AI replies on WhatsApp that sound local

Built for how Kenyans chat

Buyers mix English, Swahili, and Sheng in one message. Timi matches that tone instead of sounding like a foreign call centre script. A buyer might write "Corner sofa ni how much na delivery to Ruaka?" and expect a natural reply — not a formal paragraph that ignores how they actually talk. Local language fit is not a nice-to-have for Kenyan WhatsApp sales. It is the difference between a reply that builds trust and one that gets ignored.

Your business context, not the whole internet

You paste what you sell, your prices, and your FAQs. Timi answers from that, not from random web data about your competitors. Generic AI pulls from the open internet and may quote wrong prices or mention products you do not carry. Timi stays inside your catalog and your rules.

When AI helps vs when you reply yourself

Use AI for repeat questions: sizes, colours, delivery zones, opening hours, and payment steps. Reply yourself for negotiation, complaints, custom orders, and high-ticket purchases. If a chat signals purchase intent, hand off quickly and continue in the same thread. Automate repeatable clarity, not final persuasion.

Business hours and after-hours behavior

Set your hours in Settings. Timi can reply outside hours if you choose — useful for evening ad traffic — or wait until you open. During hours, Timi handles the first wave and hands off serious buyers. Outside hours, buyers get a clear message about when you are available instead of silence.

Automation with an off switch

Pause Timi per chat. Block numbers that waste time. You are not locked into full-time bot mode. Some conversations need your voice from the start — a complaint, a VIP customer, a bespoke order. One tap in your dashboard and Timi steps back.

Timi vs Meta Business AI

Meta's built-in AI trains on broad catalog data across many businesses. Timi focuses on your shop, local language, and handing serious buyers back to you. With Meta Business AI, you have less control over pause, handoff timing, and what the AI knows about your specific products. Timi runs on your connected WhatsApp Business line with your product list and your rules.

AI setup mistakes

Most AI WhatsApp setups fail because the base copy is too vague, not because the technology is wrong.

• Pasting incomplete product info and expecting accurate price replies.
• Leaving AI on for every chat type including complaints and custom orders.
• Not setting business hours, so buyers get replies at 3am with wrong delivery promises.
• Sounding robotic by using long generic scripts instead of short, specific answers.
• Never reviewing chats to improve the product list and FAQ content.