Need to know which bin to put out? Just Ask Alexa!

Kirklees residents can now '˜ask Alexa' when their bins are due to be collected following the launch by Kirklees Council of a new '˜skill' on Amazon Alexa.
SERVICE: Whatever the weather, residents can find out collection dates and report a missed bin.SERVICE: Whatever the weather, residents can find out collection dates and report a missed bin.
SERVICE: Whatever the weather, residents can find out collection dates and report a missed bin.

Kirklees Council is launching the use of Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant for their refuse collection service.

If the council can reduce queries about bin collection dates and missed bin collections, and therefore reduce calls and visits to their customer service centres through the use of Alexa, it could deliver services more cost effectively.

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When someone visits a Kirklees customer service centre it costs the authority around £10 to assist them, but the majority of these visits could be dealt with much more easily, for the customer and the council, and at a lower cost online for just nine pence per transaction.

Residents who have installed the skill on an Alexa device can check when their grey and greens bins are due to be collected and report a missed bin collection.

Cllr Graham Turner said “The launch is part of Kirklees Council’s Digital Strategy and drive to embrace new technology to engage Kirklees residents online at a time and place that suits them.

“As speech activated technology advances it gives us the opportunity to look at innovative ways to enable residents to interact with the council in a wide variety of ways, for their specific needs and to get important information exactly when and where they want it.”