Complete tutorial to build automated customer service and AI-powered support
This tutorial will show you how to use OpenClaw to build an automated customer support system. You'll learn to create FAQ responses, handle common inquiries, manage support tickets, and provide 24/7 AI-powered customer service. Estimated time: 30-40 minutes.
By the end of this tutorial, you'll have:
Before starting:
Start by creating a knowledge base that OpenClaw can reference:
# Create FAQ directory
mkdir -p ~/clawd/support
# Create FAQ file
cat > ~/clawd/support/faq.md << 'EOF'
# Customer Support FAQ
## Product Information
Q: What are your business hours?
A: We're open Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 6 PM EST.
Q: How do I reset my password?
A: Visit our website and click "Forgot Password" on the login page.
## Billing
Q: What payment methods do you accept?
A: We accept credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers.
Q: Can I get a refund?
A: Yes, we offer 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
EOF
# Copy product documentation to support directory
cp ~/Documents/product-docs/* ~/clawd/support/
# Or ask OpenClaw to organize documentation
You: "Read all files in ~/Documents/product-docs and create
a summary knowledge base in ~/clawd/support/knowledge-base.md"
Create a dedicated support skill that handles customer inquiries:
You: "Create a customer support skill that:
1. Answers questions from the FAQ file
2. References product documentation when needed
3. Escalates complex issues to human support
4. Maintains a friendly, professional tone
5. Logs all interactions for review"
OpenClaw: [Creates support skill with these capabilities]
The skill should include:
Set up OpenClaw to handle support across multiple channels:
# Follow channel setup tutorial
# Configure WhatsApp for support number
# Set up automated responses for business hours
You: "Configure this WhatsApp channel for customer support.
Use the support skill for all incoming messages"
# Enable WebChat channel
# Configure for support use case
# Set welcome message and support hours
You: "Set up WebChat for customer support with a welcome message
explaining we're here to help"
# Configure Telegram bot for support
# Set up command handlers (/help, /faq, /contact)
# Configure automated responses
Set up intelligent FAQ handling:
You: "When a customer asks a question:
1. Search the FAQ file for matching answers
2. If found, provide the answer
3. If not found, search product documentation
4. If still not found, ask clarifying questions
5. Log the interaction for review"
OpenClaw: [Implements FAQ lookup logic]
Customer: "What are your business hours?"
OpenClaw: "We're open Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 6 PM EST.
How else can I help you today?"
Customer: "How do I reset my password?"
OpenClaw: "You can reset your password by visiting our website
and clicking 'Forgot Password' on the login page.
Need help with anything else?"
Create a system for managing support tickets:
You: "Create a ticket management system:
1. Generate unique ticket numbers for each issue
2. Store tickets in ~/clawd/support/tickets/
3. Track ticket status (open, in-progress, resolved)
4. Send ticket confirmation to customer
5. Notify support team of new tickets"
OpenClaw: [Creates ticket management system]
Customer: "I need help with my account"
OpenClaw: "I've created ticket #12345 for your issue.
Our team will review it and respond within 24 hours.
Can you provide more details about the problem?"
# Ticket is logged to ~/clawd/support/tickets/12345.md
# Support team is notified
Set up rules for when to escalate to human support:
You: "Set up escalation rules:
- Escalate if customer says 'speak to human' or 'agent'
- Escalate if issue is about billing or refunds
- Escalate if customer is frustrated (detect tone)
- Escalate if question can't be answered after 3 attempts
- Create ticket and notify support team when escalating"
OpenClaw: [Implements escalation logic]
OpenClaw: "I understand you'd like to speak with a human agent.
I've created ticket #12346 and our support team will
contact you within 2 hours. Is there anything else
I can help with in the meantime?"
Track and analyze support interactions:
You: "Log all customer support interactions:
1. Save each conversation to ~/clawd/support/logs/
2. Include timestamp, channel, customer ID
3. Track resolution status
4. Generate daily summary reports"
OpenClaw: [Implements logging system]
You: "Generate a weekly support report:
- Total inquiries
- Most common questions
- Resolution rate
- Average response time
- Escalation rate
- Customer satisfaction (if tracked)"
OpenClaw: [Generates analytics report]
Set up automated workflows for common support tasks:
You: "Set up business hours handling:
- During business hours: Provide full support
- Outside business hours: Create tickets, send auto-response
- Include business hours in all responses"
OpenClaw: [Configures business hours logic]
You: "Set up automated follow-ups:
- After 24 hours, check if ticket is resolved
- Send satisfaction survey after resolution
- Follow up on unresolved tickets after 48 hours"
OpenClaw: [Creates follow-up automation]
You: "Set up support for an e-commerce store:
- Handle order status inquiries
- Process return requests
- Answer shipping questions
- Escalate payment issues
- Provide product recommendations"
You: "Set up support for a SaaS product:
- Answer technical questions
- Help with account setup
- Troubleshoot common issues
- Provide API documentation
- Escalate billing questions"
You: "Configure support to handle multiple languages:
- Detect customer language
- Respond in their preferred language
- Translate FAQ and documentation
- Maintain language-specific knowledge bases"
Now that you have customer support automation: