Streamlining Support: Best Buy Leverages AI to Cut Call Transfers by Up to 2%

For customers experiencing tech issues, the dreaded cycle of being transferred between departments at retailers is all too familiar. Best Buy recognized this pain point and implemented an artificial intelligence (AI) solution that has significantly reduced call transfers while improving resolution rates.

The company’s case study, published by Google Cloud, shows a remarkable turnaround: transfer rates fell by 1.5% to 2%, while the percentage of calls resolved without human intervention increased by over 50%. These improvements stem from integrating customer records with agent knowledge bases—creating a single source for product information, troubleshooting guides, and repair data.

The Problem with Handoffs

Research indicates that inefficient call routing is widespread. A Five9 survey found that while 96% of contact center leaders believe they maintain context during AI-to-human handoffs, 83% of consumers still report having to repeat information after being transferred.

Best Buy’s Approach

Rather than treating symptoms, Best Buy addressed the root cause by front-loading diagnosis. When a customer calls with an issue (like a malfunctioning laptop), the AI assistant—powered by Google’s Gemini Flash voice model—analyzes the description and either resolves the problem or directs the call to the correct specialist immediately.

The solution also extends to human agents, who receive relevant troubleshooting information on their screens as customers speak—thanks to Google Cloud’s Generative Knowledge Assist feature.

Beyond Efficiency: Faster Innovation

Best Buy accelerated its development process by adopting a prompt-driven architecture. Using CX Agent Studio, the company can now build new voice and chat agents in just 3-6 weeks instead of traditional 18-month timelines.

Moreover, all interactions are logged in BigQuery, allowing teams to analyze trends, identify common product issues, and optimize agent training—creating a continuous feedback loop that improves both AI and human performance.