Amazon Echo Owners Can Find Service Companies via Alexa Skills

HomeAdvisor launched the first Alexa skill for home services Thursday, enabling Amazon Echo owners to connect to home service professionals by voice using Alexa’s “open mic” feature. Consumers can use HomeAdvisor Instant Connect technology to connect “in less than a minute” to service personnel in the Home Advisor network to arrange appointments for home repairs, the company said. Smart home platforms are “the next big growth accelerators” for home services, HomeAdvisor CEO Chris Terrill said. Users of the Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap and Amazon Fire TV can enable the skill from the Alexa app and then tell Alexa to "Ask HomeAdvisor to find me a plumber," for instance, the company said. Alexa prompts users for a ZIP code and phone number to connect them with prescreened and available home professionals, HomeAdvisor said. Professionals in HomeAdvisor's network undergo criminal and financial background checks before joining the network and are customer rated and reviewed, it said.