RingCentral has expanded its AI Receptionist product, known as AIR, with new integrations for Shopify, Calendly, and WhatsApp. The communications software company aims to push the product beyond basic call answering into more routine customer service tasks.
The company stated that AIR can now handle some order inquiries through Shopify, arrange appointments via Calendly, and respond to inbound WhatsApp messages. Additionally, AIR has been added to shared SMS inboxes and call queues, enabling it to answer texts and intervene when phone lines are busy or staff are unavailable.
Background on AIR Adoption
RingCentral reported that more than 11,800 businesses now use AIR. The product is primarily targeted at smaller and mid-sized organizations that receive regular inbound inquiries. The company cited healthcare, financial services, legal, hospitality, and construction as sectors where customers are deploying AIR for front-desk tasks and after-hours coverage.
Keller Interiors, an installation company working for Lowe’s Home Improvement, said it deployed AIR across 33 locations. Beth Owens, chief of staff at Keller Interiors, noted that the company faced a routing problem that was difficult to solve with human staff. “RingCentral AIR solved a problem we didn’t have a good human answer for, how do you route every inbound call correctly, 24/7, across 33 locations, without building a call centre?” Owens said. She reported that Keller Interiors reduced waiting times from 12 minutes to 90 seconds and saw customer satisfaction scores rise by three points over four months.
Tara Breaux, vice-president of operations at Maple Federal Credit Union, said the organization used AIR to reduce hold times in branches. “We’ve reduced hold times by 90%, enabling faster service, less strain on staff, and more focus on the conversations that matter most,” Breaux stated.
New Features and Integrations
The new Shopify link is designed to let AIR answer basic questions about orders and customer support over the phone. The Calendly interface allows AIR to schedule appointments using tools from Calendly. The integration with WhatsApp extends AIR’s functionality into the messaging app widely used by consumers and small businesses.
RingCentral is also introducing automatic language detection. The company said AIR can recognize a caller’s language and continue the conversation in that language, supporting 10 languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese.
Michelle Morgan, research manager for AI-enabled sales, customer service and contact center strategies at IDC, commented on the update. “RingCentral’s expansion of AIR into Shopify, Calendly, WhatsApp, and intelligent call queues shows what applied AI should look like: every feature tied to a clear pain point,” she said.
Joe Fahrner, RingCentral’s vice-president of growth for AI products, described the company’s broader vision for AIR, stating that it is becoming a “digital employee” for small and mid-market businesses.
Pricing and Availability
RingCentral said AIR is now available as a standalone product starting at $49 per month, including 100 minutes of usage. Existing RingEX customers can add AIR starting at $39 per month, also including 100 minutes.
Looking ahead, the expansion of AIR capabilities into e-commerce, scheduling, and messaging platforms suggests that RingCentral intends to further automate front-desk operations for small and medium businesses. The addition of language detection may also open the product to a broader international user base. The company has not announced specific timelines for additional features, but industry observers expect continued development aimed at reducing human workload in routine customer interactions.
