27% of your business growth is lost because your support team is spending time on repetative support.
You have built a real brand with a real team, but you are still losing your best people to the weight of basic support calls.
It is hard to scale when your most expensive assets are spent answering the same three questions all day.
And when you scale it only gets worse.
This guide will go over how to automate a large part of your phone support channel.
First, we will look at the must-have features for Shopify brands.
Then, we will compare the top tools that can handle 70% of your calls without a human.
Editor’s note: Want to hear some sample AI support calls made for your Shopify store?
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What are ecommerce call automation services?
Ecommerce call automation services are AI-powered platforms designed to handle customer phone calls for you.
Think of them less like a robot answering the phone and more like a smart assistant that can understand what a customer needs and actually help them.
These services use conversational AI and natural language understanding (NLU) to figure out what someone is saying, no matter how they phrase it.
This lets them have surprisingly natural, human-like conversations.
It's a significant advancement from traditional IVR systems that required callers to navigate menus. Modern AI agents can understand context, look up order details, and solve problems right on the spot. To better understand this evolution, see the comparison below.
The main goal is to resolve a large portion of your calls without any human help. Many services aim to handle over 70% of common questions, like order status updates or return requests. This frees up your human agents to tackle the truly tricky issues that need a personal touch.
Key features to look for in ecommerce call automation services
Not all automation tools are created equal, especially when it comes to the unique needs of an online store. If you're looking around, here are a few non-negotiable features you should be looking for.
Deep e-commerce platform integration
This is the big one. For a call automation service to be truly useful, it needs to connect directly to your store's backend.
Without real-time access to order numbers, customer history, and your product catalog, the AI is just guessing.
Generic voice agents may lack the direct data access required for these specific questions. They can't answer specific questions like, "Where's my package with the blue sneakers?" or "Can I return the t-shirt from order #12345?"
This highlights the value of a platform with native Shopify integration. For example, Ringly.io's AI agent, Seth, plugs right into your Shopify store. This allows it to pull live order information and even start the return process for a customer automatically, all during the call.
Human-like conversational abilities
The quality of the AI's voice and its ability to hold a natural conversation significantly impacts the customer experience. Customers are more likely to have a good experience if they feel like they're being understood.
Look for advanced features like the ability to understand different accents and even support multiple languages.
Some of the best platforms can handle conversations in up to 40 languages, which is perfect for stores with international customers.
Most importantly, a good AI knows its limits. Instead of guessing and frustrating a customer, it should be smart enough to know when it's out of its depth or if a caller is getting upset. When that happens, it should just pass the call to a human agent on your team.
No-code setup
The ideal solution should be easy to set up without requiring a dedicated IT team. The ideal solution should be something you can set up yourself without needing to hire a developer or read a huge instruction manual.
Enterprise systems can be powerful, but may involve longer implementation times.
Others are more like toolkits that expect you to build your own AI agent from scratch. This approach is effective for those with a technical team but may not be suitable for store owners looking for a ready-to-use solution.
Look for a service designed for people who aren't developers. Solutions like Ringly.io can be set up in about three minutes. You just connect your Shopify store, pick a phone number, and you're good to go.
An overview of top ecommerce call automation services
The market for voice automation is growing, with different tools built for different types of businesses. Here’s a look at a few popular options and who they’re best for.
Gorgias: The all-in-one ecommerce helpdesk
Gorgias is a well-known platform in the e-commerce support world. It’s an all-in-one helpdesk that brings customer conversations from email, chat, social media, SMS, and voice into one dashboard. It’s built to give agents a complete view of the customer.
Its pricing is based on "billable tickets," which are conversations that require agent interaction. Voice is an add-on to their core helpdesk plans. For example, their "Pro" plan starts at $300 per month for 2,000 tickets, which covers the entire suite, not just phone support.
Note: Gorgias does not offer AI voice agents
For businesses whose main challenge is phone support, it’s worth considering if a comprehensive helpdesk is the right fit compared to a specialized voice tool.
Talkdesk: The enterprise cloud contact center
Talkdesk is a major player in the cloud contact center space, built for large, enterprise-level companies. They offer a sophisticated Retail Experience Cloud that provides deep AI and automation capabilities for large retail operations.
It’s a powerful platform for businesses with complex needs.
Pricing is typically per user, per month. Their "Voice Essentials" package starts around $105 per user each month, a model that makes sense for large organizations with dedicated teams of support agents.
Talkdesk is designed for large-scale operations. It often requires a significant budget, a long implementation process, and a dedicated team to manage it, making it less practical for small or mid-sized Shopify stores that need an affordable and quick-to-launch solution.
Synthflow.ai: The build-it-yourself voice AI platform
Synthflow.ai takes a different approach. It’s a powerful platform that gives you the tools to build your own custom voice AI agents. It features a visual "Flow Designer" that lets technical teams map out conversation logic, test it, and deploy it for just about any industry.
Their pricing is a "Pay as you go" model, where you’re billed for what you use. They also have separate charges for the language model and phone line. They also offer enterprise plans for businesses using over 10,000 minutes a month.
Synthflow is a useful tool if you have developers on staff and want to build a completely custom agent.
This approach, however, requires technical expertise to configure and is not a ready-to-use solution, which is a key consideration for non-technical users.
Ringly.io: A specialized service for Shopify stores
Ringly.io is a purpose-built call automation service designed specifically for Shopify stores. Its AI agent, Seth, is used by over 2,100 brands to handle common questions like order status lookups and return requests.
The pricing is straightforward and based on call volume:
- Start Plan: $99/month for 250 minutes.
- Grow Plan: $349/month for 1,000 minutes, which includes a self-learning AI and deeper analytics.
- Scale Plan: $1,099+/month for 3,000+ minutes and dedicated support.
Any extra minutes on the Grow plan are billed at a transparent $0.19/min. Plus, there's a guarantee where you pay nothing until Seth resolves at least 60% of your calls.
Key aspects of this service include a 3-minute, no-code setup that anyone can do. Ringly.io is focused on solving one problem: phone support. Its deep Shopify integration makes it effective and cost-efficient for that specific channel.
With its clear, usage-based pricing and trial, it’s accessible for stores of all sizes.
Practical use cases of ecommerce call automation services
So, what does this actually look like day-to-day? Here are a few ways call automation can completely change how your store operates.
Handling WISMO calls 24/7
This is probably the most common, repetitive, and time-consuming question in all of e-commerce. It’s a simple query, but the sheer volume can be overwhelming.
An AI agent with direct access to your Shopify data can look up an order status in real time and give the customer an accurate update.
It doesn't matter if the call comes in at 2 PM on a Tuesday or 2 AM on a Sunday; the answer is always available instantly.
A specialized agent like Ringly.io's Seth resolves over 70% of these calls without ever needing a human to step in, saving countless hours.
Automating returns and exchanges
Processing returns is usually a multi-step process. You have to check if the item is eligible, create the return in your system, and email the customer a shipping label. It’s a manual process that’s prone to error.
An AI agent can handle the entire thing over the phone. It can ask for the order number, check your store's return policy, confirm the items being returned, and automatically trigger the return workflow in Shopify. The customer gets their label, and your team never had to lift a finger.
Scaling your support
This is where the financial benefits become clear. Instead of scrambling to hire temporary staff for Black Friday or other peak seasons, an AI agent can handle a massive spike in call volume without breaking a sweat.
This frees up your human agents to focus on high-value conversations that actually drive revenue, like answering detailed pre-sale questions or turning a frustrated customer into a loyal fan.
For a more in-depth look at how you can build an AI agent to handle these tasks, the following tutorial provides a practical, step-by-step guide for e-commerce store owners.
Getting started with call automation
Ecommerce call automation services have become an important tool for scaling brands. They help you deliver fast, reliable, and round-the-clock support without the huge overhead of a traditional call center.
While all-in-one platforms offer broad functionality, a specialized tool can provide targeted features for specific e-commerce challenges, potentially offering a more streamlined solution. You get lower costs, 24/7 availability, and a happier, more productive team that can focus on what matters most.
Ready to see how much time and money you can save?
Start your free 14-day trial of Ringly.io and let our AI phone agent, Seth, handle your customer calls. You pay nothing until he successfully resolves over 60% of your calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main benefit of using ecommerce call automation services for a Shopify store?
The biggest benefit is efficiency. These services can handle the majority of common customer calls, like order status inquiries and return requests, 24/7. This frees up your human team to focus on more complex issues that drive sales and customer loyalty.
How long does it take to set up ecommerce call automation services?
It varies by platform. Enterprise solutions can take weeks or months. However, services built specifically for e-commerce, like Ringly.io, can be set up in just a few minutes without any coding knowledge by simply connecting to your Shopify store.
Can ecommerce call automation services handle calls in different languages?
Yes, many modern platforms can. Advanced AI agents can often support dozens of languages, allowing you to provide consistent support to your customers no matter where they are in the world.
Are ecommerce call automation services expensive compared to hiring a human agent?
Generally, no. The monthly cost for an AI agent is a fraction of a full-time human agent's salary and benefits. When you factor in 24/7 availability and the ability to handle multiple calls at once, the cost per call is significantly lower.
How do ecommerce call automation services handle complex questions they can't answer?
A well-designed AI knows its limits. When it encounters a question it can't answer or detects that a customer is becoming frustrated, it will seamlessly transfer the call to a live human agent on your team to ensure the customer gets the help they need.
Do I need to be a developer to use ecommerce call automation services?
Not at all, as long as you choose the right tool. While some platforms are toolkits for developers, many modern services are no-code and designed for business owners. You can typically get started just by connecting your e-commerce store and configuring a few settings.
