Your setup guide, step by step

• AI receptionist on WhatsApp: answers text messages and voice notes, 24/7
• Your own WhatsApp link and printable QR card on AskZuri's shared number
• Dashboard with every enquiry, and instant alerts on your phone
• Answers in your customers' language, using your prices, hours and services
• Free quotes & invoices

R349/month excl. VAT, no setup fee. Your own WhatsApp number and app stay exactly as they are.

1. Open askzuri.co.za on your phone. Tap the purple Free demo button at the top right.
2. "What kind of business do you run?" Tap the photo that matches your business, e.g. Salon & beauty. Not sure? Tap Something else.
3. "Do you have a website?" Tap Yes, I have a website or No website.
4. If you tapped "Yes": type your website address, e.g. glowbeauty.co.za, and tap Continue.
   Your website must show your prices and opening hours. That's what your assistant learns from. If it doesn't, go back and choose "No website" instead.
5. If you tapped "No website": fill in the form:
   • Business name: e.g. Glow Beauty Studio
   • Area or suburb: e.g. Rondebosch, Cape Town
   • Services & prices: one service per row. Service name in the left box, price in the right box (e.g. Gel nails | R280). Tap + Add another service for more. Tap × to remove a row.
   • Opening hours: e.g. Mon–Fri 8–5, Sat 8–1
   • WhatsApp number: the number customers can message
   • Anything customers often ask? (optional): e.g. 50% deposit to book. Free parking.
   Then tap Continue.
   The light grey words in the boxes are only examples. Type your own details.
6. "Save your assistant": create your login.
   • Your name
   • Mobile number or email: this is your login. Write it down.
   • Choose a password: at least 8 letters or numbers. Write it down.
   Tap Create login & build my assistant. If a small "I'm human" box appears, tick it.
7. Wait about 30 seconds while it builds. Don't close the page.
8. "Meet your AI receptionist": type a question your customers ask, e.g. "How much is a lash lift?", or tap and speak.
   Something wrong in the answer? Don't worry. You'll fix it in Part 3, step A.
   Tap Looks good, choose my plan →.
9. "Choose your plan": tap the plan you want (Starter). Then tap Continue with Starter.
10. "Start your free trial": check the summary (price, free-trial end date, "Nothing today"). Tick the box "I agree to the terms…" and tap Start my free 14-day trial.
11. "You're live!" Tap Go to my dashboard →. Well done!

iPhone (in Safari):

1. Open your dashboard. Tap the Share button: the square with an arrow pointing up, at the bottom of the screen.
2. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen, then Add.

Android (in Chrome):

1. Open your dashboard. Tap ⋮ (three dots) at the top right.
2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app, then Add.

• At the bottom of the screen there is a bar: ‹ Back · Setup 1 of 6 · Next ›. Next takes you to the right place for each step.
• Tap Menu at the top right to go anywhere.
• Some steps tick themselves off. For the others, tap Mark as done when you've finished.

Your assistant only answers from these facts, so they must be right.

1. Tap Open Your assistant.
2. Find the big box "Facts: services, prices, hours, area, booking, policies (one per line)". Read every line.
3. Fix anything wrong (a price, your hours) and add anything missing, e.g. Parking: free at the back. Put one fact on each line.
4. Optional: change the First message (greeting), the Assistant's name or the Colour.
5. Reply in the customer's language is ticked for you: a customer who writes in isiZulu, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Sesotho or another language gets the answer in their language, with your prices exactly as you wrote them. Untick it if you want every answer in the language of your facts.
6. Optional, if you have a business page: check the Tagline, About, Services (one per line, like Gel nails - R280), Opening hours, Address or area, WhatsApp number and Email.
7. Quick questions customers can tap: these are the buttons in your chat. For Button 1 to Button 4, pick a question from the list, or choose Write my own… and type it. Choose No button to hide one.
8. Your questions & answers: pick a question customers often ask (or Write my own…) and type your answer underneath. Tap + Add a question for more, or Remove to delete one. Your assistant will answer these exactly your way.
9. Scroll down and tap Save. You'll see "Saved ✓". It works straight away.
10. At the top of this page is " Questions your AI couldn't answer". It's empty for now. Later, when customers ask something that isn't in your facts, their questions appear there (see Part 4, Teaching your AI).
11. Tap Menu → Start here and tap Mark as done on this step.

1. Tap Open my assistant. Your page opens.
2. Ask 3 questions your customers really ask: a price, your hours, and a booking. Also try and speak.
3. A wrong answer? Go back to step A and fix that fact. Then ask again.
4. Go back to your dashboard and tap Mark as done.

Every new enquiry pops up on your own WhatsApp the moment a customer leaves their details, with a one-tap link to reply. Do this on your phone. (If you don't see this step yet, it switches on as soon as AskZuri's WhatsApp line is approved. Until then every enquiry is on your dashboard.)

1. On Start here, find "Get new enquiries on your WhatsApp" and tap Connect WhatsApp.
2. WhatsApp opens a chat with AskZuri with a message already typed (it starts with ALERTS). Just press send.
3. You'll get " Connected!" back. Save the number as "AskZuri alerts". Go back to your dashboard: this step ticks itself off.
4. Want to check? Tap Send test alert. A test message arrives on your WhatsApp.

These go on the quotes and invoices you send your customers, so they can pay you by EFT.

1. Tap Add bank details (or Menu → Business details).
2. In the card " Your bank details" fill in each box:
   • Bank: type it or pick it from the list, e.g. FNB
   • Account holder name: the name on the account
   • Account number: numbers only
   • Branch code: fills in by itself for the main South African banks. Check it.
   • Account type: choose one, e.g. Cheque / Current
3. Tap Save bank details. You'll see "Saved ✓". This step ticks itself off.
4. Optional, in the card below it ("Details on your quotes & invoices"): your business name, address, email, phone, VAT number, and your own payment link if you have one (Yoco, SnapScan, PayFast…). Tap Save details.

If you DON'T have a website: share your business page.

1. On Start here, scroll to the bottom: "Where customers will find your assistant". Tap Copy next to your page link.
2. Paste the link in each of these:
   • Google Business Profile (your Google Maps listing): Edit profile → Website
   • Instagram: Edit profile → Links
   • Facebook page: Edit → Website
   • WhatsApp Business: Settings → Business tools → Business profile → Website
3. Tap Share on WhatsApp to post it on your WhatsApp Status or send it to customers.
4. Tap Mark as done.

If you DO have a website: add the chat to it.

1. At the bottom of Start here, tap Copy next to the one line of code.
2. Send it to the person who looks after your website with this message: "Please paste this line on every page of our website, just before </body>."
3. When a chat bubble appears at the bottom right of your website, tap Mark as done.

Your dashboard has a tab called WhatsApp with your own link and a QR code. Customers tap the link and land in a chat that already knows your business.

1. Open WhatsApp in your dashboard.
2. Tap Copy link. Paste it in your Instagram bio, Facebook page, Google Maps listing and WhatsApp status.
3. Tap Print QR card. Put the printed card on your counter, till or shop window for customers who are with you in person.
4. Tap Mark as done on this step.

1. Follow Part 2.
2. Tap Mark as done.

Your AI will also answer your WhatsApp messages, voice notes included. We're switching this on for clients now: ask, and you'll be first.

1. On Start here, find the step "Connect your WhatsApp".
2. WhatsApp number to connect: type the number.
3. Which number is it? Choose one:
   • A new number just for the AI: best and easiest (a new SIM is fine)
   • My current WhatsApp Business number: we'll move it over with you
   • Not sure, please advise me
4. Best time to contact you: e.g. weekdays after 2pm.
5. Tap Request WhatsApp connection. You'll see "Requested on…". We'll contact you to connect it (about 15 minutes of your time).

Only if you already use an online booking page (Calendly, Cal.com, Fresha, Booksy…). No booking page? Skip this step: your assistant takes booking requests and sends them to you.

1. On Start here, find "Add your booking link".
2. Paste the link to your booking page. It starts with https://
3. Tap Save booking link. It works straight away and ticks itself off.

Do this once. After that, every booking you make shows up in your phone's calendar, with a reminder an hour before.

1. Tap Menu → Bookings & calendar.
2. In the card " Put your bookings in your phone's calendar":
   • iPhone: tap Add to iPhone calendar, then Subscribe.
   • Android: tap Add to Google Calendar (Android), sign in with the Google account on your phone, and tap Add.
3. Done! New bookings appear in your calendar by themselves.

Android: Google can take a few hours to show new bookings. To add one instantly, tap Google calendar (Android) on that booking.

Let your AI take booking requests

Your AI offers customers your free times and takes their request. Nothing is booked until you approve it. You get a message with one link: approve, suggest another time, or decline.

1. First connect your phone alerts (step C), so the requests reach your phone.
2. Tap Menu → Bookings & calendar, and scroll to " Let your AI take booking requests".
3. Tick Yes, let my AI take booking requests.
4. Under When can customers book? tick each day you work, and set the start and end times (e.g. 09:00 to 17:00). Untick the days you're closed.
5. Each booking takes: how long one booking is (e.g. 1 hour). Earliest booking from now: how much warning you need (e.g. 2 hours).
6. Tap Save booking settings. Your AI only offers times that are free in your bookings.

Your AI can't see your personal phone calendar. If you're busy at a time (e.g. a doctor's appointment), add it as a booking in " New booking", so the AI won't offer that time.

Your AI gets its own phone number. One code on your phone forwards the calls you miss, decline or can't take to it; it answers and sends you a summary of each call with a one-tap call back.

1. On Start here, find "Switch on phone answering".
2. Fill in Your business phone number, choose your Network (Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Telkom…), choose Which calls should the AI answer?, and add the Best time to contact you.
3. Tap Ask for my AI's number. We set it up with you and send you the number and the one code to dial.

When a customer asks something

1. Your assistant answers them straight away, day and night. If they want to book or need you, it takes their name, number and what they need.
2. If you connected your phone alerts (Part 3, step C), the enquiry pops up on your phone straight away: " New enquiry for…" with their name, number and what they need. Tap the Reply on WhatsApp link in it to answer them.
3. Every enquiry is also in your dashboard: Menu → Dashboard.
4. Tap their number to call them, or WhatsApp them back. Reply quickly: customers go with whoever answers first.

Answering a booking request from your AI

1. You get a message on your phone: " Booking request for…" with the customer, the service and the time. (They also show in your dashboard under "⏳ Waiting for your OK" in Bookings & calendar.)
2. Tap the link in the message. Then choose one:
   • Approve this time: it's booked and goes into your phone calendar, with reminders the day before and an hour before.
   • Suggest another time: tap a free time (or choose any date and time) and tap Send this time to the customer.
   • × Decline: if you can't fit them in.
3. Tap the green Send to the customer on WhatsApp. WhatsApp opens with the message ready. Tap Send.
4. If you suggested a new time, the customer taps "Yes, this time suits me" on their link. You get a message on your phone, and it goes into your calendar by itself.

Making a booking

1. Next to the enquiry, tap Book. Their name and number fill in by themselves. (Or go to Menu → Bookings & calendar → " New booking".)
2. Choose the Date, the Time and How long. Add the Service if you like.
3. Tap Save booking.
4. Tap Send confirmation on WhatsApp. WhatsApp opens with the message ready (it includes a link that puts the booking in your customer's calendar too). Tap Send.
5. To cancel later: find the booking under " Upcoming bookings" and tap Cancel booking. It disappears from your calendar too.

Sending a quote or invoice (free)

1. Tap Menu → Quotes & invoices. (Or tap Quote / Invoice next to an enquiry: the customer fills in by itself.)
2. At the top, tap Invoice or Quote.
3. Fill in the Customer name and Customer phone or email.
4. Under Items: what you're charging for, how many, and the price. Tap + Add line for more. If you're VAT registered, VAT is added for you.
5. Tap Create invoice (or Create quote).
6. In the list below, tap WhatsApp, Email or Copy link to send it. Your customer gets a neat page with your bank details and a Download PDF button.
7. When they've paid, tap Mark paid. A quote they accept becomes an invoice with Make invoice.

Teaching your AI (questions it couldn't answer)

1. When a customer asks something that isn't in your facts, your assistant never guesses: it says it will check with the team and takes their details. The question is saved for you.
2. You'll see " … questions your AI couldn't answer" at the top of Start here and Dashboard. Tap Teach your AI → (or go to Menu → Your assistant).
3. Under " Questions your AI couldn't answer", type your answer in the box under the question and tap Add answer. It's saved into Your questions & answers and your assistant uses it straight away, in any language.
4. Not a real question, or nothing to add? Tap Dismiss.

Seeing what your AI did for you each month

1. Tap Menu → Dashboard and scroll to " Your results". It shows this month so far next to last month: chats answered, enquiries captured, how many came in after hours, bookings, quotes and invoices sent and paid.
2. The bottom line, " Estimated value of your enquiries", is your enquiries × what a new customer is usually worth to you. We start with a guess for your type of business. Type your own amount in rands in "Average value of a new customer (R)" and tap Save.
3. If you connected your phone alerts (Part 3, step C), your report arrives on your phone by itself on the 1st of every month: " … your results for …".
4. Want it now? Tap Send me this month's report now.

Changing prices or hours

1. Tap Menu → Your assistant.
2. Change the facts, then tap Save. Your assistant uses the new facts straight away.

Paying for AskZuri

1. Your first 14 days are free. At the top of your dashboard you'll see "Free trial until…" and View / pay your invoice.
2. Tap it. Pay by EFT before the trial ends, using the invoice number as your reference.
3. We confirm your payment and you stay live. If it isn't paid, your assistant pauses until it is. Nothing is lost.

• A phone number for the AI. Best: a new prepaid SIM (any network; it costs very little). It must be able to receive an SMS or a call once, for a code.
• 15 minutes on WhatsApp or a call with us.
• Your business name and logo (for the WhatsApp profile).

1. Ask for it: on Start here, find "Connect your WhatsApp". Fill in the number, choose Which number is it? and the best time to contact you. Tap Request WhatsApp connection.
2. We contact you (WhatsApp or call) to book your 15 minutes.
3. Put the SIM in any phone (an old one is fine) so it can receive the code. Don't install WhatsApp on that number.
4. During the 15 minutes: we register your number with WhatsApp (Meta's official business system). You get a 6-digit code by SMS or call on that number. Read it to us. Never share it with anyone else.
5. Your WhatsApp profile: send us your business name, logo and a one-line description. Customers see these.
6. Test it together: from your own phone, WhatsApp the new number "How much is…?". Your AI answers. Send a voice note too.
7. The step "Connect your WhatsApp" ticks itself off.
8. Tell customers: put the number on your business page (Menu → Your assistant → WhatsApp number), Google Maps listing, Instagram, Facebook, flyers and your shop window.

• New WhatsApp enquiries appear in Dashboard and, if you connected your phone alerts, on your phone straight away.
• Voice notes are written out for you, marked with .
• To answer a customer yourself, tap their number in the enquiry and WhatsApp them from your own phone.
• Booking requests from WhatsApp work exactly like those from your website: you approve with one tap.

On the WhatsApp plan (R349) you already have: AI replies on AskZuri's shared WhatsApp line, your own link and QR card, your dashboard with every lead, instant alerts on your phone and free quotes & invoices. Upgrading to Starter adds the chat on your website or business page. Growth adds automatic bookings, your own WhatsApp number and follow-ups.

Prices per month, as on askzuri.co.za. "Soon" features are switched on for you as they become available, at no extra cost on your plan.

1. Tap Menu → Help: ask Zuri and type "I want to upgrade to Growth" (or Pro). Or WhatsApp us.
2. We switch your plan, usually the same day, and send your updated invoice. You pay the new price from your next month.
3. Open Start here: new steps for your new plan appear in your checklist. Tap Next › on the bottom bar to go through them.

These steps appear in this guide when you choose Growth or Pro at the top (or in your Growth / Pro guide).

• Bookings in your phone calendar (Growth, Pro): Part 3, step H. Do it once.
• AI booking requests (Growth, Pro): Part 3, step . Tick Yes, set your days and times, Save.
• Your own booking page (optional): Part 3, step G.
• Your own WhatsApp number (Growth, Pro): the WhatsApp AI section above.
• Phone answering (Pro, set up with you): Part 3, step J. Ask for your AI's number.

• A question about the dashboard? Tap Menu → Help: ask Zuri. Our AI answers straight away, and passes anything else to our team.
• Forgot your password? On the login page tap "Message us" and give your name and login. We'll send you a temporary password on WhatsApp.
• The assistant gave a wrong answer? Fix that fact in Your assistant and tap Save (Part 3, step A).
• The page looks old? Close the AskZuri app completely and open it again. It updates itself.
• Using a shared phone or computer? Tap Menu → Log out when you're done.