Hiring one full-time support agent costs your brand over $35,000 a year, yet they can only answer one phone call at a time.
You are scaling fast, but your overhead is exploding because your team is stuck manually answering the same "Where is my order?" questions all day.
It is frustrating to watch your profits disappear into payroll while your customers still end up waiting on hold.
This guide will show you how to set up a phone support system for Shopify.
First, we will break down the essential features every Shopify phone system needs.
Then, we will compare the top apps to find the best fit for your store’s growth.
Editor’s note: Want to hear some sample support calls made for your Shopify store?
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What is a customer support phone system for Shopify?
Think of it as much more than just a business phone number.
A customer support phone system is a software solution that plugs directly into your Shopify store's backend. This integration is what makes it so effective.
Most modern systems use Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, which lets you make and receive calls over the internet instead of a traditional phone line.
This makes them flexible and easy to scale as your business grows. Unlike a standard phone, an integrated system can instantly access customer data, order history, and shipping information in real-time.
This has opened the door for intelligent systems that use conversational AI.
Instead of just forwarding calls, these AI agents can understand what a customer is asking, look up the information in Shopify, and provide an answer.
To better understand how these components interact, here's a visual breakdown of the process.
It’s the start of an automated support channel that works for you around the clock.
Key features in a customer support phone system for Shopify
Not all phone systems are created equal, especially when it comes to the unique needs of e-commerce.
The right set of features can turn your phone line from a necessary expense into a tool that improves customer satisfaction and gives you back your time. When evaluating options, it's helpful to focus on a few core features.
Deep Shopify integration
This is the single most important feature. A phone system for your store must be able to pull live data about orders, shipping status, customer details, and even product information directly from Shopify.
Without that connection, it's just a phone number that leaves your team (or your AI) guessing.
AI and automation capabilities
There's a big difference between a simple Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and true conversational AI.
An IVR can route calls ("Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support"), but a conversational AI can actually resolve them.
A modern system should understand natural language, handle common questions like returns or order tracking on its own, and only pass complex issues to a human.
This lets your team focus on the conversations that really need a personal touch.
24/7 availability and scalability
Your customers shop at all hours, and they might have questions late at night or on a weekend.
An automated system can handle calls around the clock without any extra staffing costs. This allows your support to scale as your order volume grows, so you're never caught off guard by a sudden rush.
Ease of setup and management
As a store owner, you don't have time for a complicated setup. Look for a no-code solution that you can get up and running in minutes, not weeks.
A system that requires developers or a lengthy implementation usually isn't practical for busy e-commerce teams who need to move fast.
Analytics and call insights
A good system should give you data you can act on. You need access to call recordings, transcripts, and analytics that show you why customers are calling in the first place.
This information is valuable for improving your FAQ page, refining your product descriptions, and making the overall customer experience better.
Comparing popular apps for your customer support phone system for Shopify
Now, let's look at a few options available on the Shopify App Store and see how they stack up against the key features we just covered.
1. Aircall
Aircall is a well-known cloud-based business phone system built for sales and support teams.
Its main draw is its wide range of integrations, including a solid one with Shopify that gives human agents helpful customer context during calls.
It can display customer and order information from Shopify when a call comes in and works with helpdesks like Gorgias.
Aircall also offers an "AI Voice Agent" as an add-on that can manage inbound calls.
However, Aircall is primarily designed to make human agents more efficient.
Its AI Voice Agent is a separate, usage-based add-on, meaning you pay per minute on top of your per-user subscription. This can result in a pricing structure that varies with usage.
Pricing:
- Essentials Plan: Starts at $30 per user, per month (with a 3-user minimum).
- Professional Plan: Starts at $50 per user, per month (with a 3-user minimum).
- AI Voice Agent Add-on: Priced separately, starting from $0.49 per minute.
2. Unicall.ai
Unicall.ai is marketed as an "Enterprise Grade Voice Automation" platform.
It provides AI voice agents designed to handle more complex e-commerce inquiries around the clock, like order status questions and cancellations, by integrating with a store's backend systems through APIs.
It highlights its ability to go beyond simple FAQs to resolve issues that might require actions like processing a payment or confirming a cancellation.
Unicall.ai does not list pricing publicly on its website. To understand the cost and compare it with other solutions, merchants typically need to schedule a demo or a sales call.
3. Richpanel
Richpanel is an AI-powered customer service platform that combines a multi-channel helpdesk with a self-service portal for customers. Its strength lies in unifying conversations from email, chat, and social media into a single inbox and helping customers resolve issues themselves.
Its self-service widget is a great feature, allowing customers to track orders or start a return without contacting support.
It's important to note that Richpanel is not a native phone system.
To handle voice calls, it requires integration with a third-party service like Aircall.
This means managing an additional subscription and tool for your team.
Pricing:
- PRO Plan: $69 per agent, per month (billed annually).
- PRO MAX Plan: $99 per agent, per month (billed annually).
- Self-Service Portal Add-on: Starts at an additional $99 per month for up to 5,000 orders.
4. Gorgias
Gorgias is one of the top helpdesk platforms for Shopify, known for its deep integration and automation rules for text-based support channels.
It offers a native voice channel called Gorgias Voice, which allows you to manage phone calls alongside email, chat, and social media tickets.
The platform provides features like IVR, call routing, and AI-powered call summaries to help human agents work more efficiently.
Its AI Agent can automate a large portion of text-based inquiries.
While Gorgias offers a native phone solution, its core focus is on being a helpdesk for human agents.
The AI features are mainly for text-based automation and summarizing calls, not providing a fully autonomous AI phone agent that resolves calls from start to finish. The pricing is based on ticket volume, with additional costs for AI resolutions, which can vary for stores with fluctuating call volumes.
Pricing:
- Basic Plan: Starts at $50 per month for 300 tickets.
- Pro Plan: Starts at $300 per month for 2,000 tickets.
- AI Agent Resolutions: Cost extra, for example, $0.90 per resolved conversation on the Basic plan.
A look at purpose-built AI phone agents
The options reviewed show different approaches. Some platforms focus on improving agent efficiency with integrated phone systems, while others add phone support as a feature within a larger helpdesk.
An alternative approach is a solution designed from the ground up as an autonomous AI phone agent for Shopify.
This is where a purpose-built tool like Ringly.io comes in.
Its AI agent, Seth, was designed from the ground up to solve the unique phone support challenges that e-commerce stores face every day.
This approach typically includes the following features:
- E-commerce first: The AI is pre-trained on e-commerce scenarios and integrates deeply with Shopify to give accurate, real-time answers about orders, products, and returns.
- Proven resolution rate: Across thousands of Shopify stores, Seth resolves an average of 73% of calls without any human intervention, showing how effective a purpose-built AI can be.
- Effortless setup: You can install the app, connect your store, and have the AI answering calls in about three minutes. There are no developers or complicated configurations needed.
- Risk-free guarantee: Ringly.io offers a unique guarantee where you don't pay anything until Seth successfully resolves at least 60% of your first 100 eligible calls. This allows you to verify its effectiveness for your store before committing.
- Transparent pricing: Once the guarantee is met, the pricing is straightforward. The Grow plan is a flat $349 per month for 1,000 minutes, making it easy to budget for.
- Global and multilingual: With support for over 40 languages, Seth can provide a consistent experience for your customers, no matter where they are in the world.
Choosing the right phone system for your Shopify store
A modern customer support phone system for Shopify needs to do more than just connect calls.
It needs deep integration with your store, capable and autonomous AI, and a simple, user-friendly experience.
Multi-channel helpdesks are excellent for managing email and chat, often treating phone support as one of several channels for agents. Cloud phone systems are useful for human teams, with AI sometimes available as an additional feature.
For Shopify stores looking to offer immediate, 24/7 phone support without hiring a large team, a dedicated AI phone agent like Ringly.io can be an efficient and scalable option.
It’s built for one job: to resolve your customers' phone calls quickly and accurately, so you can focus on what you do best.
Ready to see how an AI phone agent can transform your customer support?
Let Seth handle the calls so you can focus on growing your business.
Start your free 14-day trial of Ringly.io today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What's the main benefit of an AI-powered customer support phone system for Shopify?
A1: The biggest benefit is 24/7 availability. An AI agent can answer common customer questions like "Where is my order?" at any time, day or night, which frees up your team to handle more complex issues.
Q2: How difficult is it to set up a customer support phone system for Shopify?
A2: It varies, but modern solutions are designed to be user-friendly. For example, some AI phone agents like Ringly.io can be installed and configured in just a few minutes without needing any developers.
Q3: Can I use my current business phone number with a new customer support phone system for Shopify?
A3: Often, yes. Many systems allow you to port your existing number over, so you don't have to change the contact information your customers are used to.
Q4: What kind of questions can a customer support phone system for Shopify actually answer?
A4: A good system with deep Shopify integration can handle a lot. It can look up order statuses, provide shipping updates, explain your return policy, and answer frequently asked questions about your products.
Q5: Is a customer support phone system for Shopify expensive?
A5: Pricing models differ. Some charge per agent, while others charge based on call volume or tickets. AI-first systems often have a flat monthly fee for a set number of minutes, which can be more predictable and cost-effective than hiring full-time staff.
