Every small business needs to go through a few steps when they take on a new client. Depending on what you do, this may be as simple as creating an entry in a spreadsheet or as complex as following onerous ‘Know Your Customer’ procedures mandated for some businesses.

The real work involved in bringing on a new client or customer for your business probably falls somewhere in the middle. The good news is that using AI can help!

Let’s have a look at what might be involved. Not all of these steps apply to every business, but I’ve added everything here. It’s easy to omit the bits you don’t need:

The steps AI can handle in client onboarding

Confirm the customer wants to go ahead

AI picks up the customer’s “yes” from whichever channel they use, email, chatbot, WhatsApp or another messaging service, and asks for any details that are still needed to begin the onboarding process.

Check the customer’s documents, if needed

If your business needs to complete identity or Know Your Customer checks, AI can read an ID or trade licence and make sure the required information is there before moving on.

Prepare and send the agreement

AI uses the details already collected to prepare the customer agreement, then sends it back through the same channel for electronic signature.

Send the invoice and collect payment

AI creates the invoice, includes a payment link and keeps an eye on whether the payment has been completed, so you do not have to chase it manually.

Arrange the first meeting

AI checks your calendar, offers the customer a choice of available times and confirms the kickoff meeting or first appointment.

Welcome the new customer

AI sends a friendly welcome message explaining what happens next. This can include an intake form, access to your customer portal and any useful information they need before getting started.

Update your records and hand over

AI adds the customer’s details, signed agreement, payment status and first appointment to your CRM or other record-keeping system, ready for you or your team to take over.

Bring in a person when something needs attention

If a payment fails, information is missing or an important account needs approval, AI pauses the process and asks the business owner or a team member to step in.

How to set it up in Workmaster

So how do you set about doing it? This is exactly the kind of ‘mixed recorded steps’ work that Workmaster was designed for. Let’s say you’re a builder specialising in house repairs and you want to do some or all of the above in your business. You log in to your Workmaster account and ask it to do the above, you might say:

Can you help with the onboarding of my clients? I need them to receive a welcome email that tells them what we discussed by email or chat. Then, if they agree, send them the terms of the contract and a short summary of our charges. When the work has finished, do the invoicing and record it in my CRM.

Workmaster will then talk to you about the details of each step, suggest a virtual employee that it will create to co-receive your emails, gather information and send emails. You can test this by asking the Workmaster Vibecoder to show you, it will open a test chatbot so that you can pretend to be a customer. When you’re happy, press Deploy, and Workmaster will do the rest.

Related: Explore the no-code AI platform for small business, or see KYC and compliance automation in Workmaster.

Frequently asked questions

Can I automate client onboarding without coding?

Yes. You describe the steps in plain language and Workmaster builds the workflow and a virtual employee to run it, from the welcome message through to updating your CRM.

Does it handle KYC or document checks?

Yes. If your business needs identity or Know Your Customer checks, the AI can read an ID or trade licence and confirm the required details are present before moving on.

What happens if a payment fails or a document is missing?

The process pauses and asks the business owner or a team member to step in. A human stays on the exceptions and the approvals that matter.

Is it free to start?

Yes. Workmaster is free to start with no credit card, so you can build and test an onboarding flow before you commit.

Client Onboarding Automation: How to Automate It With AI