What an AI chatbot can (and can’t) do for a small business
A plain-English guide for Massachusetts small businesses: what an AI chatbot answers well, where it needs a human, and what it costs.
Most small businesses don’t need “AI”. They need the phone to stop ringing with the same five questions while they’re trying to work. That’s the job an AI assistant does well.
What it’s good at
- Answering the questions you get every day: hours, parking, prices, walk-ins, insurance, “do you deliver to Milton?”
- Replying at 11pm, when a new customer is actually looking, instead of the next morning.
- Speaking your customers’ language. It can reply in English, 中文, Tiếng Việt or Spanish without you hiring anyone new.
- Collecting details before you call back: name, number, what they need, photos of the job.
- Booking appointments straight into your calendar.
Where it needs a human
A well-built assistant knows what it doesn’t know. Complaints, custom quotes, medical or legal questions, and anything unusual should go straight to you, by text or email, with the conversation attached. I set that hand-off up on every assistant I build.
The goal isn’t to replace you. It’s to make sure you only get the conversations that actually need you.
How it avoids making things up
The assistant is trained only on information you approve: your menu or service list, prices, policies and FAQs. It doesn’t browse the internet for answers. If a question isn’t covered, it says so and passes it to you. You can read every conversation, and updating what it knows takes a few minutes.
What it costs
An AI assistant for your business starts at $2,500 with me, set up on your website, SMS or WhatsApp. Running costs are usually $20–60 a month depending on how many conversations you get. I’ll estimate that before you commit. More details on the AI assistants page.
Do you need one? A quick test
- Do you answer the same questions more than 10 times a week?
- Do inquiries come in after hours and wait until morning?
- Do some customers prefer a language your staff doesn’t speak?
If you said yes to two of those, an assistant will probably pay for itself. If not, a simpler fix like a better FAQ page or an auto-reply might be enough, and I’ll tell you that on the call.