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Conversational AI in customer service: voice will win

People still prefer talking on the phone. See why conversational voice AI is the future of customer service.
Published on
November 28, 2024
Maurizio Isendoorn, Co-Founder at Ringly.io
Maurizio Isendoorn
Co-Founder

1. Overview

What is conversational AI?

Conversational AI is makes communication with humans and machines in very natural. At its core, it's about understanding human language and responding intelligently.

Imagine a technology that knows the meaning behind your words and answers just like a helpful colleague would. That's the magic of conversational AI.

How conversational AI can be used

Let's break down the key applications:

Chatbots
Customer support heroes living in apps and websites, ready to help 24/7.

Smart assistants
Think Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa - your digital assistants that understand and execute commands.

Voicebots
Phone-based support systems that handle customer queries with impressive accuracy.

Conversational AI for customer service

By automating common customer service interactions, companies can:

- Free up human agents to do more complex, empathy-driven tasks
- Provide lightning-fast customer support
- Get insights into customer behavior
- Deliver very personalized experiences

2. Voice

Voice-based conversational AI
The voice AI revolution started becoming mainstream with Siri's launch in 2011. Today, the numbers speak volumes:
- Over 56% of US adults use voice assistants on smartphones
- More than 38% of UK adults own smart speakers

While consumers have started using this technology, enterprises have been more cautious. But that's changing fast.

Voice automation for customer service
Traditional text-based chatbots haven't been the silver bullet many hoped for:
- Only 37% of organizations successfully redirect support calls to digital channels
- Some contact centers have even seen call volumes increase after implementing chatbots

The reality? Customers still prefer talking, especially during uncertain times. During the COVID-19 outbreak, 57% of customers ranked phone support as their top contact method.

Building conversational AI for voice vs. text
Creating natural voice interactions is incredibly complex. Humans interrupt, change topics, and use slang constantly - traits that make voice automation challenging.

Key challenges include:
1. Conversational unpredictability
2. Many accents and speech patterns
3. Lack of visual interface

3. Technology

The tech behind conversational AI

Several sophisticated parts work together to make conversational AI possible:

Speech-to-text
Transforms spoken words into readable text.

Natural Language Understanding (NLU)
The brain that comprehends human language nuances, especially crucial in voice interactions where speakers might not use specific keywords.

Intent
Determines the specific actions to trigger based on conversational inputs.

Value extraction
Pulls relevant information from customer queries, storing them in appropriate "slots".

Text-to-speech
Converts written text into spoken responses - moving beyond robotic sounds to more natural communication.

4. Capabilities

Conversational AI use cases in customer service

From routing calls to managing complex transactions, AI can handle numerous customer service scenarios:

- Intent detection and call routing
- Bookings and reservations
- Customer authentication
- Troubleshooting
- FAQ automation
- Account management
- Order tracking
- Billing and payments
- Personalized service

5. Industries

Conversational AI across sectors

This technology is transforming customer experiences in:

- E-commerce
- Telecommunications
- Hospitality
- Restaurants
- Insurance
- Retail

6. Benefits

Why conversational AI matters

The benefits are insane:

- 24/7 immediate response
- Staff optimization
- Consistent customer experiences
- Proactive issue identification
- Detailed conversational analytics

7. Getting started

Different ways to get started

Four primary routes to implementing conversational AI:

1. DIY from scratch with Ringly.io

2. Done with you with Ringly.io

3. Porting existing chatbot technology

4. Partnering with specialized vendors

8. Ringly.io and conversational AI

Multilingual conversational solutions

70% of customers feel more loyal to brands offering support in their native language. Ringly.io has developed cutting-edge multilingual technology, allowing voice assistants to:

- Deploy in multiple languages quickly
- Maintain consistent behavior across languages
- Customize brand-specific interactions

Ready to transform your customer service?

Let's see how conversational AI can revolutionize your customer experience, improve loyalty, reduce operational costs, and deliver measurable ROI.

When you create an account at Ringly.io, you'll see:
- How human the voice is
- How easy it is to build an effective solution
- How you can add your brand's unique voice
- How to add languages

Conversational AI isn't just a technology - it's the future of customer interaction.

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