How to build a WhatsApp chatbot for your clothing store

Start from what customers actually send. Customers ask whether a piece is in their size, for more photos, about alterations, and whether a new collection has arrived.

Then look at what goes wrong today:

• New arrivals reach only a fraction of customers.
• Loyal customers shop elsewhere between visits. Your best customer hasn't visited in 60 days. Not because they don't love you — they just forgot you had new stock.
• Custom order status communicated by manual calls. Customers call to check if their altered kurta is ready. WhatsApp automated updates end these calls.

Each of these is a conversation with a predictable shape — a question, a lookup, a confirmation. That shape is what a chatbot handles well.

1. What are you looking for? Occasion or category — Festive, Wedding, Casual, Office, Kids.
2. Catalogue — photos with prices, from the category.
3. Size and colour — only what is in stock.
4. Reserve or buy — hold for a trial visit, or pay by link for delivery.

Notice what the business side does: it answers with the specific detail (time, reference, next step), it asks for one thing at a time, and it gives the customer a one-word way to reply. Those three habits matter more than how clever the bot is.

Customers can book a trial slot, a measurement appointment for stitching, or a fitting for an alteration. The bot confirms the time and what to bring — the blouse to match, the shoes for length — and reminds them the day before.

Reputoo supports both, and most clothing stores end up using both:

• Keyword flows — a fixed menu or trigger word ("MENU", "BOOK", "STATUS") leads down a set path. Predictable, easy to audit, right for anything with a fixed answer.
• AI chatbot — reads the customer's own words and answers from your knowledge base (website, price list, policies). Right for the long tail of questions nobody wrote a menu item for.

A sensible start for a clothing store: keyword flows for the top two or three tasks, AI for everything else, and a person behind both.

The bot answers from the size chart: measurements for each size, how a style fits, whether alterations are possible. It passes "will this suit my body shape?" to a stylist, because that deserves a person's eye.

For custom pieces and bridal wear, the bot collects the occasion, the date, a reference photo, a budget if offered, and hands to the owner or designer. Custom work needs a conversation, not a menu.

• Complaints, refunds and anything where the customer is upset.
• Anything involving money the bot cannot see — a disputed bill, a custom quote.
• Health, safety or legal questions.
• Any customer who asks for a human. Do not make them ask twice.

For clothing stores specifically: custom orders, alteration disputes and exchanges need a person who can see the piece.

Handover on Reputoo moves the chat into the shared inbox with the conversation so far, so staff never ask the customer to repeat themselves.

1. Connect your WhatsApp number to Reputoo (official API; takes minutes).
2. Add your website and documents to the knowledge base so the AI answers in your clothing store's own terms.
3. Build keyword flows for the top tasks above. What to connect: A retail POS or online store with inventory; size availability is what makes stock replies accurate.
4. Choose who gets handed-over chats, and during which hours.
5. Test from a personal phone, then share the number or a QR code with customers.

"Is my lehenga ready?" or "when will my order arrive?" — the bot answers from the order record: stitching stage, trial date, dispatch and tracking. Delays are told honestly with a new date.

The bot explains the exchange policy, collects the order and a photo, and reserves a replacement size if in stock. Exceptions go to the owner.

Customers ask in their own words: "ye kurta M size mein hai?". Keyword flows cover common words; the AI chatbot handles the rest in the customer's language.

• Browse a category and reserve an in-stock item.
• Ask for a size that is out of stock and check the alert offer.
• Book a stitching appointment.
• Ask a styling question and check it goes to a person.

Returning stitching customers can reuse their last measurements with a tap, or book a new measurement appointment if their size has changed. The bot never displays measurements to anyone but the customer on record.

For customers in other cities, the bot shares photos and videos, offers a video-call slot, sends a payment link, and gives the shipping time and cost. Outstation exchange rules are stated before payment.

Brides get a separate path: wedding date, events (mehendi, sangeet, wedding, reception), colours and inspiration photos, and a consultation booking with the designer. Everything collected goes to the designer before the meeting.

"Can I machine-wash this silk?" — the bot answers from the product's care instructions. Good care advice prevents damaged garments and unhappy customers.

Before a festival the bot tells customers the last date to order stitching or buy for delivery in time, and stops taking stitching orders after the cut-off. It suggests ready-to-wear alternatives instead.

The bot sells gift cards by amount, delivers them as an image to forward, and recognises them at redemption — a good option for customers who want to give clothes but do not know sizes.

Styling questions, custom designs, bridal work, price requests and complaints go to the owner with photos and the customer's words. The bot tells the customer when to expect a reply.

Watch enquiries answered without staff, reservations made in chat, stitching orders tracked without calls, and walk-ins who reserved first. Read handovers weekly for product details to add.

Boutiques that carry men's or children's wear need separate size charts and questions — age and height for children, chest and length for kurtas. The bot switches path by category so each customer gets the right size guidance.

For pieces made in small batches, customers can pre-order from photos before the batch arrives. The bot takes the size and a deposit, and messages when the piece is ready — useful for designer drops that sell out.

The bot offers in-store pickup or delivery, quotes the charge and time, and sends tracking. Pickup orders get a "ready for pickup" message with the store timings.

Boutiques extend hours before festivals and close on some holidays. The bot answers from one place in the knowledge base so customers do not arrive at a closed shop.

The bot shares listed prices and any published offers. Requests for discounts go to the owner — the bot never invents one.

When a piece is out of the customer's size, the bot offers to tell them if it comes back or if a similar piece arrives. With their consent, the alert goes out the day stock lands.

On weekends before festivals, trial rooms queue. Customers can book a trial slot in the chat with the pieces they want set aside, so they walk in to a room and their shortlist ready.

A day after delivery or purchase, the bot asks whether everything fits — [Perfect] [Needs alteration] [Want to exchange] — and routes each answer: alteration booking, exchange flow, or a thank-you and an invitation to see new arrivals.

The bot sends payment links for reservations, advances and balances, confirms payments and sends receipts. Refund requests go to the owner.

Stitching customers ask how much fabric they need, which designs suit a fabric, and what the stitching charge is. The bot shares your fabric-quantity guide, design catalogue and stitching price list, and books a measurement appointment. Design choices beyond the catalogue go to the tailor or designer.

Customers use the words they know — "suit", "kurti", "salwar", "co-ord set", "saree blouse" — and mix languages. Map these to your categories in the bot so every version finds the right pieces, and let the AI chatbot handle the rest in the customer's language.

Once a week, read the handovers and questions the bot could not answer. Add missing sizes, fabric details and policies; the bot gets better with every week of real questions.

Customers send screenshots from Instagram or photos of a design they saw. The bot attaches them to the enquiry and asks whether they want the same piece or something stitched like it, then routes to stock or to the tailor.