Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Kindle Fire: Amazon boasts 9-second response time for Chrismas Day ‘Mayday’ callers

Trevor Mogg
By
mayday amazon discontinued kindle fire hdx
Image used with permission by copyright holder

[DT’s Kindle Fire HDX review]

When Amazon launched its new Kindle Fire HDX tablets a couple of months back, many were interested to see the company had included an on-device ‘Mayday’ customer support button.

Recommended Videos

With the e-commerce giant all too aware of how frustrating such services can be – with endless button pressing and long waits – it wanted to get its Mayday offering right, promising a caller would be connected with a tech advisor within seconds of tapping the button.

Related

On Christmas Day, a time when many were switching on a Kindle Fire for the very first time and therefore possibly experiencing a few issues with its operation, Amazon said it took an average of just nine seconds to respond to Mayday calls, easily beating its usual target time.

“We set a goal for ourselves to have a response time of 15 seconds or less when a customer tapped the Mayday button – we’re proud to say that on Christmas Day we met this goal, with an average response time of just 9 seconds,” Amazon’s Dave Limp said in a release, adding, “We’re excited that millions of customers opened a Kindle Fire tablet this holiday season, and we’re glad so many customers tried out the Mayday button.”

Although it’s likely many members of Amazon’s tech support team would rather have been doing something more festive on Christmas Day, no doubt new Kindle Fire HDX owners were delighted to have had their queries dealt with in such a speedy fashion.

The free Mayday service is available to HDX users 24/7 and involves a video chat with an Amazon tech advisor. Whether you have an issue with the tablet’s functions, or want to learn more about its features, the advisor can help. If things get tricky, they can draw on your screen to help with their explanation, or even take control of the device if you give them permission.

According to Amazon, not all of the Christmas Day callers required tech support. A group of carolers contacted Amazon’s advisors to sing thanks for their work, while one young girl simply screamed when an advisor popped up on the screen, having apparently hit the Mayday button by accident.

[DT tips on ways to improve your Kindle Fire HDX]

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
How to reset your Kindle Fire
how to reset a Kindle Fire Kindle Fire

Maybe you’re selling or giving away a Kindle Fire. Maybe a kid or well-intentioned friend messed up your Kindle’s settings, or perhaps your Amazon account was recently compromised. Whatever the reason, you need to know how to reset a Kindle Fire -- and it’s easier to do than you might think.

Read more
Amazon Fire HD 10 vs. HD 10 Plus: Which budget slate blazes brightest?
Amazon Fire HD 10

In 2021, Amazon released an important update to its 10-inch Fire tablet and an upgraded Fire HD 10 Plus model for those who want extra features -- at a higher price, of course. Interested buyers seeking a new tablet should know exactly how the two models compare and what the key differences are. We've taken a close look, and our guide is ready with everything you need. Here's how the Fire tablets stack up and which we recommend getting. Make sure to check out the latest Cyber Monday Tablet deals before making a decision.
Specs

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)
Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus (2021)

Read more
Best Prime Day Amazon device deals for 2021: Best sales you can still shop
All the latest Amazon Prime Day Amazon device deals and sales
Amazon Echo 4th Gen smart speaker on a table.

Prime Day 2021 is over. Even though there are still bargains to be had at sales like the Walmart Deals for Days sale, if you've had your heart set on a new Kindle e-reader, Fire tablet, Echo speaker, Fire TV device, or something else in Amazon's growing stable of products, your very best chance for a stellar deal just passed. But that doesn't mean you are totally out of luck and have to wait for Black Friday. There were tons of great Prime Day deals on almost every type of product this online retailer sells and most of those deals are over, but there are still deals available, and we're listing the best here. So, now's the time to shop -- and we've rounded up all the best bargains right here, along with a quick guide to help you shop.
The best Prime Day Amazon device deals still available

Should you buy a new Amazon device in the last-minute Prime Day sales?
Amazon always goes all-out for Prime Day, and that's certainly the case when it comes to slashing prices on its own product lines. That means there really isn't a better time than Prime Day to buy any of these devices. At the most, you can expect to see similar prices for Black Friday, but the markdowns won't be bigger -- and you'll have to wait until November. In any case, after Prime Day ends, Amazon snaps back the deal prices to the full list price -- but that hasn't happened yet in all cases. Typically the prices don't begin to soften again until either a few weeks have passed or another sales event.

Read more