Latest news with #Shopify
Globe and Mail
3 minutes ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
AI-Powered Phone Support by Ringly.io Hits Major Milestone, Resolves Up to 90% of E-Commerce Customer Calls
Platform helps online retailers automate tier-one support and eliminate missed calls with voice-based AI agents. an AI-powered phone support platform built for online retailers, announced this week that its phone automation system can now independently resolve up to 90 percent of incoming customer calls. The milestone marks a growing shift in how e-commerce brands manage tier-one support, with less reliance on live agents. The company's AI phone agents are built specifically to serve online stores and are available 24/7 and solve up to 90% of calls, no humans needed. By handling repetitive questions, including order tracking, returns, product details, and frequently asked questions, the system gets rid of wait times entirely and lowers operating costs up to 90%. The development comes as more e-commerce businesses are looking for scalable, consistent solutions because of labor shortages and shoppers who are expecting better customer service. Data from pilots across 2,179 online stores shows major improvements in operational efficiency. Several brands using have reported a 50 percent drop in average handling time and an uptick in customer satisfaction ratings. One Shopify cosmetics company saw a 78 percent first call resolution rate within the first month of using the AI agents. Another online supplement store recovered over 30 percent of abandoned carts through personalized follow-up calls powered by the system. 'It really sounds like a human,' said Laix, founder of an e-commerce store that began using the AI support system in early 2025. 'What stood out is not just the speed, but the consistency of the responses on every call.' Unlike human call centers that operate in shifts, AI phone agents respond immediately and handle multiple calls at once. The system supports more than 30 languages and integrates with popular platforms such as Shopify and Zapier. This gives real-time access to order information, customer history, and other info the AI can use to make the conversations 100% personalized. Businesses can also upload knowledge documents, training material, and connect their website to align the AI agents with brand-specific policies and procedures. The platform includes smart call-routing capabilities. When issues needs action from a human, the AI escalates the call to a live team. During conversations, agents can leave text messages with links or coupon codes, and trigger backend actions like opening support tickets or updating CRM systems. These integrations make sure that customer service teams can focus more on complex problems, rather than handling repetitive requests. 'AI is changing phone support from that costs money to something that makes money,' said Ruben Boonzaaijer, founder 'Apart from just answering questions, our agents understand what customers want, personalize the interaction, and take actions in real time. For brands, this results in zero missed calls and 70%+ issue resolution within 2 minutes, without needing to manage or train a large call team.' Voice automation has traditionally lagged behind chatbots and email automation because of challenges of real-time speech processing and higher customer expectations for phone interactions. progress in this area is a big shift in the industry's ability to deliver natural and effective AI voice support at scale. 'E-commerce is about speed and experience,' Ruben added. 'When a customer calls, they want answers immediately. Our agents deliver that quickly, clearly, and at any hour.' Retailers using also get access to a real-time analytics dashboard. It breaks down each call by outcome, topic, and resolution time, giving teams the data needed to make support content and policies better. According to the company, these insights have helped clients reduce complex workflows, spot gaps in product knowledge, and make backend systems simpler. The platform's full features, integrations, and onboarding options are available at Businesses interested in exploring AI phone support can visit the website to learn more or schedule a consultation. New users can get a free 14-day trial to test the AI risk-free. About is a phone support platform powered by artificial intelligence, built specifically for online retailers. Designed to scale customer service, the system helps businesses resolve most inbound calls instantly using phone agents trained on brand-specific data. Supporting over 30 languages and a native integration with Shopify, the platform connects customer service, sales, and backend operations into one great experience. Founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, has grown quickly since its launch. It was named 'Most Innovative App' at BubbleCon 2024 and now serves more than 2,100 brands globally. The company is leading the way in improving phone support using practical conversational AI. Media Contact Company Name: Contact Person: Ruben Boonzaaijer Email: Send Email Country: United States Website:
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bosses warn workers: use AI or face the sack
When ChatGPT first burst into the public consciousness, techies and geeks were eager to experiment with the latest cool product. Before long, some of them were using it to automate their work or respond to emails in the office. The reaction from executives was a brutal crackdown. Dozens of companies banned or restricted access to ChatGPT, warning staff about data leaks and plagiarism. Now, bosses cannot get enough of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. With pressure from investors to boost productivity and cut costs, executives are increasingly demanding their underlings brush up on using AI tools, whether they like it or not. While some workers have eagerly taken to the new technology, others are hesitant. In a survey of chief executives by technology giant Kyndryl, 45pc reported their staff were either 'resistant or openly hostile' towards AI. Having already coaxed true believers into trying out AI tools, executives at some of the world's biggest companies are now turning to more aggressive tactics to boost uptake. Last month, Julia Liuson, president of Microsoft's developer division, warned staff that 'using AI is no longer optional'. Liuson said in an internal email that AI use should be factored into 'reflections on an individual's performance and impact'. Just days later, Microsoft said it would cut 9,000 workers. Separately, Tobias Lütke, chief executive of $150bn (£112bn) e-commerce business Shopify, told staff in April the business would 'add AI usage questions to our performance and peer review questionnaire'. Lütke added that 'before asking for more headcount and resources', staff should consider how they could use AI to be more productive. Duolingo, the translation app, has similarly linked AI use to performance reviews. The implication for workers is clear: use AI, or risk losing your job. 'Innovate or die' Micha Kaufman, the chief executive of freelancing app Fiverr, was blunt in a note to its 700 staff. He urged staff to 'wake up' and warned those who did not adapt to the 'new reality, fast, are, unfortunately, doomed'. However, pressure for staff to use AI to improve productivity is not just limited to technology. In an interview with Bloomberg in May, Nicolai Tangen, chief executive of Norway's sovereign wealth fund, said: 'It isn't voluntary to use AI or not. If you don't use it, you will never be promoted. You won't get a job.' One City source says there has been a 'huge push' in their workplace to use AI tools and that 'clients love it'. A private equity executive says: 'Our deal team uses some kind of AI tool every single day.' According to AI evangelists, it is 'innovate or die'. Harry Stebbings, founder of technology investor 20VC, says: 'All leaders must be encouraging people to actively look for ways that they can insert AI and make themselves more efficient.' At 20VC, for instance, Stebbings says his team sits down every Friday afternoon to spend an hour experimenting with AI tools and chatbots, before presenting new ideas for using them to the team. Investors, meanwhile, are clamouring for businesses to embed AI in everything they do, hoping to match some of the trillions of dollars in share-price gains that some of the world's biggest tech giants have enjoyed since the launch of ChatGPT. AI use among workers has been rising. A study from Slack, the workplace messaging tool, found that 60pc of US office workers were now using AI tools, up 50pc on six months ago. But many workers are understandably uneasy. For one, AI leaders have been proclaiming the tools will soon replace swathes of white-collar jobs. Dario Amodei, chief executive of AI lab Anthropic, told Axios that AI could wipe out half of white collar jobs and increase unemployment by 10 to 20pc within five years. Andy Jassy, the Amazon chief executive, has likewise warned staff that AI will allow it to 'reduce our total corporate workforce'. A widely-cited report from Goldman Sachs warned 300m jobs could be lost to AI. Workers plainly have little to gain by handing over tasks to tools that their bosses believe could replace them before long. Cause for scepticism LJ Justice, an analyst at Gartner, says there remains a 'clear gap between executive enthusiasm and employee enablement'. Gartner argues this is down to most staff being expected to take up the tools with little guidance. It found 82pc of staff had received no instruction on how best to use the tools. Meanwhile, Lewis Keating, of Deloitte, says that just half of workers trust businesses to use AI tools responsibly, holding back uptake. 'The biggest hurdle to AI adoption right now isn't the technology, it's trust,' he says. Some tech workers are cynical about the motives of their leaders. On Blind, a forum frequented by tech employees, one worker says: 'Most big tech companies are mandating their employees use AI … it allows them to pump up the numbers of their product. 'What it tells you is, we aren't going to make our numbers and if you aren't helping to boost those numbers, we will replace you.' Across social media, tech workers and programmers have bemoaned being ordered to using AI tools that are not always completely accurate. AI models suffer from an issue known as 'hallucination', meaning they are prone to making up facts. Some have claimed the pressure is making them consider quitting the industry. AI labs including OpenAI, Anthropic and the tech giant Microsoft have all launched AI tools designed to speed up coding that have been championed by AI fans. But Anton Zaides, a software developer and author of the newsletter, writes: 'Stop forcing AI tools on your engineers.' He writes it is 'nuts' that managers are grading workers on 'how the 'best' employees are eating through the tools budget'. He adds that companies that mandate AI use should not be 'surprised if you end up with a slower pace and a complete mess in a year'. Some executives argue attitudes are changing and there is no need to force tools on staff. Barney Hussey-Yeo, founder of UK fintech start-up Cleo, says: 'What was once met with strong resistance - using AI for coding - is now standard at Cleo. We've covered tool costs for our team but avoided mandating adoption; it's grown organically.' But developers with first-hand experience of AI tools may have reasons to be sceptical about the hype from the C-suite. A study from the Upwork Research Institute found that while 96pc of senior leaders believed AI was leading to productivity gains at their companies, 77pc of workers reported they felt it was slowing them down. Perhaps most striking is a controlled study from METR, an AI research lab. It found that while computer programmers believed they were 20pc faster when using AI tools, they were actually working 19pc slower. But AI doubters may wish to keep quiet – their careers could be at stake. As Kaufman, the Fiverr chief executive, warned staff: 'If you think I'm full of sh-- … be my guest and disregard this message. But I honestly don't think that a promising professional future awaits you.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. 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Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Bosses warn workers: use AI or face the sack
When ChatGPT first burst into the public consciousness, techies and geeks were eager to experiment with the latest cool product. Before long, some of them were using it to automate their work or respond to emails in the office. The reaction from executives was a brutal crackdown. Dozens of companies banned or restricted access to ChatGPT, warning staff about data leaks and plagiarism. Now, bosses cannot get enough of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. With pressure from investors to boost productivity and cut costs, executives are increasingly demanding their underlings brush up on using AI tools, whether they like it or not. While some workers have eagerly taken to the new technology, others are hesitant. In a survey of chief executives by technology giant Kyndryl, 45pc reported their staff were either 'resistant or openly hostile' towards AI. Having already coaxed true believers into trying out AI tools, executives at some of the world's biggest companies are now turning to more aggressive tactics to boost uptake. Last month, Julia Liuson, president of Microsoft's developer division, warned staff that 'using AI is no longer optional'. Liuson said in an internal email that AI use should be factored into 'reflections on an individual's performance and impact'. Just days later, Microsoft said it would cut 9,000 workers. Separately, Tobias Lütke, chief executive of $150bn (£112bn) e-commerce business Shopify, told staff in April the business would 'add AI usage questions to our performance and peer review questionnaire'. Lütke added that 'before asking for more headcount and resources', staff should consider how they could use AI to be more productive. Duolingo, the translation app, has similarly linked AI use to performance reviews. The implication for workers is clear: use AI, or risk losing your job. 'Innovate or die' Micha Kaufman, the chief executive of freelancing app Fiverr, was blunt in a note to its 700 staff. He urged staff to 'wake up' and warned those who did not adapt to the 'new reality, fast, are, unfortunately, doomed'. However, pressure for staff to use AI to improve productivity is not just limited to technology. In an interview with Bloomberg in May, Nicolai Tangen, chief executive of Norway's sovereign wealth fund, said: 'It isn't voluntary to use AI or not. If you don't use it, you will never be promoted. You won't get a job.' One City source says there has been a 'huge push' in their workplace to use AI tools and that 'clients love it'. A private equity executive says: 'Our deal team uses some kind of AI tool every single day.' According to AI evangelists, it is 'innovate or die'. Harry Stebbings, founder of technology investor 20VC, says: 'All leaders must be encouraging people to actively look for ways that they can insert AI and make themselves more efficient.' At 20VC, for instance, Stebbings says his team sits down every Friday afternoon to spend an hour experimenting with AI tools and chatbots, before presenting new ideas for using them to the team. Investors, meanwhile, are clamouring for businesses to embed AI in everything they do, hoping to match some of the trillions of dollars in share-price gains that some of the world's biggest tech giants have enjoyed since the launch of ChatGPT. AI use among workers has been rising. A study from Slack, the workplace messaging tool, found that 60pc of US office workers were now using AI tools, up 50pc on six months ago. But many workers are understandably uneasy. For one, AI leaders have been proclaiming the tools will soon replace swathes of white-collar jobs. Dario Amodei, chief executive of AI lab Anthropic, told Axios that AI could wipe out half of white collar jobs and increase unemployment by 10 to 20pc within five years. Andy Jassy, the Amazon chief executive, has likewise warned staff that AI will allow it to 'reduce our total corporate workforce'. A widely-cited report from Goldman Sachs warned 300m jobs could be lost to AI. Workers plainly have little to gain by handing over tasks to tools that their bosses believe could replace them before long. Cause for scepticism LJ Justice, an analyst at Gartner, says there remains a 'clear gap between executive enthusiasm and employee enablement'. Gartner argues this is down to most staff being expected to take up the tools with little guidance. It found 82pc of staff had received no instruction on how best to use the tools. Meanwhile, Lewis Keating, of Deloitte, says that just half of workers trust businesses to use AI tools responsibly, holding back uptake. 'The biggest hurdle to AI adoption right now isn't the technology, it's trust,' he says. Some tech workers are cynical about the motives of their leaders. On Blind, a forum frequented by tech employees, one worker says: 'Most big tech companies are mandating their employees use AI … it allows them to pump up the numbers of their product. 'What it tells you is, we aren't going to make our numbers and if you aren't helping to boost those numbers, we will replace you.' Across social media, tech workers and programmers have bemoaned being ordered to using AI tools that are not always completely accurate. AI models suffer from an issue known as 'hallucination', meaning they are prone to making up facts. Some have claimed the pressure is making them consider quitting the industry. AI labs including OpenAI, Anthropic and the tech giant Microsoft have all launched AI tools designed to speed up coding that have been championed by AI fans. But Anton Zaides, a software developer and author of the newsletter, writes: 'Stop forcing AI tools on your engineers.' He writes it is 'nuts' that managers are grading workers on 'how the 'best' employees are eating through the tools budget'. He adds that companies that mandate AI use should not be 'surprised if you end up with a slower pace and a complete mess in a year'. Some executives argue attitudes are changing and there is no need to force tools on staff. Barney Hussey-Yeo, founder of UK fintech start-up Cleo, says: 'What was once met with strong resistance - using AI for coding - is now standard at Cleo. We've covered tool costs for our team but avoided mandating adoption; it's grown organically.' But developers with first-hand experience of AI tools may have reasons to be sceptical about the hype from the C-suite. A study from the Upwork Research Institute found that while 96pc of senior leaders believed AI was leading to productivity gains at their companies, 77pc of workers reported they felt it was slowing them down. Perhaps most striking is a controlled study from METR, an AI research lab. It found that while computer programmers believed they were 20pc faster when using AI tools, they were actually working 19pc slower. But AI doubters may wish to keep quiet – their careers could be at stake. As Kaufman, the Fiverr chief executive, warned staff: 'If you think I'm full of sh-- … be my guest and disregard this message. But I honestly don't think that a promising professional future awaits you.'
Finextra
3 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Coinbase makes superapp play
Crypto platform Coinbase has rebranded its Wallet app as Base, consolidating payments, trading, chat and social features into a single, blockchain-based 'superapp'. 0 This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community. Running on Coinbase's Base public blockchain network, the app is designed to help the cryptocurrency giant expand its userbase and mimic the success of Chinese superapps such as WeChat. Base includes a one-click checkout feature that lets users make payments with the USDC stablecoin. Coinbase unveiled the stablecoin payments stack, which is already live with Shopify, in June. The app also includes crypto trading functionality, chat, a social feed, support for mini apps ranging from games to prediction markets, and its own identity verification system called Base Account that lets users use their credentials to log into other apps.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Want to Bet on the Blockchain Boom? Buy These 2 Stocks Right Now
Written by Aditya Raghunath at The Motley Fool Canada With Bitcoin hovering near all-time highs, investors would be looking to gain access to the disruptive blockchain segment right now. In this article, I have identified two quality growth stocks that provide you with exposure to this rapidly expanding market, allowing you to generate outsized gains over the upcoming decade. Is this crypto stock a good buy right now? Valued at a market cap of US$104 billion, Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) is the largest cryptocurrency exchange globally. The tech stock has returned more than 475% to shareholders in the last three years as Bitcoin prices have risen from US$16,000 in early 2023 to US$120,000 today. Coinbase has increased sales from US$3.2 billion in 2022 to US$6.6 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, analysts forecast revenue to reach US$8.2 billion by 2028. The crypto heavyweight continues to expand its portfolio of products and solutions. It recently partnered with Shopify, bringing crypto payments to mainstream e-commerce. With over two million merchants now able to accept USDC payments on Shopify's platform, this creates a new revenue stream and demonstrates the real-world utility of cryptocurrency beyond trading. Coinbase's acquisition of Deribit, the leading crypto options platform with 80% market share, expands its derivatives capabilities and enhances institutional offerings. This transaction positions Coinbase as having the most comprehensive trading portfolio in the crypto space, spanning spot, perpetuals, and options. The new Coinbase Business product targets the underserved small and medium business market, offering comprehensive financial services including payments, treasury management, and earning opportunities with up to a 4.5% annual percentage yield on USDC holdings. This diversifies revenue beyond traditional retail trading. Recently, BlackRock confirmed that its Bitcoin ETF now manages more than US$72 billion in total assets, with potential for continued institutional adoption in the future. The upcoming Coinbase One card, offering 4% Bitcoin rewards, is expected to strengthen customer engagement while generating additional revenue through the American Express partnership. Is this crypto mining stock undervalued? Valued at a market cap of over $2.5 billion, Hut 8 (TSX:HUT) is a Canada-based crypto mining company. Hut 8's Q1 results reflect the growing pains of strategic transformation, with revenue declining 58% to US$21.8 million from US$51.7 million year-over-year. It reported a net loss of $134.3 million, primarily driven by a US$112.4 million non-cash loss on digital assets as Bitcoin's price declined from US$93,000 to US$82,500 during the quarter. Despite near-term headwinds, Hut 8's strategic repositioning appears promising. The launch of American Bitcoin, a majority-owned subsidiary backed by Eric Trump, enables the company to separate its capital-intensive mining operations from its core energy infrastructure business. This structure creates predictable revenue streams through colocation, managed services, and shared services agreements. Key operational improvements include a 79% increase in deployed hashrate to 9.3 exahash and a 37% improvement in fleet efficiency. Hut 8 maintains a robust balance sheet, holding 10,264 Bitcoin (valued at over US$1 billion) and having raised US$275.5 million through its equity program. The 10.8-gigawatt development pipeline, including the 592-acre River Bend campus in Louisiana, positions Hut 8 for growth in high-performance computing and AI data centres. With analysts maintaining bullish targets, the crypto mining stock is attractively positioned for investors betting on the energy infrastructure transformation, though volatility remains high at current levels. The post Want to Bet on the Blockchain Boom? Buy These 2 Stocks Right Now appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading 10 Stocks Every Canadian Should Own in 2025 [PREMIUM PICKS] Market Volatility Toolkit A Commonsense Cash Back Credit Card We Love Fool contributor Aditya Raghunath has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool recommends Bitcoin and Coinbase Global, Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
