Identifies itself clearly
Aria introduces itself as West Rand Panel Beaters’ AI virtual receptionist. It does not pretend to be a person.
A clear operating guide for Aria: what customers can use today, what information is captured, where staff step in, and which features remain deliberately deferred.
WhatsApp virtual receptionist · “Aria”
Aria handles repetitive WhatsApp enquiries while keeping customer promises and sensitive information under human control.
Aria introduces itself as West Rand Panel Beaters’ AI virtual receptionist. It does not pretend to be a person.
It answers common WRPB questions from the controlled knowledge base and uses a safe fallback when the answer is missing or uncertain.
It gathers the minimum useful information for assessments, insurance claims, booking preferences, repair-status requests and complaints.
Customers can attach media in the same WhatsApp chat for human review. Aria will not diagnose damage or create a price from it.
It recognises emergencies, privacy requests, opt-outs and requests for a person, then stops or redirects the conversation correctly.
It keeps replies short, avoids asking for information already supplied, and leaves staff with a clearer conversation and enquiry record.
These are intentional launch controls, not missing promises.
The six launch routes are designed for useful intake without over-automation.
Answers approved questions about WRPB and its process. Unconfirmed facts are held back.
Outcome: answer or safe staff-review offerCaptures the customer, vehicle, damage, payment route, photos and preferred contact time.
Outcome: structured assessment intakeCaptures insurer, claim reference, incident details, vehicle and damage without interpreting cover.
Outcome: claim enquiry ready for staffRecords a preferred date and time but makes it clear that the booking is not confirmed.
Outcome: preference captured for reviewCaptures identity and job details, explains the no-TMS limitation and offers to pause automation for staff review.
Outcome: safe two-step human routeAcknowledges the concern, captures the desired outcome and pauses automated replies when the customer requests a person.
Outcome: contained conversation for staffEach value has a defined destination. Aria asks only for information relevant to the current enquiry.
| Information | Saved to | When used | Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | First Name + Last Name | All structured enquiries | Standard contact fields |
| WhatsApp number | Phone | Automatically from inbound chat | Not requested again unless an alternative is needed |
| Email address | Only when the route needs it | Standard contact field | |
| Vehicle registration | Vehicle Registration | Vehicle-related enquiries | Customer-supplied value only |
| Make, model and year | Vehicle Make and Model | Assessment, claim and towing intake | No vehicle lookup |
| Reason for contact | Enquiry Type | Every routed enquiry | Uses a controlled category list |
| Insurer or private pay | Insurer or Payment Route | Claims, assessments and booking preferences | No coverage decision |
| Claim or authorisation reference | Claim or Authorisation Reference | Insurance and authorised work | Customer-supplied value only |
| WRPB job number | Job Number | Repair status and complaints | No TMS lookup |
| Damage summary | Damage Description | Assessment and insurance intake | Customer’s own description |
| Preferred time | Preferred Contact Time | Callback or booking preference | Preference, not confirmation |
| Why staff is needed | Handoff Reason | Human routes and exceptions | No named assignment is claimed |
| Requested resolution | Desired Outcome | Complaints and disputes | Captured in the customer’s words |
| Incident date and location | Incident Details | Insurance claims and towing intake | No liability decision |
The build has progressed beyond a draft prompt into a controlled, testable agent configuration.
The WRPB WhatsApp provider is selected for the agent.
WhatsApp-specific identity, tone, routing and safety rules are saved.
53 FAQs and 10 structured articles are connected to the agent.
Each launch enquiry field has a defined contact-field mapping.
Customer opt-out and human/privacy routes pause automated replies.
Media can be supplied for human review without automated diagnosis.
Five-second delay, short replies and a 20-message limit are configured.
Critical safety, privacy, handoff and intake routes were tested and corrected.
These items need new information, access, approval or a later phase. They are not active in the current agent.
| Feature | Current state | What is needed | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMS repair status | Blocked | Exact TMS product/version, approved API or export, record identifiers, status map, data freshness and identity rule | Core Phase 2 dependency |
| Proactive status updates | Deferred | TMS path, customer consent, approved templates, frequency and opt-out rules | After inbound pilot |
| Named staff routing | Blocked | WRPB staff users, route owners and after-hours expectations | Before full production |
| Multilingual automation | Deferred | Approved languages, wording and UAT speakers | Later improvement |
| Calendar-confirmed bookings | Deferred | Capacity source, availability rules, owners and cancellation process | Later improvement |
| Voice, Sage and image quotes | Out of MVP | Separate scope, controls, data access and approval | Not part of this launch |
The agent was tested as a customer would use it, with independent reset conversations and regression checks after corrections.
When the customer opts out, asks for a person, requests privacy help or confirms a human review, Aria pauses automated replies and makes no response-time promise.
If quality or service issues appear, Auto Pilot can be switched Off and all inbound conversations remain available for manual staff handling.
Four short phases protect customers and give WRPB a practical path from training to normal use.
Add the correct WRPB staff users and approve who handles each human route.
Use a controlled WhatsApp contact to verify replies, field writes, media and inbox visibility.
Enable Auto Pilot for a monitored window with daily review and fast rollback.
Approve the pilot, train staff and monitor volumes, handoffs and missed questions.
Clear responsibilities keep the agent accurate after handover.