How GK Studio Went from Manual Customer Chats to AI-Powered Bookings

Founder Kamal Gulati shares how GK Studio evolved from manually managing customer enquiries on WhatsApp to using an AI-powered chatbot to handle conversations, recommend salon services, and book appointments.

When we started GK Studio on 30 December 2021, I personally handled every customer conversation on WhatsApp. Whether someone wanted to know about prices, timings, branch locations, or treatments, I was the one answering every question.

As the business grew, managing all the conversations myself became increasingly difficult. I eventually hired one or two people to form a CRM team and take over customer chats.

That was the first step in changing how we managed customer communication. But it was only the beginning.

From Manual Replies to Automated Conversations

After building the CRM team, I introduced an automated chatbot. It sent predefined messages to customers, but there was a major limitation: customers do not ask questions in the same way every time.

The bot could handle only the situations it had been programmed for. After about a year, I switched to a slightly more advanced chatbot. While it was an improvement, it still relied on fixed rules and struggled to respond naturally to different customer needs.

Around that time, I started noticing how quickly artificial intelligence was advancing. I researched the technology extensively, put in a lot of work, and eventually built our own AI-powered chatbot.

Since then, I have continued working on it almost every day, refining its responses and improving how it handles customer conversations.

How Our AI Chatbot Works Today

Today, our AI chatbot operates on both WhatsApp and Instagram. When a customer messages GK Studio, the system understands what they are looking for and recommends a suitable service based on their needs and budget.

It also asks customers which area they live in and identifies the nearest branch from our four locations across Gurugram and South Delhi. Once the customer has the relevant information, the chatbot shares the price and helps book an appointment.

If a conversation requires human attention, our team takes over.

The idea is to make the customer journey simpler, from the first enquiry to the appointment booking, while keeping our team available whenever personal assistance is needed.

Transparent Pricing Builds Customer Confidence

One of the things I have always considered important is price transparency. Our prices are fixed, and customers can get the information directly through the chat.

For example, smoothening treatments start at ₹999, while Hydra treatments start at ₹699.

Many women worry about what their final salon bill might look like. When they know the price before visiting, it removes much of that uncertainty and helps them make an informed decision.

For us, the chatbot is not just about automating replies. It is also about giving customers the information they need to feel comfortable before choosing a service.

Managing 300-400 Customer Chats Every Day

Today, GK Studio receives around 300 to 400 conversations daily across WhatsApp and Instagram. Of these, approximately 150 to 200 come from new customers making their first enquiry. The remaining conversations are from existing customers and follow-ups.

So far, we have served more than 50,000 customers.

At this volume, responding quickly and consistently becomes especially important. Customer communication is often the first interaction someone has with GK Studio, long before they walk into one of our salons.

I take that first interaction very seriously. If a customer receives a slow or incorrect response at the beginning, it can be difficult to change that first impression later.

Continuously Improving the AI

Building the chatbot was not a one-time project. I still review its conversations and look for ways to make it better.

These days, I use Claude AI to analyse our chatbot conversations and identify where the responses are working well and where improvements are needed. Based on those findings, I make changes and review the results again.

This process of testing, learning, and refining continues.

I have always enjoyed technology and learning new things. That is why I keep exploring new tools and approaches that can improve the way we communicate with customers.

For me, the goal is not simply to have an AI chatbot in place. It is to make every customer interaction more useful, accurate, and convenient.

Bringing AI into the Salon Industry

As far as we know, GK Studio is among the first salon chains in India to use an AI-powered chatbot to manage customer enquiries, communicate service prices, and facilitate appointment bookings.

Our journey began with me personally answering every message on WhatsApp. It moved through a human CRM team and rule-based chatbots before reaching the AI-powered system we use today.

The work is still ongoing. I continue to monitor conversations, learn from the results, and improve the technology.

For GK Studio, AI is becoming a practical part of everyday salon operations, helping us manage customer communication at scale while making it easier for people to discover services, understand prices, and book their appointments.