Speako is designed for two main types of businesses: restaurants and service-based businesses. Each type has features tailored to how you operate.
Choosing Your Business Type
When you create a location in Speako, you'll select your business type. This determines which features are available and how the booking system works.
Restaurant Businesses
For restaurants, cafes, bars, and any venue where customers reserve tables.
Key Features
- Table management — Create and organize your tables by zone (patio, main dining, private room)
- Party size handling — Set minimum and maximum guests per table
- Time-slot bookings — Customers reserve tables for specific times
- Meal types — Distinguish between lunch, dinner, and other service periods
How Bookings Work
When a customer calls to make a reservation:
- The AI asks how many guests and when
- It checks table availability for that party size
- It confirms the booking with the customer
- The reservation appears on your scheduler
What You'll Manage
- Tables — Add tables with names, capacity, and zones
- Zones — Organize tables into areas (e.g., "Outdoor Patio", "Main Room")
- Availability — Set which hours you accept reservations
- Holiday hours — Handle special days and closures
Service-Based Businesses
For any business where customers book appointments with staff members.
Industries Supported
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Spas and beauty services
- Medical and dental practices
- Legal and consulting offices
- Fitness trainers and wellness
- Education and tutoring
- Real estate viewings
- And many more
Key Features
- Staff management — Add team members with their own schedules and services
- Service catalog — Define what you offer with durations and pricing
- Staff-service linking — Specify which staff can perform which services
- Individual availability — Each staff member has their own working hours
How Bookings Work
When a customer calls to book an appointment:
- The AI asks what service they need
- It finds available staff who offer that service
- It offers available time slots
- It confirms the booking with customer and staff details
What You'll Manage
- Staff — Add team members with profiles and schedules
- Services — Define offerings with duration, price, and descriptions
- Categories — Organize services into groups
- Availability — Set business hours and individual staff schedules
Feature Comparison
Common Features
| Feature | Restaurant | Service-Based |
|---|---|---|
| Table management | ✓ | — |
| Party size handling | ✓ | — |
| Zone organization | ✓ | — |
| Staff profiles | — | ✓ |
| Service catalog | — | ✓ |
| Staff-specific booking | — | ✓ |
| Individual schedules | — | ✓ |
| AI phone answering | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Knowledge base | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customer management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Booking calendar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Online booking page | ✓ | ✓ |
Both business types share these core capabilities:
AI Agent
- Custom greetings and personality
- Voice selection and customization
- Knowledge base for accurate answers
- 24/7 phone and chat handling
Booking Management
- Visual scheduler with day, week, and month views
- Manual booking creation
- Booking modifications and cancellations
- Confirmation notifications
Business Operations
- Customer database with history
- Conversation transcripts and recordings
- Multi-location support
- Team member access
Can I Change My Business Type?
Your business type is set per location. If you have multiple locations, each can be a different type. For example:
- Your restaurant location uses the Restaurant type
- Your catering consultation office uses the Service-Based type If you need to change a location's type, contact support as this affects your data structure.
Next Steps
- Creating Your First Location — Set up with your business type
- Table Management Overview — For restaurant businesses
- Staff in Speako: An Overview — For service businesses