Consio agents can handle both inbound and outbound calls. Most brands start with outbound campaigns and add inbound coverage as they grow. Here's how each works and when you'd use them.
Outbound Calling
With outbound campaigns, your agent proactively calls customers who have shown buying intent. Using Consio's power dialer, your agent works through targeted customer lists — not cold calls to strangers.
Common outbound campaigns:
Abandoned cart recovery — calling customers who started checkout but didn't finish (this is where most brands start)
Reorder and winback — reaching out to past buyers who haven't purchased recently
Upsell — contacting existing customers with complementary products
Seasonal surge — ramping up calls during peak shopping periods
Your agent sees the customer's cart, past orders, and profile right inside the Consio platform, so every conversation is personalized.
Tip: Cart recovery works because the customer already chose the product. Reaching them while the cart is still fresh is what turns an abandoned checkout into a sale.
Inbound Call Handling
With inbound coverage, your agent answers calls from customers who reach out to you. This includes pre-purchase questions, order inquiries, product recommendations, and support requests.
Common inbound scenarios:
"Where's my order?" — tracking and delivery updates
Pre-purchase questions — sizing, compatibility, product comparisons
Product recommendations — helping customers find the right item
Returns and exchanges — walking through your return process
Inbound routing is flexible. You can configure how calls are distributed, set maximum wait times, and define what happens if your agent is busy (for example, routing to your AI voice agent as a backup).
How They Compare
Outbound | Inbound | |
Who initiates | Your agent calls the customer | The customer calls you |
Purpose | Revenue generation — recover abandoned carts, drive reorders | Customer experience — answer questions, resolve issues, close sales |
Typical campaigns | Cart recovery, winback, upsell, seasonal | Product questions, order support, pre-purchase help |
Getting started | Fastest to launch (1 day for cart recovery) | Slightly more setup (routing rules, business hours, fallback options) |
The Hybrid Model: Human + AI Together
You don't have to choose one or the other. Many brands pair a human agent with Consio's AI voice agent:
During business hours: Your human agent handles high-value conversations while the AI picks up overflow
After hours: The AI voice agent answers calls 24/7 — handling FAQs, looking up orders, sending SMS checkout links, and even creating draft orders
When your agent is on outbound: Inbound calls route to the AI so nothing gets missed
This means your customers always reach someone, and your human agent focuses on the conversations that drive the most revenue.
Which Should You Start With?
Most brands start with outbound cart recovery. It's the fastest campaign to launch (often live within a day), has the clearest ROI, and doesn't require complex routing setup. Once you see results, you can layer in inbound coverage, additional campaigns, or both.
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How AI and Human Agents Work Together (coming soon)