70% of eCommerce founders say they are just answering the same five customer questions every single day.
You have built a great brand and a solid team, but your talented people are just acting like human search engines.
It is frustrating to watch your payroll go toward repetitive tasks while the big projects that actually grow your store sit on the back burner.
But there is a fix.
This guide will go over how to use a virtual receptionist for e-commerce
First, we will compare live agents versus AI automation.
Then, we will show you how to pick the service that actually integrates with your data to solve problems on the first call.
Editor’s note: Want to hear some sample support calls made for your Shopify store?
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What is a virtual receptionist for ecommerce?
A virtual receptionist is a service that handles your business's incoming phone calls from a remote location.
For an ecommerce store, the job is much more specific than just taking messages. The support needs of an online shop often differ from those of other businesses, such as a local law firm or plumbing service.
You'll generally run into two main types:
1.
Live Virtual Receptionists: These are real people who answer calls based on scripts and information you give them. They’re great at handling complex, emotional, or unique customer issues that need a personal touch.
2.
AI-Powered Virtual Receptionists: These are automated systems that use artificial intelligence to have natural conversations. For ecommerce, the best ones connect directly with your store's data to solve issues like order lookups and returns all by themselves.
The right choice really boils down to your store’s specific needs, your call volume, and the kinds of questions your customers are asking.
Live virtual receptionist services
Live receptionist services offer a human touch that can be valuable for building customer relationships.
These services act as a remote part of your team, making sure a real person always picks up the phone so your customers feel heard.
Key features and benefits of live services
A live agent can be a solid asset for a few key reasons.
A real conversation can make customers feel valued, especially when they're dealing with a frustrating situation.
Human agents are adept at navigating unscripted or complicated conversations. Many services can even handle a range of tasks like lead qualification or outbound calling.
Considerations for ecommerce stores
However, there are some considerations when applying live services to the fast-paced, data-heavy world of ecommerce.
A key consideration is the level of integration with platforms like Shopify.
Without deep integration, an agent may not be able to resolve an issue on the first call, potentially creating a follow-up task for your team and a longer resolution time for the customer.
Scaling can be another challenge. During busy seasons like Black Friday, you can't just instantly add more agents to handle a sudden spike in calls.
This can lead to longer hold times during peak periods. Finally, getting 24/7 coverage with live agents is more expensive than an automated solution, and the costs can be unpredictable.
Examples of live receptionist providers
Here are a couple of popular live receptionist services to give you an idea of what’s available.
Ruby
Ruby is a well-known service offering US-based virtual receptionists and chat specialists.
With over 20 years of experience, they work with a wide range of small businesses in fields like legal, home services, and finance.
- Pricing: Ruby's plans are billed by the minute. They start at $250/month for 50 minutes, with higher tiers at $395/month for 100 minutes and $720/month for 200 minutes.
- Considerations: Ruby's service is not primarily designed for the specific data-lookup needs of an ecommerce store. This means an agent might take a message about a missing package for the internal team to handle, rather than providing an instant tracking update.
ReceptionHQ
ReceptionHQ provides 24/7 US-based receptionists for business hours, with an Australian team covering calls after hours.
They offer flexible, no-contract plans and specifically serve the retail and ecommerce industry.
- Pricing: They have several plans, including per-call and per-minute models. The MessageExpress plan starts at $25/month, while the more advanced MyAssistant plan begins at $49/month.
- Considerations: Although they can take orders and process payments over the phone, this relies on an agent following a script. Without a direct Shopify integration, agents may not be able to resolve "where is my order" (WISMO) or return initiation calls independently, which can create additional tasks for your internal team.
AI-powered virtual receptionists
AI-powered virtual receptionists are an alternative built for the digital age.
These systems have evolved beyond traditional "press 1 for sales" auto-attendants. They are intelligent agents that can hold natural conversations and connect directly with your most important business tools.
Key features and benefits of AI solutions
For an ecommerce brand, a specialized AI solution can offer several advantages.
Many AI receptionists can plug directly into platforms like Shopify, which lets them provide real-time order status, start returns, and answer product questions using your live store data.
An AI agent can also handle thousands of calls at once without a dip in performance, making it ideal for sales events and holidays.
This approach is also more affordable for high call volumes and gives you predictable monthly costs. Plus, you can offer immediate, consistent support to customers in any time zone without paying for an overnight staff.
Generalist AI providers
Some AI receptionists are designed as general-purpose tools. For ecommerce stores, this may mean they require more configuration for specific tasks.
Smith.ai
Smith.ai offers a hybrid service that combines an AI receptionist with on-demand, North America-based human agents.
They serve a wide range of industries, from law firms to IT services.
- Pricing: The AI Receptionist plan starts at $95/month for 50 calls. Their human-backed plans start at a higher price of $300/month for 30 calls.
- Considerations: As a generalist tool, Smith.ai may not have specialized, out-of-the-box ecommerce workflows. This can mean that setting it up to handle returns or order lookups requires more configuration compared to a purpose-built solution.
GoTo Connect AI Receptionist
GoTo's AI Receptionist is an add-on to its larger GoTo Connect platform, a unified communications solution.
It offers features like smart call routing and can answer FAQs from an uploaded knowledge base.
- Pricing: It's not sold as a standalone product; it comes as part of a larger business phone system. This may require purchasing a full suite of tools.
- Considerations: This solution is mostly for businesses already using GoTo. It does not currently integrate with external systems like Shopify to pull live order data, which is a consideration for handling common ecommerce questions.
Ringly.io: A dedicated solution for ecommerce
Ringly.io was built from the ground up as a virtual receptionist for ecommerce, with a deep, native Shopify integration at its core.
Its AI agent, Seth, is designed to be set up in about three minutes and start solving customer issues right away.
Key features of a dedicated solution like Ringly.io include:
- Seth independently resolves around 73% of typical support calls by handling WISMO queries, returns, exchanges, and FAQs using your live store data.
- It supports over 40 languages, making it a great fit for stores with a global customer base.
- When Seth runs into a question it can't answer, it intelligently passes the call to a human agent, giving them the full conversation context so they can pick up right where the AI left off.
This specialized approach means you get a tool that’s tuned to the real-world needs of your online store.
How to choose the right service for your store
Now that you know the options, let’s talk about how to make the right call for your business. Here are the key things to look at.
The importance of platform integration
Without a direct connection to your ecommerce platform, a receptionist's ability to resolve issues on the first call is limited.
The ability to solve a customer's problem on the first call comes from accessing and using real-time data.
This capability allows solutions like Ringly.io to provide instant, accurate order updates, which can improve customer satisfaction and save time for your team.
Scalability and 24/7 availability
Think about your busiest times of the year. Can your chosen solution handle a 10x increase in call volume overnight without any issues?
This is an area where AI solutions can offer significant flexibility compared to services that rely on human staffing.
Cost and pricing models
It's important to consider the total cost of the service. Live services often bill per minute, and overage fees can add up fast, leading to unpredictable monthly bills. AI services typically offer a large number of minutes or calls for a flat fee, which makes costs much more predictable.
Some providers even offer performance guarantees. For example, Ringly.io offers a guarantee where you don't pay until the AI resolves at least 60% of your first 100 eligible calls.
Customization and brand voice
Your receptionist is the voice of your brand. A good live service will work with you on scripts, and an advanced AI agent like Seth can be set up with custom greetings and call flows to make sure every interaction feels on-brand and helpful.
Finding the right balance
When picking a virtual receptionist, the decision comes down to what you need. Live receptionists are effective for high-touch, complex issues, while AI solutions are built to handle the scale and data-driven queries common in ecommerce.
Generalist AI tools offer more automation but may lack the specialized integrations needed for some ecommerce tasks.
A common strategy for growing ecommerce stores is to use a specialized AI receptionist to handle the 70-80% of repetitive, data-driven calls.
This frees up your human support team to focus on building relationships and solving the complex problems where they can make the biggest impact.
To see how an AI receptionist works in practice, check out this video that explains the core concepts and setup process.
This video explains what a virtual receptionist is and how you can set one up to automate handling and routing phone calls.
Using a tool like Ringly.io can augment a support team by automating routine tasks, allowing them to be more effective.
Ready to see how much time you can save? Start your free 14-day trial of Ringly.io and let Seth handle your customer calls 24/7.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does a virtual receptionist for ecommerce do?
A virtual receptionist for ecommerce handles incoming customer phone calls for your online store. Specialized AI versions can integrate with platforms like Shopify to answer common questions like "Where is my order?", process returns, and provide product information, all without needing a human agent.
How much does a virtual receptionist for ecommerce typically cost?
Costs vary widely. Live services often charge per minute (e.g., $250+ for 50 minutes), which can become expensive and unpredictable. AI services usually offer a flat monthly fee for a set number of calls or minutes, providing more predictable costs. For example, Ringly.io has plans starting around $99/month.
Can a virtual receptionist for ecommerce integrate with my Shopify store?
Yes, but this is a key difference between services. Most live receptionists cannot integrate and can only take messages. Generalist AI tools might require custom setup. A specialized solution like Ringly.io is built with a native Shopify integration, allowing it to access live order data to resolve customer issues instantly.
Is an AI-powered virtual receptionist for ecommerce better than a live agent?
It depends on the task. For repetitive, data-based questions (like order status or returns), an AI is more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective. For complex or emotional customer issues, a live agent is often better. A common strategy is to use AI for the routine calls to free up your human team for the high-value conversations.
How long does it take to set up a virtual receptionist for ecommerce?
Setup time varies. Live services can take days to onboard and train. Generalist AI tools might take hours or days to configure. A purpose-built AI solution like Ringly.io can be set up in just a few minutes because its ecommerce workflows are ready to go out of the box.
Will using a virtual receptionist for ecommerce sound robotic to my customers?
Modern AI has come a long way from the robotic voices of the past. Advanced AI receptionists use natural language processing to understand callers and respond in a conversational, human-like tone. They can also be customized with specific greetings and phrases to match your brand's voice.
