Most WhatsApp AI agent tools were built for English-speaking markets and adapted afterwards. For a Sri Lankan shop that changes what matters in the evaluation.
1. Language, tested properly
Do not test with English. Ask a real shopping question in Singlish — "mata linen shirt ekak one, kiyada?" — and see whether the reply sounds like a shop assistant or a government form.
- Does it answer Singlish in Singlish, or switch to Sinhala script?
- Does it mix scripts inside one message? That is a clear sign of weakness.
- Are there stray characters from other Indic scripts in Tamil replies?
- Does it quote LKR, or does it reach for the Indian rupee symbol?
2. Can it invent things?
Ask about a product you do not sell. A tool that cheerfully describes it and quotes a price will do the same to your customers.
The guarantee to look for is structural: the agent can only mention products that exist in your catalogue, and an order can only contain those products at those prices. A promise in a prompt is not the same as a rule in the code.
3. Official platform or not
Ask directly whether it uses Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform or drives WhatsApp Web unofficially. The second is cheaper and risks the number your business runs on. Also ask what the monthly per-number fee is — Meta charges none.
4. Can you take over?
Open a live conversation and try to reply as yourself, from your phone. If you cannot, you do not really control your own WhatsApp number.
Questions vendors dislike
- 1How exactly is my data separated from other customers using this tool?
- 2Is my conversation content used to train AI models?
- 3What happens to my chat history if I stop paying?
- 4What does a "credit" or "conversation" mean precisely, and what happens when I run out mid-sale?
- 5Who do I talk to when it breaks, and in which time zone are they?
That last question is not trivial in Sri Lanka. Support in a distant time zone means your busiest evening is their night.