Overview
Parents ask the same questions every evening, after the office has closed: which classes have seats, the fees, the buses, when they can visit. The virtual counsellor answers them by voice or text, asks what a good counsellor asks, books the visit, and keeps the family's details when they choose to leave them. When a family is close to deciding and someone from your team is on the live desk, that person is offered to the family by name and takes over the same conversation.
What families see
- A page of its own (its link is on the Virtual counsellor tab), and an "Ask {name}" door on every ad page while it is live. Switch the door off for a page in the page editor.
- They choose parent or student, then speak (where the browser can listen) or type. Answers can be read aloud in the voice you chose.
- Visit times appear as buttons; choosing one asks for their number, then books it, with the usual reminders.
- At the end they see what they told you, and can say whether it helped.
Setting it up
- Who it is: a name, a role, a photo (a real counsellor's, with their agreement, or none for an initial), a female or male voice, English or Hindi, and a manner: warm, formal or brisk.
- Its questions: which class, which school now, what matters most, transport, when they decide. Change, reorder or remove them; the greeting for parents and for students.
- What it knows: your questions and answers, fees by class, the documents needed and your policies. It also reads your tuition.in profile: classes, board, buses, address, fees range.
- What it never does: promise a seat or offer a discount (both on unless you change them).
- Try it opens your counsellor before it is live; nothing you say there becomes an enquiry.
How it answers
It answers only from what you wrote and your profile, a few sentences at a time, as on a call. A question it can't answer it says so, records it for you, and tells the family's counsellor. If the AI is unavailable, a simpler counsellor carries on from your own answers and your profile, so the page never stops working.
The live desk
Open Live desk and choose Go on the desk. While the page is open you are on the desk (close it, and after a minute you are off). You see the conversations happening now, families who asked for a person first, each with how likely they are to join. Open one to read it as it happens.
- Join: the family sees your name and that you are from the admissions team; the virtual counsellor stops answering. Only one person can join a conversation.
- Write, or send a video call link (your meeting link from Set it up, or any https link).
- Call them through Exotel, once they have left their number.
- Hand back when you are done; the virtual counsellor carries on.
Likely to join
Each conversation gets a number out of 100 from what the family has done: naming the class, answering the questions, asking about fees, a visit or how to apply, deciding soon, and leaving their number. Worry about cost, or "not this year", counts against. When the number reaches your threshold (60 unless you change it, under A real counsellor taking over) and someone is on the desk, the family is offered that person, once. A family who asks for a person is offered one whenever someone is free.
Nobody left waiting
- Nobody on the desk when a family asks: they are told, asked for their number, and a call-back goes to the top of today's follow-ups.
- Asked for a person and nobody joins within two minutes: the same, and the virtual counsellor carries on meanwhile.
- You joined but your page closed or lost signal: after two minutes the family is told you had to step away, and the virtual counsellor picks up.
- Going off the desk hands back every conversation you had joined.
Conversations and gaps
Every conversation is kept with its summary and rating. A family who left their number has an enquiry with the summary on it, credited to the ad or link that brought them. Questions it couldn't answer lists what families asked that you haven't written about; answer one once and it knows for everyone.
Families' details
- A family's name and number are kept only when they tick that the school may keep them.
- It never asks for documents, payment or anything beyond the name, the child's name and a number.
- Conversations are seen only by your team with the Admissions part.
Questions
Does it pretend to be a person? No. It is shown as the virtual counsellor, says so if asked, and offers a person; someone who joins is shown by name as the admissions team.
Can it promise a seat or a discount? Not while those guardrails are on, and it only states fees you have written.
Where else can families reach it? Put its link on your website, WhatsApp status and posters. See also the WhatsApp assistant, which answers the same kind of questions on WhatsApp.