Business Playbooks
Practical AlonChat setup patterns for common SMBs, including sources, channels, tools, procedures, workflows, handoff rules, and launch checks.
Business Playbooks#
Business Playbooks show how AlonChat can fit common SMBs without promising a one-size-fits-all setup. Use them when you want to understand what to upload, what to automate, what to hand off, and what to test before going live.
These pages are customer-facing. They describe product setup at an operational level and avoid private prompts, internal routing logic, hidden plans, or implementation details.
How to Use These Playbooks#
- Name the business, then pick the closest playbook even if it is not an exact match.
- Teach the agent from that business's sources, prices, policies, and common questions.
- Try a private question in Agent Studio → Test and fix the answer before any customer can hear it.
- Turn repeated customer goals into procedures. Use a workflow when a button or form is clearer.
- Add a tool only for work the assistant should complete, such as a booking, order, payment review, delivery quote, form, sheet, calendar, or custom API. It books, charges, changes stock, or alerts staff only when that source or tool is configured and the action succeeds.
- Add escalation rules for approval, judgment, live confirmation, or sensitive handling.
- Connecting a channel is not launch. Turn on live replies only after the private answer is acceptable.
If your business is not listed yet, start from the closest pattern: appointment business, order business, quote business, application business, membership business, or support-heavy business.
Starter Business Types#
| Business type | Best first value | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Salons and beauty clinics | Service questions and appointment requests | Services, prices, staff/branch rules, booking procedure |
| Dental and medical clinics | Admin FAQs, appointments, requirements | Services, clinic hours, preparation rules, safe handoff rules |
| Restaurants and cafes | Menu questions, reservations, orders | Menu, delivery rules, reservation process, payment instructions |
| Ecommerce and retail | Product questions and order intake | Catalog, price sheet, shipping, returns, payment rules |
| Repair and service shops | Diagnostics intake and quote requests | Services, warranty rules, intake form, status handoff |
| Real estate and property | Lead qualification and viewing requests | Listings, requirements, viewing rules, broker handoff |
| Gyms and fitness studios | Membership FAQs and trial requests | Plans, schedules, coaches, waiver and handoff rules |
| Schools and tutorial centers | Enrollment questions and inquiry capture | Programs, fees, schedules, requirements, application procedure |
| Events, venues, and catering | Package questions and quote intake | Packages, capacity, menus, add-ons, quote workflow |
| Agencies and professional services | Lead qualification and consultation requests | Services, case studies, intake questions, proposal handoff |
| Hotels, resorts, and travel | Reservation questions and guest support | Packages, rates, policies, reservation procedure |
| Multi-branch and franchise operations | Standard answers, branch routing, escalation | Branch directory, policies, routing rules, integrations |
For more aliases such as laundry shops, review centers, dealers, transport desks, veterinary clinics, franchises, and other Philippine business types, use the Business Type Index.
The Setup Pattern#
Most playbooks use the same AlonChat building blocks:
| Building block | What it should contain |
|---|---|
| Sources | Menus, rate cards, service lists, policies, FAQs, requirements, files, website pages, and Q&A pairs |
| Guidance | Tone, business rules, what the assistant can answer, and what it must never guess |
| Procedures | Step-by-step operating paths for bookings, orders, quotes, applications, payments, or support |
| Workflows | Guided buttons or short journeys when customers need structured choices |
| Tools | Calendar, Sheets, Drive, forms, payment review, delivery, email, webhooks, or custom APIs. A booking, charge, stock change, or staff alert counts only when that tool is configured and the action succeeds. |
| Escalations | Approval, exception, sensitive-topic, complaint, refund, and payment-proof paths |
| Testing | A private question in Agent Studio → Test, in the customer's own phrasing, before any customer can hear the agent |
Feature Status Language#
When you explain a playbook to a customer or visitor, use clear feature status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Native | The feature is part of standard AlonChat setup, such as sources, Q&A, widget, procedures, and handoff |
| Setup required | It works after the right sources, rules, or tool are configured, and only when that action succeeds |
| Custom API | Live lookup, status checks, inventory, or record creation may need a connected system |
| Human review | AlonChat can collect and route details, but a person should approve or complete the decision |
This keeps answers useful without overstating what is automatic.