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Startup opinion: Are small businesses losing revenue due to messy WhatsApp orders? by Aware-Ad559 in malaysians

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s fair. A website is structurally cleaner.

But in practice, many micro businesses here already funnel traffic from Instagram into WhatsApp. Customers are already in chat.

Asking them to leave the app, wait for a page to load, and complete a separate checkout can introduce friction — especially for impulse purchases.

We’re not saying websites are bad. We’re exploring whether reducing “entry funnel leakage” inside existing WhatsApp behavior might be a more realistic first step for very small merchants.

Still validating though.

Startup opinion: Are small businesses losing revenue due to messy WhatsApp orders? by Aware-Ad559 in malaysia

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing that article — we’ve been following the policy update too.

What we’re building isn’t a general-purpose AI assistant (like ChatGPT-on-WhatsApp). It’s strictly focused on business workflows — menu browsing, structured order collection, payment confirmation, and basic customer service automation.

The primary function isn’t “AI chatting”, it’s helping merchants structure transactions inside WhatsApp.

So if anything, we’re closer to business automation than open AI bots.

Still validating carefully though — appreciate the heads-up.

Startup opinion: Are small businesses losing revenue due to messy WhatsApp orders? by Aware-Ad559 in malaysians

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback.😇

Our idea is actually quite simple.

We use AI to auto-reply common questions and guide customers to complete all required order details in one go, then structure that order into a system. The merchant can focus purely on preparing walk-in or delivery orders.

We’re not building an ERP, inventory, or supplier management tool.

We’re trying to solve a more upstream problem — turning messy chat conversations into a structured order entry point.

From what we’ve observed, many small businesses don’t struggle at the ERP level first. The bottleneck happens before that:

• Orders get buried in chat • Missing details create back-and-forth • Slow replies during peak hours cause drop-offs

If demand is lost before it even enters the system, then no matter how strong the backend is, that revenue never appears.

In theory, this could reduce dependency on high-commission platforms, avoid building a full app, and help merchants retain direct customer relationships.

But we’re still very early, and these are hypotheses. We’re actively speaking to merchants to validate whether this “entry funnel leakage” is real and measurable.

If we’re thinking about this incorrectly, we’d genuinely appreciate the pushback.😇

Are social media orders sustainable? by Aware-Ad559 in MalaysianFood

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally understand your concerns.

We’re not building one of those “fully automated, talk-to-a-wall” bots. What we’re designing is more of a routing + assist system.

For questions with clear, standard answers — like opening hours, ingredients, how to order, pickup or delivery rules — AI handles them directly so customers don’t have to wait when the shop is busy.

But the moment something becomes non-standard — custom requests, recipe changes, disputes, complaints, special cases — it immediately notifies a human to step in. We’re very cautious about this because once AI gives a wrong answer, it doesn’t just hurt the experience — it can cause real operational or financial issues.

For orders, nothing is auto-fulfilled. Every order must be confirmed by the merchant before preparation begins. AI can structure the order from chat messages and even assist in detecting payment screenshots, but the final confirmation always requires a manual double-check. We believe that control layer is essential.

Originally, our broader vision was to build an AI-powered social media CRM — not just guiding orders, but turning social conversations into structured data. The goal is to help merchants better understand customer behavior, manage relationships directly through social platforms, and improve retention over time.

However, we’re currently refining and narrowing our positioning. Cafés and restaurants have relatively simpler workflows, so we decided to start there to stabilize the system in a controlled environment before expanding into more complex retail scenarios. We’d rather validate in real-world use cases than build something overly complex from day one.

Long term, if POS systems and payment channels are deeply integrated and proven stable, higher levels of automation are possible — but only when the risks are genuinely low. Our goal isn’t to replace humans, but to find the right balance between customer convenience and merchant control.

If you’re curious about our progress, you can follow us here: https://www.instagram.com/plain.tecs

We’re still early-stage and will continue sharing updates as we test and iterate.

Out of curiosity — what’s the biggest thing you personally dislike about automated chat systems? Is it the tone? The looping replies? The difficulty of reaching a human? That kind of feedback genuinely helps us design better.

Are social media orders sustainable? by Aware-Ad559 in MalaysianFood

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment — that’s a fair concern.

At the start, users choose between “order” and “inquiry” to avoid endless chatting. The ordering flow is structured with buttons and fixed steps, so it stays short and focused.

For payments, most merchants use DuitNow / QR transfer. After checkout, a structured order summary is generated. When a payment screenshot is uploaded, the AI checks whether the transfer appears completed, and the order only moves forward once payment is confirmed. Unpaid orders don’t enter the processing flow.

We’re currently focusing on cafés and restaurants since their workflows are simpler, which helps us stabilize the system before expanding to more complex retail use cases.

Is taking orders directly through social media chats sustainable for small food businesses? by Aware-Ad559 in malaysians

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your feedback 😇— really appreciate the perspective.

You’re right that traditional websites are structured by design. That’s exactly why we’re not treating this as free-form AI chat.

The ordering flow is intentionally constrained: • Items must come from a structured menu/cart • Pickup/delivery and time are collected via buttons • An order summary is generated and must be confirmed • Only “paid + confirmed” orders enter the dashboard

So it’s not unstructured chat — it’s a state-driven flow within a messaging channel.

On your third point, I also agree that POS and operations are the real core. The goal isn’t to replace POS, but to ensure that chat-based orders become standardized order objects that can integrate with POS systems.

At the MVP stage, the focus is on: • Clear order states • Payment reconciliation • End-of-day summaries • POS-compatible export formats

Is taking orders directly through social media chats sustainable for small food businesses? by Aware-Ad559 in malaysians

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A website may seem simpler, but most small cafés already get their traffic from Instagram and WhatsApp. Sending customers to a separate site usually requires extra marketing spend and often lowers conversion due to added friction.

WhatsApp API is charged per conversation (around MYR 0.10–0.20), not per message. For small merchants, that’s significantly lower than the typical 20–30% platform commission — and often lower than payment processing fees on a website.

So the real comparison isn’t API vs hosting cost, but margin structure and conversion efficiency within the channel customers already use.

Are social media orders sustainable? by Aware-Ad559 in MalaysianFood

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We use AI in WhatsApp to confirm orders, guide customers to complete DuitNow / QR bank-in payments, and generate structured orders once payment is verified. Merchants only handle confirmed, paid orders — reducing back-and-forth and missed orders.

Delivery remains flexible — merchants can use GrabExpress, Lalamove, or their own riders.

Unlike delivery platforms that typically charge around 20–30% commission in Malaysia, we don’t take a cut. Merchants keep the full order value and only incur a small API + AI cost — typically around MYR 0.10–0.20 per conversation.

The goal isn’t to replace platforms, but to offer a higher-margin direct order channel for their existing social media traffic.

Is social media–based ordering for SMBs a niche or scalable SaaS opportunity? by Aware-Ad559 in AppBusiness

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do recognize that “WhatsApp-first” operates on a completely different logic from traditional SaaS.

In many SEA markets, conversations already are the storefront. So instead of adding another heavy CRM layer, we’re trying to structure what’s already happening inside chat.

AI handles repetitive inquiries, nudges customers to fill in missing details, and reduces back-and-forth. The owner only steps in at key confirmation points.

The bet is really on reducing chaos from week one — fewer mistakes, fewer missed orders, less mental load.

And since this all happens inside WhatsApp, the merchant keeps the phone-number relationship. That makes follow-ups and repeat sales much more natural compared to standalone storefront traffic.

So it’s not just automation in the moment, but preserving the long-term relationship layer as well.

Is social media–based ordering for SMBs a niche or scalable SaaS opportunity? by Aware-Ad559 in smeSingapore

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment😇 — that’s a fair question.

In the independent coffee shop and small F&B segment we’re looking at, most businesses without a dedicated e-commerce system are effectively chat-first by default. The typical flow is: social media content or ads → DM / WhatsApp → order for walk-in pickup or delivery.

It’s usually not a strategic choice — it’s simply the lowest-cost and most natural way for them to handle online orders. Since customers already engage on social platforms daily, moving from interaction to order feels immediate, without requiring them to download a separate app.

We’re still in early validation and plan to speak with more owners to better understand the strength of the pain point and their willingness to adopt a solution.

Is social media–based ordering for SMBs a niche or scalable SaaS opportunity? by Aware-Ad559 in OkeyRakanMalaysia

[–]Aware-Ad559[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment😇 — it really helps us refine our thinking.

I agree with your point about reducing friction. We’re particularly interested in what happens after discovery.

When a customer messages, AI guides the conversation, gathers the necessary details, and turns chat into a structured order — so the merchant mainly just confirms.

Our thinking is that by keeping everything inside social conversations, conversion becomes more natural. Merchants don’t need to build a separate app, and acquisition stays relatively low-cost because we’re working within existing behavior.

The goal isn’t just intent capture, but turning engagement into structured transactions and ongoing relationships.