of things. This isn't why it's shutting it down, though. Asked why Mayday is being discontinued, Amazon told GeekWire that Mayday was launched on legacy devices that it no longer sells.
Mayday Screen Sharing Still Possible
That being said, Mayday's screen sharing tool can still be used by Amazon representatives, allowing them to instruct users in need of help directly. It's not a lot better than live video calls, but users essentially have no finer choice. The use of live video chat for tech support, while far better than automated help, no doubt cost Amazon a lot of money since it put several on-call representatives on the payroll. But now the company is using that money to invest more in its Alexa voice assistant, which seems to be getting smarter as the months pass. Alexa is available on Amazon's Fire tablets, unsurprisingly.
Have you used Mayday on your Fire tablet or phone previously? What are your thoughts on Amazon removing the once-acclaimed service? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
