SoundHound AI has introduced Sales Assist, a voice-powered AI agent designed to support in-store retail teams with real-time recommendations during live customer conversations.
Debuting at this week’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, the assistant reflects a growing shift toward using agentic AI as a tool for frontline customer engagement. In SoundHound’s case, the focus is on what happens at the point of sale, when customer expectations are high and decisions need to be made quickly.
The idea is to give sales associates real-time help directly on the sales floor to navigate complex pricing, promotions and product options, without forcing them to pause, swivel screens, or dig through multiple systems.
SoundHound processed nearly 30 million AI-driven customer interactions across global telecom and retail businesses in the past year, giving an indication of how much customer data is already flowing through conversational AI systems.
Michael Anderson, EVP of Enterprise AI at SoundHound AI, noted:
“Voice assistants and chatbots have been around for years, but truly effective, enterprise grade voice interaction is only now becoming possible. With AI maturing, voice is evolving into a central customer interface that doesn’t just respond but resolves.”
Real-Time Intelligence for In-Store Teams
Sales Assist is designed to sit quietly in the background on the sales floor, listening—with customer consent—to conversations as they happen. In fast-paced retail environments, customer needs, promotional offers and eligibility rules can shift quickly.
As conversations unfold, the AI analyzes context and intent, then provides instant prompts to associates on a tablet or any device with a microphone and screen.
Instead of stepping away to log into a CRM, check billing systems, or calculate upgrade scenarios, sales associates can see relevant deals, bundles, add-ons, and required disclosures all in one place. The result is a smoother interaction for customers and fewer awkward pauses at the counter.
In a telecom store, for example, if a customer mentions a damaged phone, Sales Assist can automatically check upgrade eligibility, pull account and billing details, surface trade-in promotions, and suggest compatible accessories or bundles. All of this happens in the background, keeping the conversation moving.
Turning Customer Data into Better Conversations
Sales Assist highlights a broader shift in how customer data is used on the front line, moving from static data analysis to real-time decision making at the point of interaction. Rather than collecting data for post-visit analysis or manager dashboards, retailers can now apply that data in real time, while the customer is still standing in front of an associate.
Agents like Sales Assist can effectively act as an invisible co-pilot for associates, translating account history, usage patterns, eligibility rules, and promotional logic into simple, timely prompts that help associates explain options more clearly and resolve questions faster. The data directly shapes the interaction.
This real-time use of customer data also helps standardize experiences across locations. When recommendations and disclosures are generated from the same systems and logic everywhere, customers are more likely to hear consistent answers, regardless of which store they visit or how experienced the associate is.
For retailers, that consistency can shorten training cycles and reduce reliance on individual product knowledge. For customers, it means conversations that feel more relevant, better informed, and less transactional, without the sense that technology is getting in the way.
