The Challenge
Almaya, with over 200 stores and a rapidly growing online presence, was struggling to keep up with a surge in customer queries. Traditional call centers were overwhelmed, leading to long wait times, inconsistent answers, and frustrated customers. The leadership team knew they needed a solution that could scale instantly, deliver accurate information, and most importantly, feel genuinely human.
Our Approach
Instead of just adding more agents, Almaya partnered with AIfantry to build a next-gen voice agent powered by OpenAI's Realtime API. The goal? Create a conversational AI that could:
- Understand natural language, even with regional accents and slang
- Respond instantly, 24/7, across voice and chat channels
- Escalate complex issues to human agents seamlessly
- Learn and improve with every interaction
We started by mapping the most common customer journeys and training the AI on real transcripts, ensuring it could handle everything from product inquiries to order tracking with empathy and accuracy.
The Implementation
The rollout happened in three phases: pilot, scale, and optimize. In the pilot, we launched the voice agent on Almaya's website and IVR system for a select group of users. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Customers loved the instant responses and natural tone. Next, we scaled to all channels, including WhatsApp and in-store kiosks. Finally, we used analytics from the Realtime API to fine-tune scripts, add new intents, and personalize responses based on customer profiles.
The Results
- 92% reduction in average response time, from 2.5 minutes to just 12 seconds
- 4.9/5 customer satisfaction score, the highest in Almaya's history
- $1.2M in annual cost savings by automating routine queries
- Seamless escalation: only 8% of conversations now require a human agent
- Continuous improvement. The AI's accuracy and empathy scores keep rising as it learns from real interactions
The numbers speak for themselves, but the real win is in customer loyalty. Almaya's NPS jumped 27 points, and repeat purchases are up 19% since launch. Customers rave about the convenience, and the support team is more engaged than ever.
