What’s new: your bot now runs your customers’ order groups

Most distributors take orders in WhatsApp groups. One group per customer, sometimes three: one for orders, one for finance, one for the managers.

Your bot can now run those groups. It takes the order, says nothing it shouldn’t, and hands your team the chats that need a person.

Every example below comes from a real chat with our test number. We changed the product and shop names. Here’s what’s new.

1. Groups that only take orders

Some groups don’t want a chatty bot. Switch a group to order-only and the bot records the order, replies with one line, and stays silent on everything else. Your people handle the small talk.

Notice the outlet. Ah Seng orders for the Bangsar branch, so the bot filled it in from who sent the message. Nobody had to type it.

2. Prices stay private

Some customers have their own price list, and you’d rather it never sits in a group chat. Turn prices off for a group, or for every chat at once. The bot can’t leak a number it never sees: prices are removed before the reply is written.

3. No upselling, when you say so

By default the bot mentions a deal when one applies: “Buy 10, get 1 free.” Some buyers find that pushy. Switch upselling off and the bot takes the order exactly as given.

4. Products a customer can’t buy

Exclusive lines, a brand that belongs to another distributor in that area, a category you don’t sell to that chain. You can now block products for one company: one product, a whole category, or a collection.

The bot never says “not available” (that’s a lie the next delivery exposes) and never says “you’re not allowed”. It says your holding line and tells your team.

Restricted item | Ali Mart (orders group) | Ah Seng
Customer said:
"I want 2 boxes of the gift set and 3 ctn sea salt crackers"
Bot replied: Noted, our team will get back to you on that item.

The rest of the order carries on. And every ask is logged on the company’s page, so you can see what customers want and can’t get.

5. One company, many groups

Link a company’s finance group and managers group to the same account. Each group sees that company’s orders and invoices, and only that company’s. Ask about another shop and the bot declines.

This isn’t only a polite answer. The order tools in a group can only reach that group’s own company, so there’s nothing else for the bot to read.

6. Your team confirms every order

When a customer says “yes, submit”, the order is received, not confirmed. It waits for your team in the hub, and the customer hears back once you confirm it. The bot never promises stock or a truck it can’t see.

7. Cut-off times and urgent deliveries

Tell the bot your cut-off (“order by 3pm for next-day delivery”) and your delivery days. It answers “when will it arrive?” with the real date. If a customer insists on sooner, the bot doesn’t promise it. It flags the order as urgent and alerts your delivery manager.

8. “Same as last time”

The bot copies their last order into a new one, at today’s prices, and shows it before sending it to your team.

9. Credit hold

Set a limit like “30 days overdue”. A company past it can’t place new orders: the attempt is saved for you to see, finance is alerted, and the customer gets your message or nothing at all. The reason (“overdue RM40k”) never reaches the chat. Exempt the customers who pay late by agreement.

10. The right person gets the alert

Alerts used to go to one place. Now each kind can go to its own people: urgent deliveries to the delivery manager, statements and payments to finance, damaged or expired goods to whoever handles claims.

Finance | Statement of account | Ali Mart (finance group)
Customer said:
"Can you send us our statement of account for September?"
Bot replied: Let me pass this to our team, and they'll get back to you here soon.

An orders group doesn’t go quiet because one line needed a person. The bot keeps taking the other orders.

11. No shop link, if you prefer

Some distributors want every order to stay in WhatsApp. Turn links off and the bot never sends your shop or product links.

12. Broadcasts that don’t get you banned

Sending one message to 200 outlets at once is how a number gets flagged. Broadcasts now go out 15 chats at a time, with a few random seconds between each and a 5 to 10 minute break between batches. Long lists queue up and finish on their own.

13. Test before your customers see it

Before you turn on a promotion or a new rule, ask the bot to play a customer: “As Ali Mart’s orders group, say: 10 ctn mineral water.” The real bot answers with that group’s settings, and nothing is sent and nobody is alerted. Test orders are cleaned up when you finish.

Promotions start as drafts. Create one, test it with a pretend order, and only then switch it on.

Change any of it by chatting

Every setting above can be changed by messaging your bot. Some examples:

• “Don’t show prices in the Ali Mart group.”
• “Ali Mart can’t buy the gift sets.”
• “Ah Seng orders for the Bangsar outlet.”
• “Cut-off is 3pm for next-day delivery. We deliver Mon, Wed and Fri.”
• “Urgent deliveries go to Kumar.”

The bot makes the change and tells you what it set. If you’d rather click, it’s all in the hub too: open a company and go to the Ordering tab, or Settings for cut-offs, credit hold and who gets which alert.

Want this switched on for your groups? Message us and we’ll set it up with you.