Shopify merchants today face a fast-evolving reality: customers expect real-time and accurate answers.
AI voice agents solve this by handling inbound calls for common requests like WISMO “where is my order”, returns/product/store FAQs and checkout help.
This guide explains how to use an AI voice agent to boost Shopify sales, reduce support workload, and deliver faster customer responses, especially during peak times.
What is an AI voice agent?
An AI voice agent is a virtual assistant that answers inbound phone calls, understands intent, and replies or routes the call to a human.
Inbound use cases for Shopify stores
24/7 FAQ support: Responds to basic queries like return policies, shipping times, and product info, freeing up your team by handling repetitive questions automatically.
WISMO (order tracking): Answers “where is my order” calls in real time by pulling Shopify order status and fulfillment updates.
Overflow & after-hours: Covers peak traffic and off-hours so no call goes unanswered when your support staff is unavailable.
VIP escalation: Detects high-value shoppers and routes them faster to reduce friction for your top spenders.
Wholesale inquiries: Handles partner/buyer calls about pricing, lead times, and terms.
Assisted checkout (human handoff): Answers pre-purchase questions and sends high-intent callers to a human the moment buying intent is detected.
Real-world example
Over the past two months, two ecommerce brands (Elevate Collagen + Michael Todd Beauty) used Consio’s AI Voice Agent for 24/7 inbound coverage when their human agents are unavailable. The AI handled 76–82% of inbound calls, across 1,772 total inbound calls.
Elevate Collagen: 1,070 inbound calls → 75.8% handled by AI (811)
Michael Todd Beauty: 702 inbound calls → 82.1% handled by AI (576)
How to set up your Shopify AI voice agent
Step 1: connect Shopify (+ optional Klaviyo) : Sync customers, orders, tracking, products, and segments so the agent has real context
Step 2: set up your phone number : Provision a number, complete business verification/CNAM, and add your greeting
Step 3: Consio will build the Knowledge Base : Scrape your website and upload key pages (FAQs, shipping/returns, product pages) so the AI has accurate store policies and product context
Step 4: define inbound coverage + routing : Choose the topics the AI can handle (WISMO, returns, shipping, FAQs) and set “human first → AI if no answer” routing
Step 5: configure escalation rules : Decide exactly when to hand off (VIP, refund/complaint, delivery-by-date, payment issues) and what context to pass (summary + transcript)
Step 6: test, go live & iterate : Run test calls, launch gradually, then review recordings/transcripts weekly to improve answers and reduce escalations
How inbound voice works for Shopify
Many Shopify merchants worry voice agents will replace human agents, but the best systems do the opposite: they reduce team overload, improve sales conversion, and scale customer support without scaling headcount. Used properly, AI voice agents are assistants, not replacements.
AI voice agents are becoming one of the must-have Shopify apps for brands scaling support without scaling headcount. It’s also cheaper than scaling a phone team and quality stays high with transcripts, analytics, and continuous learning.
Common concerns on whether an AI agent actually can give results:
Will it sound robotic? No. Modern voice agents use natural speech and can hand off to a human anytime.
Will it hurt our brand experience? Not if escalation and fallback are set correctly. The AI answers what it’s confident about and hands off with full context (summary + transcript).
Will customers actually use it? Yes. Shoppers already call for WISMO, urgent issues, and checkout questions. The real question is whether you can answer 24/7.
Can it handle “Where is my order?” (WISMO) calls? Yes. It pulls real-time order status and shipment/tracking updates from Shopify context.
Can it help with returns or product questions? Yes. It uses your policies and product info, and escalates edge cases to a human.
Can it speak multiple languages? Yes. You can set supported languages in configuration.
How long is setup? Typically less than 1 day
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Want to hear how it works? Book a live demo to see how AI improves Shopify phone support through smart routing and 24/7 availability.
See our AI voice agents support a customer here
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Posted on Jan 29, 2026
