Service area · Michigan
Your first week with AYDUKE, planned for a Detroit shop
Owners in Detroit, from repair bays in the neighborhoods to parts suppliers in the suburbs, rarely have a free afternoon for new software. So this page is a plan: one short task per day for a week, in an order that works, with an honest note on what takes time.
- One task a day, sized to fit around a working shift
- Posts for the next two weeks scheduled by Friday
- Replies kept in draft mode until you trust them
Free for 7 days, no credit card required
Seven days
Monday to Sunday: the setup plan
Do these in order. Each day builds on the one before, and nothing goes public until you decide.
Monday: connect two accounts
Start with the Facebook page and Instagram. Each connects through your own developer app via OAuth; the panel's step-by-step guide shows every screen. This is the step that takes longest, so give it the most time.
Tuesday: teach the assistant
Enter hours, address, services, prices you are comfortable sharing, and the ten questions you hear most. If your website covers this, give its address; up to 500 pages are read and refreshed every week.
Wednesday: services and staff
Give each service a duration, buffer and price. Add techs or barbers with their own hours, plus holidays and breaks.
Thursday: open the doors
Add the website chatbot with one line of code, or use the chat link and QR code if you have no site. Put the link in your Instagram bio and Google profile.
Friday: schedule two weeks
Prepare six to eight posts once and schedule them to every connected account. The platform check flags anything that breaks a rule before it is queued.
Saturday: read the drafts
With draft mode on, every reply waits for you. Edit the knowledge base wherever an answer was off.
Sunday: decide
Keep drafts, or switch DMs to autonomous. Set working hours and what happens after hours.
Why a plan beats "I will set it up when things slow down"
The Motor City still runs on the auto industry and everything around it: engineering, parts suppliers, tooling, logistics and the repair, body and detailing shops that keep the region's cars moving. Wayne State and the hospitals in Midtown add another layer of customers with long days. Downtown, Corktown and the blocks around Eastern Market have filled with restaurants, coffee shops and barbers over the years.
What these businesses share is that the owner is usually on the floor, under a car or at the chair. Things never slow down enough for a big setup project. Breaking the work into daily pieces means you finish in a week instead of never.
Winter matters too. Pothole season, snow days and early darkness change who messages you and when. Having replies and posts running before November saves you from setting things up during the busiest stretch.
Local trades this plan was written with in mind
Repair and tire work
Diagnostics, oil changes and seasonal tire swaps as timed services per bay. More: auto repair shops.
Body and detailing
Before-and-after photos on Instagram, estimates booked in the chat. More: auto body shops, car detailing shops.
Suppliers and manufacturers
LinkedIn and YouTube for publishing, Messenger and website chat for inquiries. More: manufacturers.
Barbers and coffee shops
Walk-ins mixed with bookings, holiday hours, weekend market crowds. More: barbershops, coffee shops.
Which accounts to connect first, by type of business
| Business | Connect on Monday | Add later | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair shop | Facebook, Instagram | Google Business Profile posts | Customers message on Messenger; the Google profile shows hours and updates |
| Body or detailing shop | Instagram, Facebook | TikTok, YouTube | Visual results sell; video platforms are publishing only |
| Parts supplier | LinkedIn, Facebook | YouTube | Buyers look on LinkedIn; message replies happen through Messenger and your site chat |
| Barbershop | Facebook, Google Business Profile posts | Clients DM for openings and look at recent cuts | |
| Coffee shop | Instagram, Facebook | Facebook groups | Neighborhood groups spread event and hours news |
X, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok are for publishing only; AYDUKE does not answer messages or comments there.
Thursday evening: the chat link gets its first question
An example conversation, not a real customer. The open times come from the shop's calendar; the assistant does not invent them.
The fee answer came from an entry the owner wrote on Tuesday. Had there been no entry, the assistant would have offered to pass the question on. The shop got an SMS and an email about the booking.
A Detroit marketing agency or your own panel
AYDUKE is software, not an agency. It handles repeat work so you can do it yourself, and it gets along fine with an agency you already use.
Leave with an agency
- Brand, logo and signage
- Photo and video production
- Paid ad campaigns
Keep in-house with AYDUKE
- Posting on schedule to every connected account
- Answering Messenger, Instagram DMs and site chat
- Booking into real open slots
- Publishing reports as XLSX or CSV
Agencies and freelancers who handle several shops can connect those accounts within their plan's limit, run them from one calendar and send clients exported reports. The reseller program costs nothing to join and pays commission as long as the businesses you referred keep paying.
Week two onward: a posting routine that sticks
- One work photo a week A finished repair, a fresh cut, a latte. Instagram needs media on every post.
- One useful tip a week Tire pressure in cold weather, when to rotate, how to prep a car for a long drive.
- Hours whenever they change Snow closures and holiday hours, scheduled to Facebook and the Google profile at the same time.
- A monthly look at the numbers Check the 30-day publishing report for failed posts and the trend against last month.
Start Monday
Open a free demo account today; it is active immediately and needs no credit card. All platforms and core features are included, along with AI credits for your test week.
Frequently asked questions
Can customers get a text reminder the morning of their appointment?
Not in the US. Customers receive confirmation and reminder emails with a link to view or cancel. The shop gets new-booking alerts by SMS and email.
We have two locations, one in the city and one in the suburbs. Separate setups?
One panel can hold both within your plan's account limit. Give each location its own staff and hours so the chat offers only real openings at each.
Can the assistant quote a repair price?
Only if you entered that price. For anything that needs an inspection, write an entry saying so, and the assistant will book the inspection instead of guessing a number.
Is there an AYDUKE office in Detroit?
No. AYDUKE is remote software with no office in Michigan. The guides in the panel and the help pages cover setup.
Can phone bookings go in the same calendar?
Yes. Add them by hand. Existing bookings and connected Google, Apple or Outlook calendar events count as busy, so nothing gets double-booked.
Other service areas
Ready to run your business from one panel?
Try it free for 7 days, no card required: connect your accounts, schedule your first post and train your assistant.