Batteries Plus deploys AI voice agents across 700-plus stores
Batteries Plus is deepening its use of artificial intelligence.
The specialty battery retailer has deployed Synthflow AI’s agentic voice AI agent on the Zoom App Marketplace for both Zoom Contact Center and Zoom Phone, letting enterprises run AI voice agents and human teams in a single workflow, with context carried across handoffs.
Synthflow AI says its agents respond in under half a second and resolve routine requests end to end. When a caller needs a human being, the agent completes a warm transfer to a human expert, passing along the full transcript and any actions already taken so that the customer doesn’t have to repeat themselves, and the right person picks up with context already in hand.
Zoom’s open, API-first architecture lets Synthflow AI agents work inside the existing business workflows enterprises already run, passing conversation state, intent and customer history into Zoom, and reading back from CRM and ticketing systems.
Synthflow AI says its agents have already resolved 22,000 calls independently at Batteries Plus across more than 700 locations.
"In retail, the phone call is where customer experience is won or lost, and that amounts to more than just response time,” said Synthflow AI CEO Hakob Astabatsyan. “Speed to outcome is what our enterprise customers prioritize, and our integration with Zoom is accelerating that outcome at scale, getting enterprises there in days, not weeks or months.”
The partnership with Synthflow AI is just the latest technology investment for Batteries Plus. In August, the retailer released a platform of three AI tools designed to strengthen its franchise development capabilities while improving its in-store search and call-based customer service.
"From kick-off to pilot, the roll-out with Synthflow and Zoom was just five weeks,” said Kranthi Malreddy, chief information officer at Batteries Plus. “This is one of the most impressive integrations I’ve seen between two pieces of software. Customers are pleasantly surprised by how natural conversations with the agents are and our store associates are able to focus on more complex, critical tasks in store. It’s a win-win situation across the board and we’re only scratching the surface right now.”
[READ MORE: Batteries Plus keeps expansion efforts rolling in Q3]
Headquartered in Hartland, Wis., Batteries Plus offers batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. It also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services.
Batteries Plus operates a nationwide network of more than 800 locations open and in development.
