Your assistant already knows your services, prices and hours. Tone and reply length are about its personality — whether it's warm and chatty, crisp and professional, or upbeat and playful, and how much it says. You'll find both under Sally ▸ Customers in the dashboard.
What these settings do (and don't) affect
Tone and reply length shape the live chat assistant on your website, booking page and book-a-demo widget. They do not change your automated emails and texts (confirmations, reminders, review requests) — those keep a consistent, friendly brand voice so they always read clearly. Think of it as styling the conversation, not the paperwork.
Setting 1 — Tone
Tone is the assistant's personality. Out of the box it's set to Default — balanced & friendly, which suits most businesses fine. If you want to steer it, there are three flavours to choose from. Here's each one answering the exact same customer question, so you can hear the difference.
💛 Warm — friendly & reassuring
Friendly, caring, a little personal — like a lovely receptionist who's genuinely pleased you got in touch. The safest choice for most salons, beauty and wellness businesses, and the one most customers respond well to.
👔 Professional — polished & efficient
Courteous and to the point, no slang or emoji. Best for clinics, medical/health, legal, finance, or any business where customers expect a more formal, buttoned-up feel.
✨ Playful — light & upbeat
Friendly with a bit of personality and the odd emoji — fun without being unhelpful. Great for barbers, younger-skewing brands, tattoo studios, and businesses whose whole vibe is relaxed and cheeky.
Setting 2 — Reply length
Reply length controls how much your assistant says. Customers on a booking widget usually want a quick answer, so the built-in Default — short & to the point setting keeps things brisk — but you can dial it up if your services need more explaining.
⚡ Concise — 1–2 short sentences
Straight to the answer, no filler. Best for fast, simple bookings (cuts, fades, basic services) and mobile customers who just want the info and a time.
⚖️ Balanced — 2–3 sentences
Helpful detail without waffle. A good middle ground when a little context (what's included, how long it takes) genuinely helps customers decide.
📖 Detailed — more context when it helps
The assistant will happily explain options, aftercare, what to expect, or the difference between services. Best for higher-consideration or treatment-based businesses (clinics, complex hair, cosmetic, wellness) where customers ask "what's the difference?" a lot.
Tone + length work together
You're picking one tone and one length — they combine. Here's the same "what's the difference between a balayage and highlights?" question as two different businesses might set it up:
Which should I choose? A quick guide
There's no wrong answer — but here's where most businesses land. Start here, then tweak once you've read a few real chats.
| Your business | Tone | Reply length |
|---|---|---|
| Hair salon | Warm | Concise or Balanced |
| Barber shop | Playful | Concise |
| Brow & beauty / lashes | Warm | Concise |
| Nails | Warm or Playful | Concise |
| Skin / cosmetic clinic | Professional | Balanced or Detailed |
| Massage & wellness | Warm or Professional | Balanced |
| Tattoo studio | Playful | Balanced |
| Medical / allied health | Professional | Balanced or Detailed |
How to find the right fit
- Set it, then read real chats. Open a few of your assistant's conversations in the dashboard after a day or two. Do the replies sound like you'd want a staff member to sound? If they feel a touch stiff, nudge the tone warmer or more playful; if they ramble, drop the length.
- Try it yourself. Use "Try your assistant" in the dashboard and ask it a few things a real customer would. Change the setting, ask again, compare.
- Match your other channels. If your Instagram captions are cheeky and emoji-heavy, Playful will feel consistent. If your brand is calm and clinical, Professional will.
Good to know
- Changes apply instantly to new chats — no need to re-embed or restart anything.
- It only changes how things are said, never what's true: prices, hours, availability and your booking rules are always accurate regardless of tone or length.
- Professional tone deliberately avoids emoji and slang; Warm and Playful may use the occasional emoji.
- If you don't pick anything, your assistant defaults to a friendly voice with concise replies — a sensible starting point for most businesses.