Courses › AI for Small Business Owners › Lesson 5: Replying to customers faster
Lesson 5 of 8 from the course AI for Small Business Owners (in preparation). It is still being tested with real people. Check every step against your own work.
What you will be able to do
Write good first drafts of replies to the questions customers ask again and again, while you read, edit and send every message yourself. About 15 minutes.
Step 1: Write your facts list
List what you tell customers repeatedly: prices or price ranges, opening hours, delivery or collection, deposits, refunds, and what you do not do. This list is the only source the AI may use. If it is not on the list, the AI must not say it.
Step 2: Remove private details
Before pasting a customer message, delete names, phone numbers and addresses. Write [customer] instead.
Step 3: Ask for a draft
You are helping me reply to a customer of my [type of business]. Facts you may use: [paste your facts]. Customer message (anonymised): [paste]. Write a polite, clear reply in a [friendly or formal] tone. Do not promise anything that is not in the facts. List any question I should ask the customer.
Step 4: Read, check, edit, send
Compare every price, date and promise with your facts list. Change anything that does not sound like you. Send it yourself. Do not connect an AI tool to your customer chats.
Build a small set of reusable replies
When the same question comes up a third time, save your checked reply. Review the saved replies every few months, because prices and hours change.
Measure it
Time ten replies by hand and ten with AI plus checking. Count how many drafts needed more than a small change. Keep the method only if it helps.