Booked means booked. Confirmed means paid.
Alonah checks your real calendar, holds the slot, collects the deposit you set, and only then tells the customer “confirmed”, then reminds them three times so they actually show up. All inside WhatsApp, in English, Arabic, Spanish, French or Portuguese.
See It In Action
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What actually happens between “hi” and “confirmed”
- 01
The customer asks.
Typed, a voice note, or a photo. Any language, any phrasing, “next Thursday”, “بكرة”, “after Maghrib”.
- 02
Alonah checks who, not just when.
It looks at the specific staff member's hours, which services they do, and their existing bookings, not just whether the shop is open.
- 03
It offers real slots.
Only times that exist. It never says “yes, available” without checking.
- 04
The customer picks one.
Name and phone are collected once, here, plus any questions you've added (patient age, car model).
- 05
It holds and quotes.
The price comes from your service list. If a deposit is required, a payment link goes out and the slot is “on hold pending payment.” Still unpaid after your grace period? The hold releases itself.
- 06
It re-checks before committing.
At the moment the booking is written, availability is verified again against live data. A slot can't be confirmed on the AI's earlier word.
- 07
It confirms and follows up.
Confirmation on WhatsApp, reminders before the visit, Reschedule / Cancel buttons, and a review request afterwards.
The part most booking bots don't have
Per-staff schedules
Each staff member has their own hours, including split days (8–11am, then 6–10pm) for prayer or lunch breaks. “Does Sara have anything Thursday?” gets Sara's answer.
Service-to-staff matching
Alonah only offers a staff member who actually performs that service, with per-staff pricing if you set it.
Double-check at commit
Every booking, reschedule, and service change is re-verified against live hours and existing bookings when it's written, not just when it was offered.
Assessment-first services
Mark a service as “needs a look first” (a filling, a physio plan, a car diagnostic) and Alonah books the consultation, quotes an estimate only, and never takes payment for work nobody has assessed.
Waitlist
Nothing free at the customer's preferred time? Alonah offers the waitlist and messages them automatically when a matching slot opens, including from a cancellation.
Manual bookings, same engine
Walk-in or phone-in? Staff book from the dashboard using the same availability engine, and can send the deposit link over WhatsApp or mark it paid in cash.
Changes without the mess
Reschedule
The customer taps the Reschedule button or just asks. Same booking reference, same price, same deposit, moving the time never triggers a refund or a new charge.
Change the service
Also in place: the booking keeps its reference and re-quotes for the new service. If a deposit was already paid for a different service, Alonah cancels and rebooks so the refund follows your policy instead of quietly reusing the payment.
Cancel
Your refund tiers are applied automatically and processed through the same payment account. If someone was waitlisted for that slot, they're offered it straight away.
Three reminders, one review request
7 days before
“Your appointment is coming up.”
24 hours before
Includes prep instructions for that service (“please arrive fasting”).
2 hours before
Final nudge.
1–36 hours after
Review request with a star-rating link.
Your policy, enforced automatically
The amount to confirm
You choose what a customer pays to confirm: a fixed sum, a percentage of the price, or nothing at all, with nothing set, the booking confirms instantly. Set it business-wide, per branch, or per service, with an optional discount for returning customers.
Full prepayment
Prefer the whole price up front for some services? Switch that service to full prepayment instead of a deposit.
Cancellation & refunds
Tiered (e.g. full refund 48h+ out, 50% inside 48h, none inside 24h) or a simple cutoff. Stated to the customer before they pay.
Unpaid-hold release
After N hours, release the slot automatically, or alert staff to decide.
Minimum notice & questions
A minimum notice window before a slot can be booked, plus any questions you need at booking time (patient age, vehicle plate, party size). Name and phone are always collected.
Tax
Rate and whether prices are tax-inclusive.
Built for the bookings other systems get wrong
Many people, one slot
A city tour, a waterpark pass, a go-kart session. Set a capacity per slot and Alonah asks for party size and books against what's actually left, “7 of 15 spots remaining.” Business plan and above.
At your place, theirs, or either
A therapist doing clinic and home visits; a mechanic doing shop and mobile repairs. Set it per service; Alonah asks for an address only when the service needs one.
Grouped under a project or branch
Organise services and bookings under a named group (a real-estate development, a clinic branch) so the AI books in the right context and staff can filter to just that group.
Books into what you already use
Alonah scheduler
No external calendar needed. Availability is computed from your staff and hours.
Google Calendar
Two-way, real-time. An event you add in Google blocks the slot instantly.
Outlook / Microsoft 365
Two-way, real-time, the same as Google.
Cal.com
Cloud or self-hosted.
Your own system
Every booking goes out as a signed webhook event your PMS consumes.
No calendar? Each booking is emailed, auto-confirmed or held for your approval.
Frequently asked questions
01Can customers reschedule on their own?
Yes. They tap the Reschedule button on the confirmation or just ask. The same booking is moved; nothing is refunded or re-charged.
02What if the customer never pays the deposit?
The slot is held for the grace period you set, then released automatically. Or, if you prefer, staff get an alert and decide. Unpaid holds don't receive reminders.
03Can Alonah double-book?
No. It checks the specific staff member's live bookings when it offers a time and again when it commits the booking.
04How do refunds work?
Your cancellation tiers are applied automatically and the refund goes back through the same payment account. Timing to the customer's card depends on their bank.
05Does it work with my existing calendar?
Google Calendar, Outlook, and Cal.com directly; anything else via a signed webhook or emailed bookings. Or use Alonah's own scheduler.
06How long does setup take?
Typically days, not weeks. We load your services, staff, hours, and rules for you; the only step you do yourself is one click through Meta's verification popup.
Stop being your own receptionist.
Managed setup included. Free trial, no card required.
Managed setup included · Free trial, no card required · Multilingual