WhatsApp AI agent for tuition centres: answer parents at 10pm and book the trial class
Parents research tuition after the children are asleep. Your centre answers the next morning, after the parent has already messaged two other centres and one has replied. The questions are always the same: which level, which day, which teacher, how much, is there a trial. An AI agent answers them from your timetable and books the trial class on the spot.
Quick answer
Put a WhatsApp AI agent on your centre's enquiry number with your timetable, fee sheet and teacher profiles as its knowledge. It answers level, schedule and fee questions in the parent's language, books a trial class into a real slot, and reminds them the day before. Keep placement decisions, discounts and complaints with staff. ReplyKit does this from $29 a month.
The enquiry that arrives at 10pm
Education enquiries are seasonal and nocturnal. They spike before school terms, after exam results, and in the evening when parents have time. A centre that replies at 9am the next day is replying to a parent who has already shortlisted someone else. WhatsApp is the channel because it is where parents already are; DataReportal reports it as the most used messaging platform in Malaysia, and the pattern is the same in Singapore.
The enquiries are also unusually structured. Level, subject, day, time, teacher, fee, trial. That structure is what makes them easy to automate well.
What the agent handles
Automate
- Programmes by level and subject, from your own course list.
- Timetables by branch, day and time, including which teacher takes which class.
- Fees, registration fee, material fee, sibling discounts as written in your fee sheet.
- Trial class booking into real slots, with a reminder the day before.
- Class size, teacher qualifications, and what to bring.
- Location, parking, pickup arrangements.
- Replies in Malay, English or Chinese, whichever the parent writes in.
- Collecting the child's name, level and school into the lead's card for the counsellor.
Keep with staff
- Placement decisions and level assessments.
- Discounts beyond the published ones, and fee disputes.
- Progress of a specific student, or feedback about a teacher.
- Safeguarding or welfare concerns of any kind: immediate handover.
Booking the trial class
Set each trial class as a service with its day and time, for example "Primary 5 Maths trial, Saturday 10am, 60 minutes". When a parent asks, the agent offers the real upcoming slots, books the one they pick, confirms in the chat with the address and what to bring, and reminds them the day before. The booking appears in the leads list with the child's level and the parent's contact, so the counsellor can call before the trial if you want a human touch. After the trial, the counsellor marks the lead Won or Lost in the CRM, and the reason for a loss is recorded so you learn why families choose elsewhere.
Setup for a centre with two branches
- One enquiry number per branch. A number on Meta's platform cannot also run in the WhatsApp app, so use dedicated numbers, not a principal's personal line. Two branches means two numbers and two agents on the Growth plan.
- Upload each branch's timetable and fee sheet as PDFs, and paste teacher profiles as text.
- Add trial classes as services with days and times.
- Write the boundaries: no placement decisions, no unpublished discounts, welfare concerns to a person immediately.
- Connect the number through Meta's sign-in and test as a parent asking about a level you do not offer, to confirm it says so rather than improvising.
- Before each intake, update the timetable PDF; the old one is replaced and the agent answers from the new one immediately.
A worked intake week
Frequently asked questions
Can the agent answer in Chinese and Malay?
Yes. It replies in the language the parent writes in, across more than 30 languages, and you can set a primary language. Voice notes are transcribed too.
Can it book a trial class?
Yes. Set trial classes as services with days and times, and the agent offers real slots, books them, confirms with the address and sends a reminder the day before.
How do I update the timetable each term?
Upload the new PDF or paste the new text. The agent answers from the new material immediately, and you can remove the old source with one click.
Will it give discounts?
Only the ones written in your fee sheet. Anything else is handed to a counsellor, because the agent answers only from your content.
How much does it cost for two branches?
The Growth plan at $49 a month covers 3 numbers, 5 agents and 5,000 AI replies, so each branch has its own agent, timetable and fees with one shared inbox.
Answer the 10pm enquiry at 10pm
Upload your timetable and fee sheet, add trial classes, connect your number through Meta's sign-in. 7-day free trial.
Sources and further reading
- DataReportal, Digital 2025: Malaysia · WhatsApp is the most used messaging platform in Malaysia
- 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
- Personal Data Protection Department, Malaysia (PDPA 2010)
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy · opt-in, opt-out and prohibited-use rules every business must follow
- ReplyKit, Will WhatsApp ban my number for automation? · our own account of the risk and the limits we enforce
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for education business operations, not legal advice. Handling of children's personal data must follow the PDPA and any rules that apply to your centre.