Short answer
Start with AI as a drafting assistant: faster first replies, call prep, and menu wording, always reviewed by you before a client sees it. Full agents are for power users who want human-confirmed automation.
After this lesson: You will pick the right level of AI for your skill and risk tolerance, from ChatGPT drafts to a supervised agent setup.
Why chefs ask about AI now
Inquiries arrive while you are on a cook. You want to sound professional at 9 PM without writing novels from scratch.
AI can help with words and organization. It cannot replace tasting food in their kitchen or reading the room at close.
The ladder (start low)
Level 1: ChatGPT or similar for draft replies, subject lines, and menu descriptions from your bullet notes.
Level 2: Saved prompts and templates for qualify calls, meeting follow-ups, and proposal cover emails.
Level 3: Tools that summarize inquiry forms and suggest call questions before you dial.
Level 4: A personal agent (such as Hermes) that can read calendar availability, draft responses, and ping you on Telegram for approval before anything sends.
What is really happening
The danger is not AI. The danger is auto-pilot on judgment calls: price, scope, promises, and tone.
Why this works
Treat AI like a commis for paperwork, not the chef on the pass. You stay on the hook for what clients read and what dates you commit. Human-confirmed drafts give you speed without letting a model apologize for your pricing or book a meeting you cannot make.
Is it too much for the average chef?
Level 1 and 2 are for almost everyone who will paste and review. If you can text, you can use AI drafts safely.
Level 4 is not for everyone. It rewards chefs who like tinkering, read setup docs, and want Telegram pings with approve buttons. If that sounds stressful, stay at templates.
- Never auto-send pricing or calendar holds without your OK.
- Never paste client allergies into AI without checking output.
- Keep the close in person; AI handles speed to first touch.
What to do this week
Write three prompts: first reply to inquiry, post-meeting follow-up, menu proposal cover note.
Paste your notes, generate a draft, edit in your voice, send yourself the final.
Time your response before and after. Most chefs save ten to twenty minutes per inquiry.
If you want calendar-aware drafts and mobile approval, read the Hermes setup lesson next.
Lines to use
I draft with AI, I send as me.
The robot proposes; I commit.
FAQ
- Will clients know I used AI?
- They will know if you send unedited generic text. Edit every draft so it sounds like you.
- Can AI replace the in-home meeting?
- No. Trust and veto power still need the room.
- What should I never automate?
- Final price, deposit terms, allergy commitments, and calendar confirmations you have not verified.
- Where is the Hermes setup guide?
- See the lesson on setting up a supervised agent with calendar access and Telegram in this playbook.
Related: Supervised agent setup (Hermes)