A WhatsApp AI agent for nail and lash studios: gel or acrylic, how much for a full set, and is 4pm Saturday free
A nail technician's hands are wet, gloved or holding a brush for most of the day, and the phone is buzzing with "how much for gel?" and "got slot tomorrow?". Each unanswered message is a booking that goes to the studio that replied. An agent answers, quotes from your menu, and books by technician while you finish the set.
Quick answer
A nail or lash studio's agent answers service and price questions from the menu, explains the difference between options (gel, acrylic, builder gel; classic, hybrid, volume lashes), takes design photos and passes them to the technician, books by technician and service duration, collects the deposit link, sends reminders, and handles infill and removal timing questions. Allergy, reaction and complaint messages go to a person.
The split
| Let the agent handle | Keep with a person |
|---|---|
|
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Booking by technician
Set each technician as a bookable resource with their services and durations: a full set 90 minutes, infills 60, classic lashes 90, volume 120. The agent asks the service, offers times with a named technician, repeats the date and time back, and sends the deposit link if you use one. The customer who asks for "the one who did my last set" is handed to a person unless your notes say who that was. Booking setup is in appointment booking on WhatsApp.
Design photos
Customers send inspiration photos. The agent acknowledges the photo, describes what it sees back to the customer ("a French tip with gold foil accents"), notes it in the booking, and tells the customer the technician will confirm feasibility and any extra cost at the appointment. It does not quote art prices from a photo; that is the technician's call.
Setting it up
- Knowledge. Paste your Instagram-linked website or type the menu as one line per service with price and duration, the technician list, the deposit and lateness policy, and the aftercare card.
- Instructions. Role, tone (most studios want warm and casual), the confirm-back rule for dates, the reaction handover, and the photo rule above.
- Booking. Set the services, durations and hours so the agent offers real slots and sends reminders the day before.
- Handover. Name the topics that go to a person, and the agent flags the chat in your inbox and stops replying until you hand it back.
- Test. Send it twenty real messages from your own phone before customers do; the checklist is in the pre-launch test.
ReplyKit connects your number through Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform. You sign in with your Facebook business account from the dashboard, pick or create the number, and it is live in a few minutes: no pairing, no phone that has to stay online, and no linked-device restriction risk. Replies to customers who message you carry no Meta fee inside the 24-hour service window; reminders and follow-ups sent outside it go as approved templates at Meta's per-message rate. Details in why ReplyKit runs on the official platform.
Deposits and lateness, stated once
State the deposit and the lateness rule in the booking confirmation, not after a no-show. "A RM 30 deposit holds your slot and is deducted from the bill; arrivals more than 15 minutes late may be shortened or rebooked." The agent repeats it at booking and in the reminder. Templates are in deposit and cancellation templates.
Frequently asked questions
Can the agent book by technician?
Yes. Each technician has their own services, durations and hours, and the agent offers real slots with a name.
What does it do with design photos?
Acknowledges them, describes what it sees, attaches them to the booking, and leaves feasibility and art pricing to the technician.
Can it take deposits?
It sends your payment link and records the booking. Payment itself happens through your payment provider.
How does it handle a reaction or allergy message?
Immediate handover to a person, no advice given. That rule is in the platform, not just your instructions.
Does it work with Instagram DMs?
It works on WhatsApp and on your website. Put your WhatsApp link in the Instagram bio so DMs turn into WhatsApp chats.
Booked while the gel cures
Menu, technician slots and deposits handled in the chat. 7-day free trial.
Sources and further reading
- Harvard Business Review, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads (Oldroyd, McElheran, Elkington, 2011) · firms that responded within an hour were about seven times more likely to qualify the lead
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy · opt-in, opt-out and prohibited-use rules every business must follow
- ReplyKit Acceptable Use Policy · what we refuse to automate
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for running a small business, not legal, financial or regulatory advice.