You can’t grow a brand if your team is trapped on the phone all day.
Every minute spent answering "Where is my order?" is a minute lost on marketing, product, and scale.
Worse, when you miss a call because you’re too busy, that customer is already searching for your competitor.
Stop choosing between expensive call centers and angry customers.
This guide shows you how to use AI voice agents to handle 24/7 support, track orders, and close sales while you sleep.
Here is what we are covering:
- The top 5 AI answering services for 2026.
- Must-have features like Shopify sync and live transfers.
- A simple 4-step plan to automate your phones in one afternoon.
What is AI call answering for ecommerce?
AI call answering for ecommerce is a service that uses an AI agent to handle your store"s inbound phone calls.
You can think of it as an efficient support team member who works 24/7. It offers a more advanced experience than traditional auto-attendants or IVR systems.
So, how does it work? The AI listens to what a customer says, understands their needs, and provides a helpful, conversational answer.
The goal is to make it feel less like talking to a robot and more like chatting with a capable assistant.
Editor’s note: Want to hear some sample calls made for your Shopify store?
- Just paste your store URL
- Get sample calls in under 20 seconds (no email required)
- Listen to demo calls for my store
The benefit for online stores is the direct integration with Shopify. This connection lets the AI do more than just answer the phone. It can pull real-time data to answer specific questions like, "Where"s my order #12345?" or "How do I start a return?"
For instance, Ringly.io’s AI agent, Seth, is designed for this and is used by over 2,100 Shopify stores, where it resolves 73% of calls without human help.
Key features of an AI call answering platform for ecommerce
Not all AI answering services are the same, especially considering the specific needs of an online store.
Some features are nice extras, while others are necessary for a good customer experience and a less stressful life for your team. Let"s look at the must-haves.
Deep ecommerce platform integration
This is one of the most important features to look for.
A direct, native integration with your ecommerce platform is the difference between an assistant that just takes messages and one that solves customer problems right away.
When a customer calls, the AI can securely look up their order history, check a shipment"s real-time status, or even start a return based on your store"s policies.
This is what allows the AI to handle most common support questions instantly. Platforms like Ringly.io are built with a native Shopify integration at their core, which makes for a fast setup process.
High call resolution rate
The point of a support call is to solve the customer"s problem. The call resolution rate tells you how often this happens on the first try, without passing the call to a human.
For an AI answering service, this metric is significant. It shows how effective the AI is and directly relates to time and cost savings.
A high resolution rate means fewer calls for your team, freeing them up for more complex issues. A good service should be able to handle a large chunk of routine calls on its own.
As a reference, Ringly.io"s AI agent, Seth, has an average resolution rate of 73% across thousands of Shopify brands. When you"re looking at different platforms, ask for their typical resolution rates.
Smart escalation and brand safety
A good AI agent should be able to recognize what it doesn"t know.
It should not guess or invent answers when it doesn"t have the right information, as that can lead to frustrated customers.
This is where smart escalation is key.
Smart escalation means the AI can tell when a question is too complex, the customer is getting upset, or the topic is something it hasn't been trained on. In these cases, the AI should smoothly transfer the call to a human on your team.
For example, Ringly.io trains its agent, Seth, to politely say when it doesn't have an answer and connect the caller to someone who can help. This feature acts as a safety net that keeps the customer experience positive.
Multilingual support and voice customization
Your customers could be calling from anywhere. To provide inclusive support, you need a solution that can speak multiple languages. This helps you serve a wider audience and shows you value all your customers.
Beyond language, the AI"s voice and tone should match your brand"s personality. The ability to customize the AI"s voice and speaking style ensures your phone support sounds like a natural part of your brand.
Some platforms like Ringly.io support over 40 languages, which is beneficial for businesses with international customers.
Comparing popular AI call answering services for ecommerce
Many AI answering services are available, but they"re often built for different purposes. Some are general tools, while others are for specific industries. Let"s compare a few options to see how they work for an ecommerce business that needs to handle support calls.
Smith.ai
Smith.ai is a service that combines AI and receptionists. It is often used by service-based businesses like law firms and home services for qualifying leads and scheduling appointments.
For an ecommerce store, the per-call pricing model could become costly when handling a high volume of short, simple calls. Its Shopify integration uses Zapier, which requires an additional tool and may not offer the same real-time data access as a native integration.
Goodcall
Goodcall is a very customizable solution that lets tech-savvy users build an AI phone agent from scratch using "skills" and "flows."
If you have a unique workflow and want total control over the call-handling process, Goodcall provides a powerful set of tools.
This level of customization may require more setup time. A key consideration is that Goodcall doesn"t support number porting, which means businesses cannot bring their existing phone number to the service.
Consio
Consio is another voice platform for Shopify with a focus on outbound calling. Its strength is helping sales teams re-engage customers, for example by automatically calling to recover abandoned carts or reaching out to customers with special offers.
While Consio does have an AI for inbound calls, its primary goal is to serve as a sales tool. If your main need is to automate inbound support questions, Consio"s features may be more geared toward sales than customer support.
Ringly.io
Ringly.io is a platform designed specifically for inbound ecommerce support. It features a per-minute pricing model and a setup process that can be completed in a few minutes.
The deep, native Shopify integration allows the AI to handle common support tickets automatically. It can look up orders, process returns, and answer product questions using real-time data from your store.
Ringly.io also offers a performance-based guarantee, where billing begins after the AI resolves a certain percentage of calls.
How to get started with AI call answering for your store
Setting up an AI phone agent might sound technical, but with the right tool, it's surprisingly easy. You don"t need to be a developer to automate your phone support.
Step 1: Connect your store
First, you connect the AI to your ecommerce platform. With a tool like Ringly.io, this is as simple as installing the Shopify app. Once connected, the AI syncs with your products, policies, and order data.
Step 2: Train your AI
Next, you'll give the AI your business-specific information. This includes your FAQ page, return policies, and shipping details. With Ringly.io, the AI automatically scans your website to learn this information.
Step 3: Set your rules
Now, you decide when a call should go to a human. You can set up simple rules to escalate calls based on certain keywords. For example, you might want all wholesale inquiries transferred directly to a specific person on your team.
Step 4: Measure success
Once your AI agent is live, you can monitor its performance. Keep an eye on metrics like your call volume, resolution rate, and average call duration. This data helps you understand its performance and find any knowledge gaps you can fill to make the AI even better.
Watching a real-world example can make the setup process even clearer.
The video below provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to build and deploy an AI voice agent specifically for an ecommerce store, showing how these concepts work in practice.
This video provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to build and deploy an AI voice agent specifically for an ecommerce store.
Focus on your business, not your phone
Ultimately, AI call answering for ecommerce is about getting your time back. It frees you and your team from answering the same questions over and over.
This lets you focus on the activities that actually grow your business, while your customers get fast, accurate, 24/7 support.
By choosing a tool built specifically for online stores, you can reduce support costs, improve customer satisfaction, and scale your operations without having to hire more people.
It’s a modern solution for a common business challenge.
Let your customers help themselves
Your customers want quick answers, and you want to focus on growing your brand. An AI phone agent handles the repetitive questions about orders and returns so you and your team don"t have to.
With Ringly.io, you can set up an AI phone agent, Seth, in just three minutes. It integrates directly with Shopify to provide accurate, real-time answers 24/7.
Stop losing time to your phone and start automating your support today.
Try Ringly.io free for 14 days and see how many calls you can automate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main benefit of using AI call answering for ecommerce?
The biggest benefits are saving time and money. It handles common customer questions 24/7, which reduces the workload on your team and allows them to focus on more complex issues that help grow your business.
How does AI call answering for ecommerce integrate with a Shopify store?
Many services offer a native Shopify app. This allows the AI to connect directly to your store's backend data to provide real-time information on order status, product availability, and even process returns based on your policies.
Can I use my existing business number with an AI call answering service for ecommerce?
Yes, many professional platforms allow you to port your existing number. This means you can keep the phone number your customers already know, ensuring a smooth transition.
How long does it take to set up AI call answering for ecommerce?
Setup time can vary, but platforms designed specifically for ecommerce, like Ringly.io, can be up and running in just a few minutes. The AI often learns from your website's FAQ and policy pages automatically.
What happens if the AI call answering for ecommerce can't answer a customer's question?
A good AI system knows its limits. When it encounters a question it can't answer or if a customer gets frustrated, it uses smart escalation to seamlessly transfer the call to a human agent on your team.
