Stop Outsourcing Ecommerce Customer Service - Do This Instead

Outsourcing customer service is costly and inefficient. Learn how AI phone support can provide 24/7 availability and substantial savings for your e-commerce business.
Published on
April 2, 2025
Maurizio Isendoorn, Co-Founder at Ringly.io
Maurizio Isendoorn
Co-Founder

Outsourcing customer service is costing your e-commerce business more than you think. It’s expensive, slow, and can’t keep up with modern customer expectations like 24/7 availability and instant responses. Instead, AI phone support offers a better alternative with lower costs, faster response times, and seamless scalability.

Why AI Beats Outsourced Support:

  • Cost Savings: AI agents cost $0.15–$0.25 per minute vs. $1.00 for human agents.
  • 24/7 Availability: No downtime or limited shifts - AI works around the clock.
  • Instant Responses: No wait times; AI answers calls immediately.
  • Scalability: Handles peak demand without hiring or training delays.
  • Brand Consistency: AI learns your catalog and mirrors your tone.

Quick Comparison:

Feature Outsourced Support AI Phone Support
Cost per Minute $1.00 $0.15–$0.25
Availability 8 hours/day 24 hours/day
Response Time 1–30 minutes Instant
Training Time Weeks Minutes
Scalability Manual Automatic

Switching to AI phone support, like Ringly.io, can save you up to 85% on costs, recover abandoned carts, and improve customer satisfaction. Start upgrading your support today.

3 Major Issues with Outsourced Support

Rising Costs vs. Limited Growth

Human phone agents typically charge about $1 per minute, but the real expenses don’t stop there. Training, supervision, and quality checks all add up. As call volumes increase, these rising costs often eat into budgets that could be used for other growth-focused efforts.

Limited Hours in a 24/7 World

Today’s customers expect round-the-clock support. However, outsourced teams often operate on an 8-hour schedule. This leaves inquiries during off-hours unanswered, which can hurt customer satisfaction and lead to missed sales opportunities - especially in the always-on world of online shopping.

Gaps in Quality and Brand Knowledge

Outsourced agents frequently struggle to maintain a service level that aligns with your brand’s tone and values. High turnover rates and juggling multiple clients mean they rarely develop a deep understanding of your products. This inconsistency can erode customer trust and damage your brand’s reputation.

These issues highlight the need for a better solution. Up next, see how AI phone support can address these challenges effectively.

The Future of AI in Customer Service: Build Your Voice Agent ...

AI Phone Support: A Smarter Choice

AI phone support addresses the high costs and limited availability of traditional outsourcing. It provides a more efficient and cost-effective solution.

Lower Costs, Higher Efficiency

AI phone support significantly reduces expenses. Human agents typically cost around $1 per minute, but AI agents operate at just $0.15–$0.25 per minute - saving up to 85%. Plus, AI requires minimal training and doesn’t need breaks, further cutting costs.

AI agents have instant access to your catalog, pricing, and customer data, ensuring accurate and consistent responses. With reduced costs and seamless integration, you can maintain 24/7 support without interruptions.

24/7 Availability Without Delays

AI phone agents eliminate wait times, offering instant responses at any time of day. No more waiting 1 to 30 minutes for human assistance.

Here’s a quick comparison of performance:

Aspect Traditional Agents AI Phone Agents
Availability 8 hours/day 24 hours/day
Response Time 1–30 minutes Instant pickup
Scaling Manual hiring Automatic scaling
Training Period Weeks Minutes

Consistent, Brand-Focused Service

AI agents aren’t just cost-effective - they’re also aligned with your brand’s identity. They can mirror your brand voice while offering detailed product knowledge. Simply upload your website content and product details, and the AI will quickly learn your catalog, providing accurate recommendations and comprehensive answers.

"What I like most about Ringly is that it allows me to see what issues were the most frequent. I can identify the key areas where users need the most help."
– Kevan Williams, Founder Ascendant

The system supports 18 languages and accents, ensuring your brand voice remains consistent across different regions. AI agents can even send SMS checkout links during calls, helping recover abandoned carts and drive conversions. By understanding product relationships and purchase patterns, they also deliver tailored recommendations.

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AI vs. Human Phone Agents

When comparing AI and human phone agents, the differences in performance, availability, and cost are striking. Here's how these two solutions stack up in practical scenarios.

Performance Comparison

Human phone agents often face limitations that can affect service quality and hinder scalability. The table below highlights key metrics where AI phone agents outshine their human counterparts:

Performance Metric Human Phone Agents AI Phone Agents Business Impact
Operating Hours 8 hours/day 24 hours/day Continuous availability
Cost per Minute $1.00 $0.15–$0.25 Up to 85% savings
Response Time 1–30 minutes Instant pickup No wait times
Training Period Weeks Minutes Rapid setup
Break Time 15 breaks/week None Uninterrupted service
Scalability Manual hiring Automatic scaling Immediate capacity adjustment

These metrics point to substantial savings and unmatched flexibility. For instance, an e-commerce store managing 1,000 minutes of customer calls monthly could cut annual costs from $12,000 to just $1,800–$3,000 by switching to AI phone agents.

Unlike traditional outsourcing, AI solutions handle peak demand effortlessly. During busy periods like holidays or sales events, AI phone agents scale up instantly without extra costs or lengthy preparation. In contrast, human agents require costly hiring and training cycles to meet demand.

With instant responses, 24/7 availability, and the ability to scale seamlessly, AI phone agents are a perfect fit for the fast-paced needs of modern e-commerce. This performance edge sets the stage for exploring how Ringly.io transforms e-commerce support.

How Ringly.io Improves E-commerce Support

Ringly.io

Ringly.io uses AI to transform how e-commerce businesses handle customer support, making it faster, smarter, and more efficient.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Ringly.io ensures no more long waits on hold. It's available 24/7, answering calls instantly. With support for 18 languages, it caters to customers globally.

"This is so great, I suddenly got flashbacks of all the times I had to wait for minutessssss and minutessss to have my issue addressed." - Mehtab Faiz, PM at PressConnect.ai

These features help businesses provide faster and more accessible service to their customers.

Automating Key Support Tasks

Ringly.io simplifies operations by automating everyday support tasks. Its AI phone agents handle:

  • Order status updates
  • Outbound calls to recover up to 35% of abandoned carts
  • Product information requests
  • SMS communication
  • Creating support tickets

The system automatically adjusts to handle high call volumes, removing the need for last-minute hiring or training.

Smarter Support Through Data

Beyond automation, Ringly.io uses data to improve support continuously. Every call is analyzed to uncover common issues, measure customer satisfaction, evaluate agent performance, and highlight areas for improvement.

"What I like most about Ringly is that it allows me to see what issues were the most frequent. I can identify the key areas where users need the most help." - Kevan Williams, Founder Ascendant

The platform also includes a knowledge base where businesses can upload website content, documentation, and custom text. As the AI learns, its responses become more precise and personalized, outperforming older support methods.

Conclusion: Upgrade Your Support with Ringly.io

AI offers a clear advantage over traditional support methods. Outsourced support often comes with limited availability, high expenses, and inconsistent service quality. In contrast, Ringly.io's AI phone agents provide a more efficient solution tailored for e-commerce businesses.

Key Advantages

Advantage Impact
Cost Savings Reduce per-minute costs by 75-85% ($0.15-$0.25 vs. $1.00)
Availability True 24/7 support compared to standard 8-hour shifts
Response Time Instant call handling vs. waiting 1-30 minutes
Scalability Automatic scaling without hiring or training delays
Language Support Handles 18 languages and accents
Cart Recovery Recovers up to 35% of abandoned carts

These benefits make upgrading your support system an easy decision, with guaranteed savings. Plus, Ringly.io offers a 110% money-back guarantee if you don't save compared to human agents. With integrations for over 7,000 e-commerce tools, it fits seamlessly into your existing operations.

"Amazing tool, every business should use it!" - Anas Midoul, Founder Kiplify AI

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Handles customer support

Voice
Andrew
English (US)
Language
Direction
Inbound
$0.22 -$0.39
Call costs
1230ms
End to End Latency

Recovers abandoned carts

Voice
Brian
English (US)
Language
Direction
Outbound
Actions used
Call trigger
Shopify app of Ringly.io
New abandoned checkout
$0.21 -$0.37
Call costs
1142ms
End to End Latency
BubbleCon 2024 Award winner
"Most Innovate App"

Ringly.io is the first AI phone agent platform built for online e-commerce stores

Ringly.io is the first AI phone agent platform built for online e-commerce stores

Try Ringly.io for free

No money saved after 90 days = 110% money back
Works in 20 languages
1 minute sign-up
10 minute quick setup