How are retailers using AI voice agents to transform the customer experience?

This week, on the occasion of Maison & Objet lounge, the world of retail and design is coming together to reflect on the future of commerce, customer experience and human relationships in an ever more digital context. And one of the most concrete topics is artificial speech intelligence, more precisely AI voice agents.

As retailers seek to improve customer satisfaction, reduce operational costs and meet demand in real time, these voice AI agents are proving to be a powerful strategic lever. Unlike the old rigid systems, they are capable of understand, dialogue naturally and act directly into business tools — from CRM to the order taking platform — without human intervention.

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A concrete revolution for retail

In the retail sector, customer interactions are not limited to online shopping carts or physical storefronts: an important part is played on the telephone. Questions about a delivery, order changes, announcement of a store visit, complaints... Every minute someone spends waiting on the phone is a missed opportunity.

AI voice agents now allow to automate these interactions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by automatically resolving a large part of simple or recurring calls and by transferring only complex cases to your teams. This type of solution significantly reduces wait times and customer service costs, while increasing satisfaction.

In many businesses, voice AIs are integrated into the retail chain to:

• respond to requests about order status or returns,
• automate the collection of customer information,
• guide to relevant offers or services,
• and even offer contextualized recommendations or promotions.

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Chronodrive: a concrete case of impact

Chronodrive, an Auchan subsidiary specializing in drive-through distribution, is a perfect illustration of what these AI voice agents can bring in concrete terms.

Charlotte Peutin, marketing and customer experience director at Chronodrive, explains that the field teammates — often young and versatile — faced a very high volume of calls, especially during peak activity on Saturday. Customers called to report a delay, a change in pickup person, or a question about their order.

Chronodrive therefore decided to use Volubile.ai to automate the management of these recurring calls. From the tendering phase, it was the agent's ability to increase their power — especially through training — that made the difference. Less than four months after launch, the voice agent is operational on several sites, with very positive results in managing peak activity.

Today, thanks to Volubile, a very large part of simple requests are processed directly by the AI agent, which frees up time for teams in the field and makes it possible to improve the overall quality of customer service.

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Why this change is strategic

Retail is no longer just about prices or products: it's a race for experience. And in a world where customer expectations are evolving towards greater speed, availability, and personalization, technologies like AI voice agents are no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

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In the end, Volubile for all retail players is

• Intelligent call automation = less time lost, more conversions.
• AI voice agents integrated into business systems = more consistent interactions, enriched customer data.
• 24/7 capacity = no customer requests left unanswered.
• Strengthened customer experience = loyalty and long-term sales.

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