AI chatbot for lead capture

A customer messages WhatsApp at 11:40 p.m.: “How much is it? Any slot tomorrow?” The manager is asleep — the lead goes cold. An AI chatbot for lead capture is built for that: answer now, clarify the job, and keep the person until morning. It is not a toy “chat with ChatGPT on the site”. It is a lead channel next to the form and the messenger button.

When a bot is already worth it

• the same questions every day: price, timeline, address, “how do I book”;
• leads arrive in WhatsApp and Telegram at night and on weekends;
• managers drown in chat and reply an hour later;
• ads send people to the site and half leave before anyone answers.

Clinics, schools, delivery, local services in Bishkek are the usual fit. If you get three leads a week and reply in two minutes, wait. If the flow is already there, the bot pays for itself in leads you would have lost.

How it works

1. The bot greets the person on the site, WhatsApp, or Telegram.
2. It answers from your knowledge base: services, price ranges, FAQ, slots, documents.
3. It asks 2–4 follow-ups: city, service, budget, a convenient time.
4. It takes a name and phone and hands them to a manager or CRM.
5. If the question is hard, it says “I’ll pass this to a human” and does not invent an answer.

The difference from a dummy widget: there is a lead script and a handoff. Without WhatsApp or CRM, it is just chat.

Where to put it

• Site widget — for people from ads or search who are not ready to call.
• WhatsApp — if the business already lives in messenger.
• Telegram — handy for B2B and repeat clients.

Most launches start with the site plus WhatsApp. One script, two channels, one lead queue.

Timeline and budget

A typical lead bot: 1–3 weeks, from $500. Included: a business knowledge base, a qualification flow, a widget or messenger, a manager alert, a test launch. More about AI chatbot development.

It costs more if you need live calendar booking, stock from a catalog, extra languages, or a deep CRM. Faster and cheaper: FAQ + a request + a WhatsApp ping.

Typical range: AI chatbot for leads — 1–3 weeks, from $500. The quote comes after a brief: channel, how many common questions, where the lead goes.

Common mistakes

• dumping the whole website into the model and hoping it “sells itself”;
• no topic limits — the bot starts recommending competitors or making up medical advice;
• no human handoff: the visitor chats and disappears;
• replacing a manager on complex deals — the bot should filter, not close the contract;
• skipping a check of Russian and Kyrgyz answers before ads go live.

A working start: 15–30 frequent questions, a strict request flow, a WhatsApp alert, and a manager on everything outside the FAQ.

Want a bot for leads?

Tell us where customers write today and which five questions you hear most. We will say whether a site widget is enough or WhatsApp should go in first — and write a short brief. You can try a demo assistant on the AI chat page.