The 12 questions
| # | Ask | A good answer | Kylix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Does it read live order data from my store? | It connects to your store and answers from current status and tracking, not from pasted text. | With Shopify connected, it looks up live orders and tracking. |
| 2 | What must a customer prove before it shares order details? | A stated rule, such as an order number plus the email on the order. | Ask to see it in your trial. |
| 3 | What can it do to an order, not just read? | A clear list of actions and who triggers each one. | Your team cancels, refunds or edits an address from the inbox, each behind a confirmation. |
| 4 | When does it hand off, and what does the person see? | Written rules and the full conversation history on handoff. | The thread moves to a shared Needs you inbox with history attached. |
| 5 | Can I control the handoff rules? | You set the topics and the response-time promise. | "When to hand off" is one of the core answers you set, along with a response time. |
| 6 | Which channels, and which plan includes each? | A table, not a promise. | Starter: Instagram DMs, website chat, SMS. Growth and above: every channel, including WhatsApp. |
| 7 | Which languages does it reply in? | Tested on a real message in each language you serve. | Replies in the customer's language, 25+ languages. |
| 8 | What does it do when it does not know? | It says so and routes to a person. | Until your core answers are filled in, it takes the customer's name, contact and question for your team. |
| 9 | Where does customer data go? | Named subprocessors, retention limits, no training for other companies. | See the security page and ask for the subprocessor list. |
| 10 | What does the meter count? | One defined unit: conversation, resolution, message or seat. | Conversations, included per plan. |
| 11 | What happens in my busiest month? | The overage or upgrade path in writing. | No overage fee. You get emails at 80% and 100%, chats in progress continue, and new ones wait for the reset or an upgrade, so pick the tier that covers your peak. |
| 12 | How do I try it with real customers, and how do I leave? | A trial on your live channels and a cancellation you can do yourself. | 14-day free trial with a card at signup; cancel from your account |
Order lookup and handoff (questions 1 to 5)
This is where support tools succeed or fail. Run three real order questions in the demo: where is my order, can I change my address, and I want a refund. Watch for the vendor reaching for a canned answer instead of your store's data. Then ask to see what your team sees when the AI hands over.
Channels and languages (questions 6 and 7)
Match channels to plans before you compare prices, because a cheaper plan that excludes WhatsApp or Instagram is not a like-for-like quote. If a channel is run through Meta, the platform's own rules apply to everyone, so ask how the vendor handles them. For Instagram, see our guide to Meta's DM rules.
Data (questions 8 and 9)
If an app reads Shopify customer records, Shopify requires it to request protected customer data access, process only the minimum data needed, set retention limits and encrypt data at rest and in transit. Ask whether the vendor has gone through that process. For WhatsApp, Meta's Business Solution Terms restrict letting third parties use WhatsApp data to build or improve AI models, with an exception for fine-tuning a model for your exclusive use. Ask the vendor to confirm in writing that your conversations do not train models used for other customers.
A one-hour demo script
- Ask the vendor to connect to your store, or a copy of it, before the call starts.
- Give it three order lookups with real order numbers, one of them delayed.
- Ask a product question whose answer is on your site but not in the product title.
- Ask a question you want it to refuse or pass on, such as a refund outside your policy.
- Watch the handoff on the other side: who is notified, and what they see.
- Close by asking for the price at your busiest month's volume, in writing.
Pricing traps (questions 10 to 12)
- A per-resolution meter that counts chats the customer abandoned.
- Per-seat fees that grow when you add a part-time teammate.
- A low headline plan that excludes the channel you actually need.
- Annual-only discounts that lock you in before you have tested real traffic.
- Channel fees from Meta that the quote leaves out. Our cost guide works through them at three volumes.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I trial an AI agent?
- Long enough to cover a normal week and one spike, such as a promotion. Fourteen days on live channels is enough to see real order, shipping and returns questions.
What should I test in a trial?
- Write ten questions from your own inbox: three order status, two shipping, two returns, two product, one that needs a person. Run them on each channel you plan to use and compare the answers to what you would send.
Should I trust a vendor's resolution-rate claim?
- Ask how it is measured, over what period and for which kinds of stores. A rate without a definition of resolved cannot be compared across vendors.
Do I need a developer to set it up?
- For Kylix, no. Setup is self-serve: create an account, connect your store, let the agent learn your site and documents, and switch it on. It takes about an hour.
What if I want to leave?
- Check that cancellation is self-serve and that your conversation history and knowledge can be exported. Ask before you sign.
See it on your own store
Connect your store and test the agent on real questions. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial.
Start your 14-day free trialRelated pages
Sources
- Shopify, Work with protected customer data, accessed 11 November 2026
- WhatsApp, Business Solution Terms, accessed 11 November 2026
Written by the Kylix Agent team. Meta changes its rules and rates often, so check the linked pages before you rely on a figure.