Automate Customer Support with an AI WhatsApp Chatbot

Backrun helps businesses automate their backend — from lead generation to support, integrations, and operations — so you can focus on growth, not grunt work. A powerful way to streamline customer interactions is by implementing an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot. This comprehensive guide will walk you through setting up a system that handles service inquiries and schedules appointments automatically, freeing up your team for more strategic tasks. Ready to revolutionize your customer support? Learn more about how Backrun can help! or contact us at hello@backrun.us.

Service Inquiries & Appointment Scheduling

This workflow automates the process of handling customer service inquiries and scheduling appointments directly via WhatsApp. It leverages the power of AI to understand customer needs, access information, and seamlessly book appointments. Imagine a world where routine questions are answered instantly and appointment scheduling is handled effortlessly – that’s the power of this automation. This system is a key component of our AI Chatbots offering designed to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.

• Transcribes voice notes into text for processing.
• Answers customer FAQs using a Google Sheet knowledge base.
• Provides service information (name, description, price) from a Google Sheet.
• Schedules appointments by:
  • Asking the customer which service they want.
  • Collecting their preferred day and time.
  • Checking Google Calendar for available slots.
  • Offering 3 options and letting the customer choose.
  • Collecting name, email, and phone number.
  • Creating the confirmed appointment in Google Calendar.
• Sends all customer-facing messages via a WhatsApp integration node.

Workflow Setup

Setting up this automated WhatsApp chatbot involves connecting several key tools and preparing your data. We’ve broken down the process into clear, actionable steps.

1. Connect your tools:
   • Link your Google Sheets: Connect your Google Sheets for FAQs and Services. This is crucial for providing instant answers and service details.
   • Connect your Google Calendar account: This allows the chatbot to check availability and schedule appointments.
   • Configure your WhatsApp integration: Ensure your WhatsApp integration is properly configured within n8n. Explore our WhatsApp Business API Solutions for more details.
   • Connect a transcription service: Choose a transcription service like Whisper, Google Speech-to-Text, or another suitable API.
2. Prepare your data:
   • FAQs Google Sheet: This sheet must contain columns for:
     • Question
     • Answer
   • Services Google Sheet: This sheet must contain columns for:
     • Service Name
     • Service Description
     • Service Price

Workflow Adjustments

Once the basic setup is complete, you’ll need to adjust the workflow to align with your specific business needs.

• Update the service names and questions: Modify the service names and FAQ questions in your respective Google Sheets to match your business offerings.
• Set the correct time zone: Ensure the correct time zone is set in the Google Calendar node to avoid scheduling errors.
• Update the WhatsApp integration node: Update the WhatsApp integration node with your business account details.
• Configure the transcription node: Configure the transcription node with your chosen API credentials.

Requirements

To implement this automated chatbot, you’ll need the following:

• Google Sheets (for storing FAQs and service information).
• Google Calendar (for managing appointment availability).
• WhatsApp integration in n8n (a popular automation platform).
• Speech-to-Text API (for transcribing voice notes). Consider exploring solutions like Google Cloud Speech-to-Text or AssemblyAI.

Customizing the Workflow

This workflow is highly customizable. Here are some ways to tailor it to your business:

• Adding new FAQs: Simply update the FAQ Google Sheet with new rows containing questions and answers.
• Changing Services: Modify the Services Google Sheet to reflect updated services, descriptions, and pricing.
• Custom messages: Update the agent_reply node text to reflect your brand tone and desired responses. We can help you craft compelling messages that reflect your unique brand personality.
• Advanced logic: Add routing for voice-note-only customers, VIP handling, or other complex scenarios. Consider adding conditional logic to direct certain inquiries to human agents. This is a powerful feature available with platform like BPO Support.

Important Notes

This template utilizes multiple external integrations, including Google Sheets, Google Calendar, and a WhatsApp API. Ensure you have the necessary permissions and API keys configured for each integration. For businesses seeking comprehensive backend solutions, exploring our AI Chatbots can provide even greater automation capabilities.

If you’re looking for additional support in building and managing your automated WhatsApp chatbot, contact us for a consultation.