It costs roughly $2.35 for a human agent to answer a single phone call, but 70% of those conversations are just people asking for a tracking number.
Scaling a support team for a growing brand eats your profits and burns out your best people.
You are likely caught between overpaying for a call center or watching your customer satisfaction tank as wait times climb.
This guide will go over how to flip the script and lower your support costs by 83%.
First, we will calculate your direct savings and ROI.
Then, we will show you how to pick a tool that actually handles returns and order tracking without a human.
Editor’s note: Want to hear some sample AI support calls made for your Shopify store?
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Understanding AI phone support for e-commerce and its ROI
AI phone support for e-commerce is more advanced than traditional automated "press one for sales" systems.
It can be thought of as a dedicated, digital team member that can understand and solve customer problems right away.
For an online store, this means having a conversational AI agent that connects directly with your backend systems, like Shopify, to handle real customer issues. A good AI phone agent can access your store's data to take care of the transactional tasks that occupy much of your support team's day. These tasks include:
- Looking up an order status in real-time.
- Starting a return or an exchange based on your store's policies.
- Answering specific questions about your products.
This differs from a text-based chatbot because it is voice-first, meeting customers on a channel they still trust. It also differs from a traditional call center because it automates the work instead of outsourcing it to more people.
The goal is to let the AI handle the bulk of repetitive questions on its own. This frees up human agents to focus on conversations that need a human touch, like handling a complex complaint or offering a personalized product consultation.
This hybrid approach aligns with customer preferences, as 89% of consumers prefer a model that gives them the speed of AI and the option for a human when they need one.
Calculating direct cost savings
The most direct and easiest-to-measure part of your ROI comes from cutting your operational costs.
The concept is simple: you rely less on human staff for repetitive tasks.
This can lower customer service costs by an average of 8% across the board, but for phone support, the savings can be much larger. Let's break down where that money comes from.
Reduced labor costs
This is a primary factor. Hiring, training, and paying customer support agents is a major expense for any brand. Let's compare the cost of a human agent to a top-tier AI agent.
When you factor in salary, benefits, and overhead for a standard 40-hour work week, a human agent costs roughly $2.35 per phone call. Multiplied by hundreds or thousands of calls a month, this adds up quickly.
In comparison, an AI agent like Seth from Ringly.io costs, on average, just $0.38 per call. That's an immediate 83% savings on every call it handles.
When an AI can resolve over 70% of inbound calls, it can significantly alter your cost structure, allowing you to reinvest that money into marketing, product development, or other areas of growth.
The effect of 24/7 availability
What happens when a customer in a different time zone wants to check their order status at 2 AM? With a human-only team, that call either goes to voicemail or you pay someone extra to work the night shift.
An AI agent, on the other hand, works 24/7/365. It is available to pick up the phone 168 hours a week, handling after-hours and weekend calls for the same flat fee.
This means you never miss a call, and your customers always get an instant answer, no matter when they reach out. This is a competitive advantage that costs nothing extra.
How scalability impacts ROI
Scaling a human team for peak periods like Black Friday or after a viral marketing campaign can be challenging. It often requires hiring and training temporary staff, which is expensive and can lead to inconsistent service.
An AI agent scales instantly. An AI like Seth can handle 15+ calls at the same time without any issues.
When call volume spikes, it just handles it. There's no need to bring in temp staff or worry about customers waiting on hold.
This type of scalability means you're always ready for a sales rush, which makes for a smooth experience for your customers and less stress for your team.
Beyond savings: Boosting revenue
Cutting costs is only half the story. A truly useful tool doesn't just save you money; it helps you make more. AI phone support can drive revenue growth by creating a better, faster, and more reliable customer experience.
Great support builds loyalty, and loyal customers buy more. Companies that use AI-driven personalization effectively can earn 40% more revenue than their slower competitors.
Here’s how AI phone support helps make that happen.
Instant resolutions and higher conversions
Imagine a customer is on your site, ready to buy, but has a quick question about your return policy. If they have to wait on hold or send an email and wait hours for a reply, they might abandon the purchase.
With AI phone support, they can call, get an instant and accurate answer, and finish their purchase with confidence. This speed can make a huge difference in sales. AI-powered chat has been shown to increase conversion rates by 4x.
When customers know they can get help right away, there's less friction in the buying process. Answering "Where is my order?" in ten seconds doesn't just solve a problem; it builds the trust that leads to the next sale.
Increased customer lifetime value (LTV)
Happy customers are more likely to be repeat customers. Getting problems solved quickly and correctly on the first try is a key part of customer satisfaction. This is where a high-performing AI can be beneficial.
Platforms like Ringly.io report an average resolution rate of 73%, meaning nearly three-quarters of all callers get their issues handled without needing to talk to a human.
This level of efficiency creates a positive customer experience, which can lead to loyalty. That loyalty is valuable. Research has found that returning customers who interact with a brand's AI tools may spend 25% more over their lifetime.
By providing fast, accurate, 24/7 support, you're investing in a long-term relationship.
Freeing up your team for high-value tasks
When an AI handles over 70% of routine calls, your team is free to focus on work that can grow the business.
This could mean:
- Proactive Outreach: Calling customers who abandoned their carts to help them complete the purchase.
- Personalized Consultations: Spending quality time with a customer trying to decide between two expensive items.
- Building Community: Engaging with top customers to gather feedback and make them feel valued.
- Solving Complex Problems: Handling tricky, emotional situations that require empathy and creative thinking.
This shift can turn a support team from a cost center into a profit center, with team members becoming proactive relationship-builders and sales-enablers.
Choosing the right platform to maximize your ROI
Not all AI phone agents are the same. The platform you choose is the single biggest factor that will determine your success and your final ROI. To get these kinds of results, you need a tool that's built for the job. Here are the things you should look for.
The importance of deep integration
Why it matters: A generic AI can't answer "Where is my order?" because it doesn't know what your orders are.
To be useful for an online store, an AI agent needs to be connected to your operational backend, which for many is Shopify. Without a live data connection, your AI is just an FAQ bot.
What to look for: Look for a platform that offers a native, one-click integration with your e-commerce platform. It should allow the AI to pull real-time data on orders, shipping status, customer history, and product catalogs. The setup should be code-free and take minutes, not weeks.
Ringly.io, for example, is designed for Shopify stores. Its AI agent, Seth, connects directly to store data to provide accurate answers and even process returns and exchanges autonomously.
The role of a high resolution rate
Why it matters: Your ROI is directly tied to the percentage of calls the AI can handle by itself. If it has to pass every other call to a human, you're not saving much time or money. At the same time, you need an agent that knows its limits. An AI that provides incorrect answers can damage your brand's reputation.
What to look for: Look for a platform that is transparent about its autonomous resolution rates. A good benchmark is over 70%. More importantly, ask about its safety features. The AI must be trained to recognize when it doesn't know something and have a clear way to escalate the call to a human agent.
For instance, Ringly.io has a 73% average resolution rate. Its agent, Seth, is designed to detect when he is unsure about an answer or when a customer is getting frustrated.
In those moments, he offers to transfer the call to a human team member, ensuring customers get the help they need.
Finding a business model built for a clear ROI
Why it matters: It's impossible to calculate your ROI if the pricing is confusing or full of surprise fees. You need a partner whose business model is straightforward and aligned with your success.
Some platforms, like Consio, are also built for Shopify but may have a different focus.
Their platform is designed for both inbound support and outbound sales campaigns. Their pricing is typically provided after a consultation, which allows for a tailored quote.
In contrast, Ringly.io offers clear, tiered pricing designed for growing e-commerce stores, with plans starting at $99/month.
It also offers a performance guarantee. Billing begins only after its AI, Seth, resolves at least 60% of the first 100 eligible calls.
This model is designed to de-risk the investment, allowing businesses to see a positive return before committing financially.
Your next step towards a better ROI
Figuring out the ROI of AI phone support isn't about vague promises.
It comes from a measurable mix of two things: direct cost savings from reduced labor and 24/7 coverage, and indirect revenue growth from happier customers, higher conversions, and a more effective human team.
Unlocking that potential depends on choosing the right tool.
The key is to find a platform that is built specifically for e-commerce, offers deep integrations with your store, proves its effectiveness with a high and transparent resolution rate, and has a business model that allows you to see results.
With the right AI phone support in place, it stops being a simple cost-cutting measure and becomes a strategic investment in scaling your business. It's about building a more efficient, resilient, and profitable brand.
For those looking to explore this further, Ringly.io offers a free trial with its performance guarantee. Setup takes less than three minutes, allowing businesses to calculate their potential ROI.
