Every single minute your team spends answering "Where is my order?" is a minute they aren't spent growing your brand.
You have built a great team, but human labor is too slow and too expensive to handle every basic phone call.
It is frustrating to watch your payroll climb while customers still get sent to voicemail after hours.
In this article, we will go over what eCommerce AI phone support is and how you can start to use it.
First, we will look at why traditional phone teams fail.
Then, we will show you how to set up an AI agent that knows your Shopify data by heart.
Editor’s note: Want to hear some sample support calls made for your Shopify store?
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What is e-commerce phone support automation?
E-commerce phone support automation uses a conversational AI agent to answer customer calls.
Think of it as an automated team member, like an AI agent, that can handle questions automatically and intelligently. For instance, Ringly.io's AI agent is named Seth.
This technology uses real-time speech-to-text to understand what a customer is saying, large language models to figure out their intent and craft a helpful response, and natural-sounding text-to-speech to talk back.
The biggest difference from older, clunky IVR menus is that a modern AI has a real conversation.
It understands context, asks clarifying questions, and solves problems on the spot.
For any online store, this can provide instant, cost-effective support that matches the always-on nature of e-commerce.
Challenges of traditional phone support in e-commerce
Offering phone support is a great way to build trust with your customers.
However, for a growing Shopify store, the traditional way of handling calls can present several operational headaches.
High costs and staffing issues
Hiring, training, and keeping a team of support agents is expensive.
The costs add up quickly, especially when you factor in salaries, benefits, and equipment.
When you look at the numbers, a single call handled by a human agent costs about $2.35 on average.
An AI agent can handle that same call for a fraction of the cost, with some platforms quoting around $0.38 per call.
On top of that, trying to staff for 24/7 coverage or dealing with sudden call spikes during a flash sale can be a significant challenge.
Limited availability
Your store is open 24/7, but your support team may work 9-to-5.
This creates a gap between when your customers are shopping and when they can get help.
People shop at all hours, whether it's late at night or on a Sunday morning. If they have a question and can't get an answer, they may not wait.
A missed call can sometimes mean a lost sale or a customer who moves to a competitor.
The burden of repetitive queries
Most of the calls an e-commerce store receives are for the same few things. "Where is my order?" (WISMO) is easily one of the most common.
These simple, repetitive questions take up a massive amount of a team's time.
This can prevent human agents from focusing on the complex, high-value issues where their empathy and problem-solving skills are truly needed.
Key features of an AI phone solution for e-commerce
So, what should you look for in an AI phone support system?
Here's a practical guide to the features that matter most for an e-commerce business.
24/7 availability
First and foremost, an AI agent is always on. It's available to answer every single call the moment it comes in, no matter the time or day.
This immediately addresses the issue of missed calls. It also meets the modern customer's expectation for instant service.
Deep Shopify integration
A native Shopify integration is a key feature for many e-commerce stores.
It separates a helpful AI from one that just reads from a script.
For example, Ringly.io connects directly to your store’s back-end data.
This means it can give real-time, accurate updates on order status, look up product details, and explain your return policies.
Some systems can even recognize a customer by their phone number if it’s saved in Shopify, greet them by name, and pull up their latest order details.
Multilingual capabilities
E-commerce is global, which means customers could be anywhere.
Providing support in their native language is a significant advantage.
A capable AI agent should be able to communicate fluently in dozens of languages.
Seth from Ringly.io, for instance, supports over 40 languages, enabling localized support for customers worldwide.
Intelligent call routing
One of the biggest concerns with AI is what happens when it doesn't know the answer.
A well-designed system understands its limits and knows when to escalate.
With platforms like Ringly.io, you can set simple, clear rules for when a call should be escalated to a human agent.
For example, if a customer gets angry, asks a question outside the AI's knowledge base, or requests to speak to a person, the call can be seamlessly transferred.
This creates a reliable safety net.
Actionable analytics
A modern support platform should do more than just answer calls; it should provide valuable insights to improve your business.
Some platforms provide call recordings, full transcripts, and detailed performance analytics. One useful feature is the ability to detect "knowledge gaps."
The system can automatically flag questions it couldn't answer, so you can easily update its knowledge base and make the AI support even smarter over time.
How to choose the right AI platform for e-commerce
How do you pick the right platform for your store? Here’s a simple framework to help you evaluate your options.
Key criteria for choosing an AI phone solution
When you're looking at different solutions, keep these key points in mind.
- Ease of Setup: How long does it take to get up and running? Look for a solution that doesn't require a team of developers or weeks of implementation. With some platforms like Ringly.io, you can get set up in just 3 minutes.
- Integration Depth: Does the AI just read from a static FAQ page, or can it tap into live order data from Shopify? To handle WISMO requests and returns effectively, a deep, real-time connection is beneficial.
- Proven Resolution Rate: Ask for real-world numbers. An effective AI should be able to resolve a significant portion of calls on its own. For context, Ringly has an average resolution rate of ~73% across the thousands of stores using it.
- Customization and Control: Can you tweak the AI's voice, tone, and escalation rules to match your brand? Your AI agent should sound like a natural extension of your team, not a generic robot.
Understanding pricing and trial models
Some platforms offer a performance-based guarantee, which can reduce the financial risk of adoption.
For example, Ringly.io offers a unique guarantee that lets you try the platform with zero financial risk.
Here’s how it works: you don't pay until its AI agent, Seth, successfully resolves 60% of at least 100 calls.
This trial period lasts up to 14 days or 300 calls. If the performance target isn't met, you aren't billed.
Once the guarantee is met, the Grow Plan kicks in automatically at $349/month.
This plan includes 1,000 call minutes and all the deep Shopify integrations you need for order lookups and returns.
There are also other plans available to fit different needs:
- Start Plan: For stores with lower call volumes, this plan is $99/month and includes 250 minutes.
- Scale Plan: For high-volume stores, this plan starts at $1,099/month for over 3,000 minutes and comes with a private Slack channel and setup assistance.
For the Grow and Scale plans, any extra minutes are billed at a clear rate of $0.19/minute.
The importance of safety nets
You may have heard stories about AI "hallucinating" or fabricating information.
That’s a valid concern, which is why a reliable platform needs to have strong safeguards built-in.
An AI agent like Seth from Ringly.io is trained to recognize when it doesn't have an answer.
Instead of guessing, it can apologize and offer to transfer the call to a human. This approach preserves customer trust and ensures everyone gets accurate information.
The future of support is automated
The key takeaway is clear: traditional phone support can be slow and expensive for modern e-commerce.
AI offers a practical and scalable solution.
The benefits include potential cost savings, true 24/7 availability, an improved experience for customers, and the ability to scale support without scaling headcount.
AI phone agents are an accessible tool for Shopify store owners who want to grow their business efficiently.
Seeing an AI phone agent in action can make its capabilities much clearer.
The video below demonstrates how Ringly's AI, Seth, handles real customer calls for a Shopify store, from looking up orders to answering product questions.
This video provides a live demonstration of Ringly's AI agent, Seth, handling real customer calls for a Shopify store.
Ready to transform your phone support?
Why not see the benefits for yourself?
You can get started completely risk-free.
Start a 14-day free trial of Ringly.io and see how an AI phone rep can resolve over 70% of your customer calls, starting today.
If you'd rather get a personalized walkthrough, you can also book a discovery call with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly can I set up a Ringly ecommerce phone system for my Shopify store?
You can get your Ringly.io system up and running in about 3 minutes. The process is designed to be no-code, allowing you to connect your Shopify store, pick a phone number, and deploy the AI agent, Seth, without needing any developers.
What happens if the Ringly ecommerce phone agent can't answer a customer's question?
If the AI agent, Seth, encounters a question it can't answer or if a customer asks to speak with a person, the system is designed to seamlessly escalate the call.
You can set clear rules to transfer complex issues or frustrated customers directly to a human agent, ensuring no one is left without a solution.
Can the Ringly ecommerce phone handle calls in multiple languages?
Yes, absolutely. Seth, the AI agent, supports over 40 languages.
This allows you to provide consistent, localized support to your customers no matter where they are in the world, which is a huge advantage for global e-commerce brands.
Is the Ringly ecommerce phone solution expensive for a small business?
Ringly.io offers several pricing plans to fit different business sizes, starting with the Start Plan at $99/month.
Plus, there's a risk-free guarantee: you don't pay until the AI successfully resolves 60% of at least 100 calls, making it very accessible for smaller stores to try.
How does the Ringly ecommerce phone know my store's order information and policies?
The system has a deep, native integration with Shopify. This allows the AI agent to connect directly to your store’s back-end data in real-time. It can look up live order statuses, process returns based on your policies, and even recognize customers by their phone number.
What kind of analytics can I get from my Ringly ecommerce phone system?
Ringly.io provides detailed analytics, including full call recordings and transcripts. A key feature is "knowledge gap" detection, which automatically flags questions the AI couldn't answer. This gives you actionable insights to continuously improve your support and update the AI's knowledge base.
