How Exotel’s GenAI Voicebots Are Revolutionizing QSR Customer Support in MENA

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry in the Middle East faces unique challenges when it comes to customer support. With diverse linguistic preferences and high-volume inquiries about order tracking and payments, scaling efficient support operations requires innovative solutions that can handle multiple languages while maintaining quality service standards. Managing major international brands including KFC, Hardee’s, and Pizza Hut, this leading QSR chain needed to address the surge in order tracking and payment queries across both English and Arabic-speaking customers. 

The Challenge Exotel Voicebot Solved

The restaurant chain was experiencing significant operational strain from rising customer inquiries in both English and Arabic. The restaurant chain was seeing a surge in customer calls, with increasing inquiries in both English and Arabic. To match this growing demand, they needed to optimise agent bandwidth and streamline support operations without compromising on service quality or speed. 

The company needed a solution that could:

• Handle at least 30% of incoming customer calls
• Provide seamless support in both English and Arabic
• Reduce dependency on human agents
• Maintain high service quality standards
• Scale efficiently across the MENA region

How Exotel Delivered Results

Clear ROI Demonstration:  Exotel began by conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, mapping the client’s current support expenses against potential savings. Using Exotel’s ROI calculator, the team provided tangible value propositions that made the business case compelling and measurable.

Success-Focused Implementation: Rather than just deploying technology, Exotel defined clear success criteria tied directly to process improvements and measurable customer experience outcomes. This ensured the pilot delivered real business value from day one.

Expert Technology Advisory: Exotel’s team recommended optimal technology stacks and industry best practices specifically tailored to QSR operations in the MENA region, ensuring the solution would perform effectively in the local market context.

The Exotel Solution: Key Differentiators

»Generative AI-Powered Conversations

Exotel’s Gen-AI voicebot leverages advanced LLMs to understand customer intent and context, enabling dynamic, human-like conversations that go beyond simple scripted responses. This technology allows the voicebot to handle complex queries with nuanced understanding.

»Superior Accuracy

Exotel achieved over 85% precision in query resolution, significantly reducing errors while accelerating response times. This high accuracy rate directly translated to improved customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

»Measurable Service Automation

Exotel’s voicebot now handles over 30% of daily calls, creating substantial operational impact:

• Dramatically reduced agent workload
• Faster response times for customers
• Freed human agents to focus on complex, high-value interactions
• Improved scalability for peak demand periods

»Multilingual Support

The voicebot’s language processing capabilities deliver consistent, accurate interactions in both English and Arabic, as well as other regional languages, seamlessly switching between languages as per the customer’s intent and preference. This multilingual excellence was crucial for serving the varied linguistic preferences across the MENA market, with native-level fluency in Arabic dialects.

»Conversational Intelligence

The bot doesn’t rely on keyword triggers. Instead, it uses intent recognition and natural language understanding (NLU) to respond conversationally — just like a human agent would. For example:

• “Where’s my order?” or “Did the rider leave yet?” → Fetches real-time order status
• “I made a payment but didn’t get confirmation” → Verifies transaction through integrated systems

»24/7 Availability

AI-powered voicebot is available 24/7, providing instant support without breaks or shift changes. It ensures customers get help anytime  even during nights, weekends, or holidays. This always-on availability improves response times, enhances satisfaction, and keeps your business accessible around the clock.

»Seamless Integration Architecture

The solution integrated smoothly with existing infrastructure including Avaya contact center systems, ALMP (the company’s last-mile platform), and in-house BSP systems. This integration enabled real-time updates without disrupting established workflows.

Building the Solution: Where AI Meets Human Understanding

What Exotel created wasn’t just another voicebot. We developed a Gen-AI voicebot that could think, understand context, and respond naturally in both English and Arabic. 

The voicebot learned to recognize not just words, but intent. When a customer called saying “أين طلبي؟” (Where is my order?), the system didn’t just translate—it understood the urgency, accessed the right systems, and provided real-time updates. When someone called frustrated saying “الطلب متأخر جداً” (The order is very late), the voicebot detected the concern and immediately escalated to priority handling while providing compensation options.

The system’s Arabic capabilities went beyond basic translation. It could handle regional variations like when a customer from the Gulf said “وين الأكل؟” (Where’s the food?) or when someone from Egypt asked “الطلب فين؟” (Where’s the order?). Even complex requests like “عايز أغير طريقة الدفع بتاعت الطلب” (I want to change the payment method for my order) were handled seamlessly.

The integration with Avaya (contact center), ALMP (the company’s last-mile platform), and in-house BSP systems enabled real-time updates without disrupting existing workflows. When an English-speaking customer called about payment issues, the voicebot seamlessly connected to the payment systems and resolved the query without missing a beat.

The Broader Implications

This implementation demonstrates how Exotel Gen-AI voicebot technology can address region-specific challenges while delivering measurable business impact. The success factors—multilingual support, high accuracy rates, seamless integration, and significant automation levels create a replicable model for other QSR operators looking to scale efficiently in diverse markets.

The successful deployment in handling Arabic language support while maintaining service quality standards proves that AI-powered customer service can adapt to local market needs without compromising on performance or customer experience.

As the F&B industry continues to evolve in the MENA region, solutions like Exotel voicebot implementation will likely become standard practice for companies about scaling customer support operations while maintaining the personalized service that customers expect.