How to stop missing customer messages after hours
A customer messages at 10pm asking if you have a table on Saturday. By the time you reply the next morning, they have booked somewhere else. Most businesses lose more to slow replies than they realise. An AI agent can answer those messages the moment they arrive and leave anything that needs you for the morning.
What happens to a message at 10pm
People message when it suits them: in the evening, at weekends, between meetings. If nobody answers, many move on to the next business that does. The questions are usually simple: are you open, do you have it in stock, can I book, where is my order. Those are exactly the questions an AI agent answers well.
An example, start to finish
This is an illustration of how a conversation can go. The names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Customer, 22:07 | Hi, do you have a table for 4 on Saturday at 8? |
| AI agent, 22:07 | Hi! Saturday at 8 is full, but we have 7:30 or 8:45 for four. Would either work? |
| Customer, 22:08 | 7:30 please. |
| AI agent, 22:08 | Booked: Saturday at 7:30, table for 4, under Maya. We'll send a reminder on Friday. Anything else? |
The result is a booking made at 10pm, while you were closed. Questions the agent should not answer, such as a complaint, are passed to you to pick up in the morning.
Set it up so it helps, not hurts
- Write down what the agent can answer: hours, prices, menu, stock, booking rules.
- Write down what it must pass to you: complaints, refunds, anything personal or medical.
- Connect the accounts customers already message, such as WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger.
- Start with replies to people who message you. That is what the agent does best and what platforms are most comfortable with.
Working hours and hand-offs
If you would rather nothing goes out at night on an account, set working hours for it and messages wait until you open. When a person on your team takes over a chat, the agent stays out of it until it is handed back.
Who you message
Pricing
FAQ
Will the AI reply instantly at night?
Yes. It answers as soon as a message arrives, inside the safety limits Spaces keeps on every account.
What if a customer asks something the AI cannot answer?
The agent tells the customer someone will get back to them and passes the chat to you.
Which channels does this work on?
WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Messenger, X and email, all from one connection.