FREE PRACTICAL AI LEARNING · LEARN BY DOINGNO SIGNUP NEEDED · YOUR WORK STAYS YOURS
Open PracticePRACTICAL AI ENGINEERING
EARN BY DOING · BUILD 03 · CLIENT SERVICE

Create a customer-reply kit

Every small business answers the same ten questions every week. A reply kit turns those into checked answers anyone on the team can send, plus clear rules for when a person must take over. You will collect real questions (with personal details removed), write the FAQ, a reply library with the right tone, and an escalation matrix.

⏱ About 20–30 minutes to draft · the real-world steps take days · Works with or without AI · No signup

You will make

  • FAQ
  • Response library
  • Escalation matrix

You will practise

  • Grouping real questions without copying anyone’s personal data
  • Writing short replies that answer first and stay accurate
  • Deciding which questions a human must always handle

Download the practice pack (.zip)See a finished exampleOffer contract (.md)

No AI key needed. The guided template works for everyone.

  1. 1Brief

    Specific answers make better results — with or without AI.

  2. 2Make

    Pick a route. The template gives you a structure with [[blanks]] to fill in yourself. Your own key drafts it for you — then you still check it.

    See the exact prompt — copy it into any AI chat you already use
  3. 3Check
    The same rules run on every draft, human or AI. Most first drafts fail something — that is the point.
      Self-check — judgement no checker can make
    • 4Improve
      Fix one item at a time, then check again. Notice which fixes made it better — that is the skill.
      1. Run the check first.
    • 5Ship
      Use it for real: send it, post it or save it. Record what happened — that is your evidence of learning.
    A finished example
    The business, people and numbers are invented. It passes every check above, so you can see what “done” looks like before you start.
    Show the worked example
    > Worked example. The business, people and numbers are invented to show the shape of a finished deliverable.

# Customer reply kit: a home bakery selling cakes to order

## FAQ
Questions customers ask (no names or numbers kept): price, delivery, sugar-free options, how early to order, payment.

### How much is a birthday cake?
Cakes start at US$15 for a 20 cm sponge. Fillings and writing are included; figures and photos cost extra.

### Do you deliver?
Yes, within 5 km for US$2. Further away, you can collect from the house.

### How early do I need to order?
Three days before. For weddings and orders over 30 people, two weeks.

## Response library
Tone: Warm and short
- When someone asks the price: Hello! Birthday cakes start at US$15 for a 20 cm sponge, writing included. What date is it for?
- When someone asks about delivery: We deliver within 5 km for US$2, or you can collect. Which area are you in?
- When you cannot do what they ask: I'm sorry, we can't do that one. We can do a vanilla cake with a printed photo instead. Would that work?
- When an order is confirmed: Thank you! One chocolate cake, 20 cm, "Happy 7th Tino", Saturday at 10:00, US$17 with delivery.
- When someone is upset: Thank you for telling us, and I'm sorry. The owner will call you today to sort it out.
- When you do not know the answer: Good question. Let me check with the baker and reply by 3 pm.

## Escalation matrix
Always handled by a person: complaints, refunds, allergies, anything about money
- The words "allergy", "nuts" or "gluten" → the baker → before the order is accepted
- Any complaint or refund request → the owner → a call the same day
- Orders over 30 people → the owner → within 24 hours
- Payment did not arrive → the owner → within 2 hours

## Missing information
The owner has not confirmed whether sugar-free cakes are possible. Until then, the reply is "let me check".

## Boundary
- Every price and policy here was confirmed by the owner. Nothing invented.
- Customer names, numbers and messages were removed before writing this kit.

    Pro moves
    Methods this build practises
    Each method in the directory has a starter kit: the offer prefilled, first-sale steps, proof checks and the offer contract.
    METHOD 03Ethical review-response deskBuyer: restaurants, clinics and retailersMETHOD 04FAQ and customer-reply kitBuyer: any small business with repeated WhatsApp/email questionsMETHOD 05WhatsApp catalogue and reply setupBuyer: informal retailers and home businessesMETHOD 29Simple website FAQ assistantBuyer: businesses with frequent presales questions
    Questions people ask
    Can I paste real customer chats into an AI tool?
    Not with names, numbers or private details in them. Remove those first, or write the questions in your own words. The guided template needs no AI at all.
    Is this the same as a chatbot?
    No. This kit is for people to use, and it is the foundation a chatbot would need later. Most small businesses get most of the benefit from the kit alone.
    Will this make me money?
    Nobody can promise that, and Open Practice never does. This workshop helps you make work that is worth paying for and keep the evidence. Whether anyone buys depends on your market, your outreach and your work.
    Do I need an AI key to use this?
    No. The guided template teaches the same skill with no AI at all. If you add your own free key (Groq, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, Mistral or Cerebras), the tool can also draft and revise. The key stays in your browser and requests go straight to that provider.
    Where is my work saved?
    In this browser only (local storage), until you copy or download it. Nothing you type is sent to Open Practice.
    Keep building
    NEXT BUILDBuild 04 · Clean a real spreadsheet safelyYou’ll make: Rules log, Cleaned file, Validation reportFREE TOOLFAQ GeneratorBuild an FAQ from real customer questionsFREE TOOLEmail WriterWrite a clear email that gets a replyACADEMY COURSEEarn by Doing: useful work, honest offersThe full build path: guided activities, a hosted lab and a combined capstone.