Saturday morning, eleven missed calls
The busiest time for parent enquiries is the time you are busiest: weekday evenings and Saturday mornings, when you and your coaches are on the pitch, in the pool or on court. The phone rings in your kit bag. A Facebook message asks if you have anything for a five-year-old. An Instagram comment asks the price of summer camp. The website form says please call me back.
By the time you check, it is Saturday afternoon. You reply to the ones you can find. Some parents have already booked with the academy that replied first. Some you never reply to, because the message was buried under forty others in the group chats.
Why enquiries slip through
- Enquiries arrive when everyone is coaching.
- They come through several channels: phone, website, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and email.
- Most ask the same few questions: what is there for my child's age, where, when, how much.
- Replies depend on the owner finding time and remembering.
- Nothing records which enquiries were answered or became bookings.
What missed enquiries cost
Every missed enquiry is a family who might have stayed for years, with siblings. Parents who ask a question are usually ready to book, and they book with whoever answers first. The owner also carries the constant low worry of unanswered messages.
Answering the same questions again and again is also a poor use of the owner's time, when a clear answer with a link would do.
An enquiry assistant that answers straight away
- Website, Facebook and Instagram messages, and your enquiry email, are gathered into one place.
- An assistant, using a language model such as OpenAI or Anthropic Claude, replies straight away using only your timetable, prices and policies: the right sessions for the child's age and area, times, prices and a link to book or try a session.
- Missed calls get a text back with a link to the same help, where your phone provider allows it.
- Questions it cannot answer confidently, or anything sensitive, are passed to you with the conversation so far, and the parent is told when to expect a reply from a person.
- Your follow-up list shows every enquiry, whether it was answered, and whether it led to a booking or trial.
- You check and adjust what the assistant says, and it never promises anything your timetable and policies do not say.
| Question | Assistant does | Passed to you? |
|---|---|---|
| What is there for a 6-year-old near me? | Lists matching sessions with a booking link | No |
| How much is camp? | Gives prices and a booking link | No |
| Can my child with additional needs join? | Thanks them and passes it on | Yes |
| Complaint or problem | Passes it on at once | Yes |
| Anything it is unsure about | Passes it on | Yes |
A Saturday when enquiries answer themselves
During Saturday sessions, a dozen parents send messages. Most get an answer straight away with the right session and a link, and several book trials before you finish coaching. Two questions need you: one about a child with additional needs and one about a school booking. They wait on your list with the conversation so far.
After the session, you reply to the two that need you, instead of working through all twelve. At the end of the month, you can see how many enquiries came in, where from, and how many turned into bookings.
Are enquiries slipping away?
- Parents contact you while you are coaching.
- Enquiries arrive through several channels.
- You answer the same questions many times a week.
- Some enquiries never get a reply.
- You cannot tell how many enquiries become bookings.