First impressions matter. Your AI's greeting message is often the first interaction customers have with your business. A warm, helpful greeting sets the tone for the entire conversation.
Why Greeting Messages Matter
A good greeting message:
- Makes customers feel welcome and valued
- Sets expectations for response time
- Guides customers toward helpful actions (booking, asking questions)
- Reinforces your brand personality
Creating Welcome Messages
Access Greeting Settings
Navigate to Settings → AI Assistant → Greetings & First Contact
Write Your Default Greeting
Create a friendly, concise welcome message:
"Hi! 👋 Welcome to Bella's Salon. I'm here to help you book appointments, answer questions about our services, or share our hours. What can I help you with today?"
Keep it:
- Under 50 words
- Friendly and conversational
- Action-oriented (tell them what you can do)
Use an emoji or two to add warmth, but don't overdo it. One or two is friendly; five is unprofessional.
Add a Quick Actions Menu (Optional)
Give customers easy buttons to click:
- 📅 Book Appointment
- 💰 View Pricing
- 🕐 See Hours
- 📍 Get Directions
These reduce friction and guide customers to common actions.
First-Contact Automation Rules
Configure how the AI behaves when someone contacts you for the first time:
Set First-Contact Behavior
Choose what happens when a new customer messages you:
- Send greeting immediately: AI responds within seconds
- Wait for question first: AI only responds after customer asks something
- Collect info first: AI asks for name/email before helping
Most businesses should choose "Send greeting immediately." Customers expect instant responses on messaging platforms.
Configure Lead Capture
Decide if/when to collect customer information:
- Before booking: Required for appointments
- After 2-3 messages: Natural conversation flow
- Never: For simple inquiries only
Example flow:
Customer: "Do you have availability tomorrow?"
AI: "Yes! We have openings at 10am, 2pm, and 4pm. To book, I'll need your name and phone number. What's your name?"
Time-Based Greetings
Personalize greetings based on when customers contact you:
Enable Time-Based Greetings
Toggle Use time-based greetings to ON
Set Greetings for Different Times
- Morning (6am-12pm):
"Good morning! ☀️ How can we help you today?" - Afternoon (12pm-6pm):
"Good afternoon! How can I assist you?" - Evening (6pm-10pm):
"Good evening! Thanks for reaching out. What can I help with?" - After hours (10pm-6am):
"Thanks for your message! We're currently closed but I'm here to help. We'll follow up when we open at 9am."
Time-based greetings feel more personal and show you're paying attention to customer experience.
Channel-Specific Greetings
Customize greetings for different platforms:
"Hi! Thanks for messaging us on WhatsApp. I can help you book appointments, answer questions, or share our menu. What brings you in today?"
Instagram DM
"Hey! 👋 Thanks for the DM! I can help with bookings, pricing, or any questions about our services. What can I do for you?"
SMS
"Hi! This is Bella's Salon. How can we help you today?"
Website Chat
"Welcome to Bella's Salon! 💇♀️ I'm here to answer questions and help you book. What would you like to know?"
Match the tone to the platform. Instagram can be more casual; website chat can be more professional.
Advanced: Returning Customer Greetings
Recognize and welcome back previous customers:
Enable Returning Customer Detection
Toggle Recognize returning customers to ON
Set Returning Customer Greeting
"Welcome back, [Name]! 😊 Great to hear from you again. How can I help you today?"
The AI automatically fills in their name from previous conversations.
Testing Your Greetings
Use Test Mode
Click Test Greeting to see how it looks on different channels.
Send to Your Phone
Enter your phone number and click Send Test to see the actual message.
Check All Scenarios
Test:
- New customer greeting
- Returning customer greeting
- Different times of day
- Different channels
Best Practices
- Be specific: "I can help you book, check pricing, or answer questions" beats "How can I help?"
- Set expectations: Mention response time if you're closed
- Use their name: Personalization increases engagement
- Keep it short: Long greetings get ignored
- Test on mobile: Most customers will see it on their phone
- Update seasonally: "Happy holidays!" in December adds a nice touch
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I always send a greeting?
Yes, for most businesses. Instant greetings show you're responsive and ready to help. Exception: if customers typically send complete questions first, you can skip the greeting.
Can I A/B test different greetings?
Yes! Enable A/B testing in settings and create two versions. The system will track which gets better engagement.
How often should I update greetings?
Review quarterly, update for major changes (new services, seasonal promotions), and refresh annually to keep it fresh.
Can I disable greetings on certain channels?
Yes. Go to channel-specific settings and toggle greetings OFF for that channel.
Troubleshooting
Greeting not sending
Solution: Check that "Send greeting immediately" is enabled. Verify the channel integration is active.
Wrong greeting showing
Solution: Check time-based settings and channel-specific overrides. One may be conflicting with your default.
Greeting looks broken on mobile
Solution: Shorten it. Aim for 2-3 sentences max. Remove complex formatting.
Quick action buttons not appearing
Solution: Quick actions only work on WhatsApp and Website Chat. They won't show on SMS or basic messaging.