AI Chatbot Development for Appointment Scheduling

WhatsBot – AI Chatbot for Location-Based Appointment Booking
We are looking for an experienced developer to build WhatsBot, an AI-powered chatbot that allows users to discover nearby businesses/services and book appointments through a simple conversational experience.
The primary interaction should feel as natural as chatting with a person.
Example User Flow
User:
Book a barber near me

WhatsBot:
Sure! I found these barbers near your location:
1. Style Studio – 1.2 km
2. Royal Cuts – 2.1 km
3. The Barber Shop – 2.8 km
Which one would you like to book?

User:
Royal Cuts

WhatsBot:
Great. What service would you like?

User:
Haircut

WhatsBot:
Available slots today:
• 4:00 PM
• 5:30 PM
• 7:00 PM
Which time works for you?

User:
5:30 PM

WhatsBot:
Your haircut at Royal Cuts is booked for today at 5:30 PM.

Core Features
1. AI Conversational Chatbot
The chatbot should understand natural-language requests such as:
• "Book a barber near me"
• "I need a haircut tomorrow"
• "Find me a dentist nearby"
• "Book a massage this Saturday"
• "Show me salons open right now"
• "Cancel my appointment"
• "Move my appointment to Friday"
The system should maintain conversation context and ask relevant follow-up questions when required.
2. Location-Based Search
The application should be able to identify the user's location and find nearby businesses based on:
• Current location
• Distance
• Service/category
• Availability
• Business opening hours
• User preferences
Integration with a maps/location API may be required.
3. Business Discovery
Businesses should be able to register and manage:
• Business profile
• Services
• Pricing
• Staff
• Working hours
• Available appointment slots
• Holidays/unavailable dates
• Location
Users should be able to discover businesses through the chatbot rather than manually searching through multiple screens.
4. Appointment Booking
The chatbot should handle the complete booking process:
Service → Business → Staff (optional) → Date → Time → Confirmation
Users should also be able to:
• View upcoming appointments
• Reschedule appointments
• Cancel appointments
• View booking history
5. Notifications
Send notifications for:
• Booking confirmation
• Appointment reminders
• Cancellation
• Rescheduling
• Changes made by the business
WhatsApp / Mobile Integration
The initial system should be designed around a conversational interface and should be capable of supporting WhatsApp-based interactions as well as a mobile application/chat interface.
The architecture should allow additional communication channels to be added later.
Admin Panel
An admin dashboard should allow management of:
• Users
• Businesses
• Categories/services
• Appointments
• Staff
• Locations
• Chatbot configuration
• Notifications
• Reports
Business/Service Provider Panel
Businesses should have their own dashboard/app where they can:
• Manage profile
• Add/edit services
• Manage staff
• Set working hours
• Manage appointment availability
• Accept/manage bookings
• View upcoming appointments
• Manage cancellations and rescheduling
AI Requirements
The chatbot should not rely only on fixed buttons or predefined conversation flows.
It should be capable of understanding natural language and extracting information such as:
• Service/category
• Location
• Date
• Time
• Business preferences
• Staff preferences
For example:
"I need a haircut somewhere near me tomorrow evening around 6."

The system should understand the request and search for suitable available businesses and appointment slots.
Technology
We are open to technology recommendations, but experience with the following would be preferred:
• Flutter / React Native
• Node.js / Laravel
• PostgreSQL / MySQL
• REST APIs
• OpenAI or similar LLM APIs
• Google Maps / location APIs
• WhatsApp Business API
• Push notifications
Important
The system should be designed with a scalable architecture, as we plan to expand beyond barbers/salons into multiple appointment-based businesses such as:
• Doctors
• Dentists
• Salons
• Spas
• Fitness trainers
• Consultants
• Clinics
• Repair/service providers
• Other local businesses
Deliverables
• Mobile application
• AI chatbot
• WhatsApp integration
• Location-based business search
• Appointment booking engine
• Business/provider dashboard
• Admin panel
• Backend APIs
• Database
• Notification system
• Source code
• Documentation
• Testing and bug fixing
Please provide examples of AI chatbot, WhatsApp chatbot, booking/appointment, marketplace, or location-based applications you have previously developed.
Also mention your recommended technology stack, estimated timeline, and total project cost.