Outdoor Squad: a chat assistant for a Sydney boot camp

Outdoor Squad runs outdoor boot camps in Camperdown and Redfern, in Sydney, and Realtiq built its AI chat assistant: first on the studio's website, then on WhatsApp. This page records what was built, when, and how it was checked. It makes no claims about results, and that is deliberate.

The job

A boot camp gets the same questions from every new visitor: what the classes are, when they run, where, what they cost and how to try one. Many of them arrive in the evening, when the owner is out coaching. The job was a chat assistant on the studio's own website that answers those questions from information the studio approved, and passes anyone who wants to try a class to the owner with their details.

What was built

A website chat assistant, live from July 2026

The assistant is a chat bubble on outdoorsquad.com.au called Robo-Nick. It was built and security-checked in June 2026 and has been live on the site since early July.

• It answers from approved information. Classes, the timetable, the two locations, prices and the free trial. It links to the studio's own price, location and free trial pages instead of retyping them.
• Most answers are fixed text the studio approved. An AI model only covers questions nobody wrote an answer for, and it is told to hand over rather than invent.
• The timetable is real data. In testing, the model once invented a Thursday session at Redfern that does not exist. Any question that names a day or a place is now answered from the timetable rows, including a plain "that combination doesn't exist" when it doesn't.
• Sensitive topics go to a person. Injury, pregnancy and similar topics get a careful reply that hands the visitor to the coach, not an AI improvisation.
• Leads reach the owner. When a visitor leaves a name and mobile number, or asks to speak to a person, an email alert goes to the studio.

A private dashboard and a Monday report

The studio has a private dashboard with every conversation and lead. Since August 2026 it installs on a phone's home screen like an app. A report arrives by email every Monday morning, and test conversations, ours and the owner's, can be excluded so they never count as visitors or leads. Since 22 September the owner can also choose to be alerted to every new conversation and to receive a daily summary.

A WhatsApp channel, August to September 2026

The second phase, agreed in August 2026, put the same assistant on WhatsApp.

• A dedicated Australian business number registered in the studio's name, so the owner's personal phone and personal WhatsApp stay untouched.
• A person can step in at any time. The owner can mute the assistant in a conversation and reply by hand from the dashboard, which shows how much of WhatsApp's 24-hour reply window is left.
• An off switch for the channel. Turning WhatsApp off leaves the website assistant running.
• Linked from Google. The number is published as a WhatsApp chat button on the studio's Google Business Profile, so someone who finds the studio on Google or Maps can message it.

Instagram and Facebook Messenger, with Meta for review

Instagram and Facebook Messenger were switched on for testing on 1 October 2026, and the app was submitted to Meta for review the same day. Until Meta approves it, only the people listed as testers can use those two channels, so they are described here as built, not as live.

How it was checked

• An in-person sign-off. On 14 September 2026 the WhatsApp channel went through a five-step check with the owner, and it passed.
• A phone that had never messaged the number. On 23 September someone tapped the WhatsApp button on the Camperdown listing and asked a question. The assistant answered within seconds. The test also showed that the first reply did not say it was an automated assistant, so we changed that the same day.
• Security reviews. The code, the admin login and the dashboard were reviewed in June, July and August 2026.
• Honest numbers. Test conversations are excluded from the weekly report, so a quiet week looks quiet.

What this page does not claim

There are no enquiry counts, revenue figures or quotes here. The page describes what was built and tested, not what it earned the studio. An assistant answers questions, takes details and hands over; what happens after that is the studio's work.

If you want something like it

What carries over to another business is the method: answers written from your own approved information, prices and a timetable kept as real data, careful handling of sensitive topics, an email alert when someone wants a person, and a channel you can switch off. What does not carry over is the content, because the classes, prices and places come from you. If you run a gym, a studio or any appointment business, see websites and chat for gyms and studios, or read how the AI chatbot works.

Chat assistant prices, in Australian dollars:

It runs month to month. Calendar and CRM integrations are scoped and quoted separately, and every proposal is confirmed in writing before we start.

Common questions

Is Outdoor Squad a Realtiq client?

Yes. Realtiq built the website chat assistant and the WhatsApp channel for Outdoor Squad, and it was Realtiq's first client project. You can see the assistant for yourself on outdoorsquad.com.au.

Does the assistant replace the owner or the coaches?

No. It answers the routine questions, collects names and numbers and hands over. Sensitive topics and anything without an approved answer go to a person.

Which channels does it cover?

The website chat and WhatsApp are live. Instagram and Facebook Messenger are built and waiting for Meta's review. Realtiq's chat assistant can also cover email, SMS and missed calls, but those are not part of this case study.

Can the same be done for my business?

Yes. The first step is a 15 minute call about your questions, your hours and the tools you already use. You can also try Realtiq's own live demo on the AI front desk page.