Using AI Suggested Replies in WhatsApp

Before you start

1. Add your Business Knowledge. See Setting Up Business Knowledge for AI Agents.
2. Set up your Customer Service Agent. See Setting Up the Customer Service AI Agent.
3. Connect your WhatsApp number. See Connect & Configure WhatsApp.

Suggested replies are included in some plans only. See Introduction to AI Agents.

How suggested replies work

When a customer is waiting for your answer, the AI writes a draft reply. The draft shows as grey text in the reply box, like the word suggestions on your phone keyboard.

Your staff read it, then use it, change it or ignore it. Nothing is sent until someone presses send.

Suggestions work in the WhatsApp inbox in the Console (the EasyBiz back office in your web browser) and in the POS (the EasyBiz app at your shop counter).

Turn on suggestions

You do this once, and it switches suggestions on for your whole team. The owner can do it, and so can staff with access to AI Agents settings.

1. Click ⚙️ Settings.
2. Under AI Agents, click Customer Service Agent.
3. In the Where it works box, click Change in Inbox settings.
4. Click Suggest replies.

It saves straight away, and you'll see AI updated for this inbox.

Choose which shop the AI answers for

Below the options, Answers for tells the AI which shop and which service to use for prices, opening hours and orders. If you have one shop and one service, it's already chosen for you.

If you have more than one, pick the one most of your WhatsApp customers use. The AI answers every chat as that shop. Put anything shared by all your shops, such as payment methods or addresses, in Business Knowledge as Whole business entries.

Use a suggestion

You'll find suggestions in your WhatsApp inbox, the screen where your staff read and reply to customer chats. It works the same way in the Console and the POS.

On a computer

1. Open your WhatsApp inbox.
2. Click a chat where the customer is waiting for your reply.
3. Read the grey draft in the reply box.
4. Press the Tab key to put it in the reply box. Tab is on the left of your keyboard, above Caps Lock.
5. Change anything that isn't right.
6. Press send.

Don't want it? Press Esc (top-left of your keyboard), or just start typing your own reply.

On a tablet or phone

1. Open your WhatsApp inbox.
2. Tap a chat where the customer is waiting for your reply.
3. Read the grey draft in the reply box.
4. Tap ⋯ at the top-right of the reply box.
5. Tap Insert.
6. Change anything that isn't right, then tap send.

Don't want it? Tap ⋯, then Dismiss, or just start typing.

When to take extra care

Most drafts are ready to use after a quick read. Sometimes the AI shows a coloured line to tell you to slow down. Here's what each one means and what to do.

"Needs a person"

An orange line above the reply box starts with Needs a person:, followed by the reason.

Example: A customer writes, "My white shirt came back with a stain. I want my money back." The orange line says Needs a person: customer is asking for a refund.

What to do: Read the whole chat, then reply in your own words. You can still use the draft as a starting point if it helps.

"Check before sending"

An orange line above the reply box starts with Check before sending:, followed by the detail the AI couldn't find in your records. That same detail is marked inside the draft with [confirm: …] around it, so you can see exactly where it is.

Example: A customer asks, "How much to dry clean a wedding gown?" Your price list doesn't include wedding gowns. The draft says: Dry cleaning a wedding gown is [confirm: S$45] and takes [confirm: 5 working days].

The orange line says Check before sending: S$45; 5 working days.

What to do:

1. Check the price or date. If it's right, keep the words and delete the brackets and the word "confirm".
2. If it's wrong, type the correct detail instead.
3. If you're not sure, delete that part of the draft.

Never send a draft that still has [confirm: …] in it, because your customer will see the brackets.

"AI needs your help with this conversation"

A yellow bar appears at the top of the chat, and there's no draft at all.

Example: You told the AI to always leave damaged items to your team. A customer writes, "The strap on my bag came back torn." The yellow bar shows AI needs your help with this conversation and the topic.

What to do: Reply to the customer yourself. Nobody else is notified, and the customer isn't told anything, so make sure someone replies.

To choose which topics the AI always leaves to your team, see Setting Up the Customer Service AI Agent.

Make suggestions better

When a draft is wrong, fix the information the AI used. Don't just fix the message. That way, the next draft is right too.

1. Click ⋯ on the draft.
2. Read the Based on: line at the top. It shows what the AI used, such as Services, Opening hours or the title of a knowledge entry.
3. Correct that information where it lives (see below).

To check your fix works:

1. On a real chat, click ⋯.
2. Click Save as test question.
3. Run your test questions after each change. See Setting Up the Customer Service AI Agent.

When staff change a draft before sending, the AI learns from what they actually sent. Turn on Auto update from inbox replies to let it learn every night. See How the AI learns from your team.

Pause or turn off suggestions

There are two ways to stop drafts, depending on who should stop seeing them.

Pause suggestions just for yourself

Some staff prefer to type every reply themselves, or find the grey text distracting. They can pause drafts for themselves without changing anything for the rest of the team.

1. Click ⋯ on any draft.
2. Click Pause suggestions for me.

You'll see AI suggestions are paused for you above the reply box, in the Console and the POS. Your teammates still get drafts, and the AI keeps learning from your replies.

To start seeing drafts again, click Resume on that line.

Turn off suggestions for your whole team

If you don't want anyone to see drafts, the owner, or staff with access to AI Agents settings, can turn them off for everyone.

1. Click ⚙️ Settings.
2. Under AI Agents, click Customer Service Agent.
3. In the Where it works box, click Change in Inbox settings.
4. Click Off.

Not seeing a suggestion?

Drafts only appear when the customer's message is the latest one in the chat. If you don't see one, check these:

FAQs

Will my customers know a reply was written by AI?

No. It's sent from your WhatsApp number like any other message, with no AI label.

Why did the draft change while I was reading it?

The customer sent another message, so the AI wrote a new draft. It never replaces text you've started typing.

A customer replied to my template after 3 days. Will a draft appear?

Yes. Their reply opens a new 24-hour window, so the AI drafts as usual.

I have two outlets on two numbers. Can each answer for its own shop?

Not yet. Every chat answers as the shop under Answers for. Add both outlets' details as Whole business entries in Business Knowledge.

Does this cost extra, or affect my Chatbot and Auto Reply Rules?

See Introduction to AI Agents.

What's next

Better information means better drafts. Review your Business Knowledge regularly.