Local businesses were losing customers to slow DM response times. We built an AI system that replies instantly, answers common questions, and books appointments.
We noticed a repeating pattern across dozens of small business Instagram pages — coaches, salons, clinics, local services:
The business owners weren't ignoring messages on purpose. They were just busy running the business. Calls, meetings, clients, personal life — replying instantly isn't realistic when you're a one or two-person operation.
The data told the story:
A conversational AI system for Instagram and WhatsApp that:
New DM → AI reads context → Generates personalized response
→ FAQ match? → Auto-answer with booking link
→ Complex question? → Flag for human + send holding message
→ Ready to book? → Calendar integration → Confirmation
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Average response time | 4.2 hours | 12 seconds |
| DM-to-booking rate | 8% | 31% |
| Messages handled/day | 15-20 | 60-80 |
| Customer satisfaction | "Where are you?" complaints | "Wow, that was fast!" |
A hair salon owner told us: "I used to lose at least 5 bookings a week because I couldn't reply fast enough during appointments. Last month the AI handled 340 conversations and booked 47 appointments. I didn't touch my phone once while cutting hair."
The "sorry for late reply" era is over. The businesses that respond first don't just win the conversation — they win the customer. And AI never needs to put you on hold.