The test: 7 questions, one point for every yes
- Does an enquiry that arrives in the evening or at the weekend get an answer within an hour? People who contact several businesses usually pick the first one that replies. Warning sign: Friday's enquiries get read on Monday.
- Can you say how many enquiries you received last month, and where from? Without this number you can't tell whether too few arrive or too many get lost. Warning sign: "about twenty, I think".
- Is someone who asks for a quote and goes quiet contacted again at least once? Silence after a quote is rarely a no: often it's just a busy person. Warning sign: "if they're interested, they'll call back".
- Do last year's customers hear from you without you having to remember? Selling to people who already know you costs far less than finding a new customer. Warning sign: the last message they got was the invoice.
- Do email, WhatsApp, website forms and phone calls end up in one place? When channels are scattered, something always falls behind. Warning sign: "it was on WhatsApp, but on whose phone?"
- If the person who handles enquiries goes on holiday, does the process keep running? A process that lives in one person's head stops with them. Warning sign: in August, enquiries wait for September.
- Are the AI tools you pay for connected to each other, or does everyone use them separately? Two or three subscriptions used in isolation save minutes, not hours. Warning sign: everyone copies and pastes into their own chatbot.
What your score means
| Score | Situation | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | Buying more leads today means filling a leaky bucket. | Close the biggest gaps: fast replies and following up on quotes. |
| 4–5 | There is a process, but at least one gap is costing you. | Find which missing point loses the most enquiries and start there. |
| 6–7 | You're in good shape. | Make the process run on its own, so it holds up as you grow. |
The three most common gaps, and how AI closes them
1. Replies outside office hours. An automated flow recognises the enquiry, sends a personalised confirmation straight away and alerts you. A language model can also classify it (quote, information, complaint) and draft a reply, which you approve before it goes out.
2. Forgotten follow-ups. After two or three days without an answer, the system reminds you about the customer and has the follow-up message ready. You decide whether to send it.
3. Scattered channels. Forms, emails and messages flow into a single list showing who wrote, when and what they asked. Every week you get the list of who to call back.
An example I use every day: when someone subscribes to the newsletter on my website, a flow in n8n (an open-source tool) checks that the email is valid, adds it to the right list, shows a confirmation page right away and alerts me if something goes wrong. Nobody has to remember anything. The same logic works for quotes and contact requests.
You don't need new software at three hundred euros a month. Almost always you need to connect what you already have.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a CRM? Not necessarily. For many small businesses a single, well-kept list that updates automatically is enough. A CRM makes sense when volume grows.
Will the AI answer customers for me? Only if you want it to. The approach I recommend is that it drafts the reply and you approve it: faster than writing from scratch, without losing control over what goes out.
How long does it take to get started? It depends on the tools you already use. The first piece, usually fast replies or quote follow-ups, can be built in a few days.