Every revenue tool, explained
The whole toolbox on one page — what each tool does, what it costs, and where it fits in the Revenue Maxing path.
Phone AI
A dedicated phone number answered by the AI agent every time — it takes orders, answers questions, and upsells, even during rush hours when staff can't reach the phone. If a caller hangs up mid-order, the saved cart is texted to them as a checkout link automatically. $1/month for the line; replaces a ~$39.99/month business line. Setup guide →
POS link (Clover)
One sign-in imports your entire catalog — categories, items, prices, modifier groups with required choices — and pushes completed orders to your register. Guests check out on Clover's hosted page (Apple Pay / Google Pay), settling to your account. Your guest book fills from POS customer history. Setup guide →
Campaigns
One sentence becomes a designed email to your guest book, with the offer enforced at checkout during the window — no coupon codes. Offers can target everyone or members only; feature any items in the photo grid; the hero image comes from your image library (generate with AI, remix, or upload). Sending costs 50 credits. First-campaign guide →
Guest book
Your own guest list — name, email, phone, visits, spend, birthday — grown automatically by the ordering agent, raffle entries, CSV import, and POS sync. It is the audience for every campaign and playbook; the single highest-leverage asset in the system. Growth guide →
Raffle
Guests text a keyword (e.g. RAFFLE) to your number; the agent collects name + email conversationally, enters them in the draw, and adds them to your guest book. Draw a winner anytime from Skills. One meal's cost, a permanent audience. Raffle setup →
Slack lunch ordering
Offices install the HostBuddy Slack app, bind their lunch channel to your store, and the whole team orders in one thread — per-person carts, one live order card, batch order to your register. Slack guide →
Insight Playbooks
Standing strategies (excess inventory, win-back, birthdays) that re-read your live data nightly and draft campaigns for your approval — never sending on their own. How playbooks work →
Membership (club)
A recurring paid program — e.g. $19/month billed automatically — with benefits on every visit: a free item, a percentage discount, an intro credit. Predictable monthly revenue from your regulars. Enable or disable anytime; existing members keep their benefits until their subscriptions end. Members can get member-only campaign offers (special item prices).
Value packs
One-time prepaid credit: the guest pays $50 and receives $60 of store credit that auto-drains at checkout before their card is charged. Cash up front and a built-in reason to come back. Amounts are configurable — tell Buddy “set packs to pay 40 get 50.”
Loyalty
Free for every store, zero setup: $1 spent = 1 point, 100 points = $5 off, keyed to the guest's phone number across every channel.
Bar tabs
“Open a tab” places a card hold; orders attach to the tab until it's closed. No lost cards, no walked tabs — see the bar tab page and the night episode.
Ordering channels
Phone (voice), SMS text, WhatsApp (photo cards + pay buttons), a browser text page, and an in-store kiosk — all the same brain, same menu, same cart. Guests pay by card / PayPal, or on your Clover when connected.
Credits & pricing
Every store starts with 200 free exchanges (one exchange ≈ one AI reply). $5 buys 500 credits. Campaign sends cost 50 credits; AI hero images 25. The Phone AI line is $1/month. Full details: pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Which tool should I turn on first?
Follow the Revenue Maxing path: phone number → POS → test campaign → audience → Slack. The phone number is the fastest first win.
Do I have to use all of them?
No — each tool works alone. But they compound: the phone line grows the guest book, the guest book powers campaigns, the POS powers playbooks.
Is there a free tier?
Yes — 200 free AI exchanges, free loyalty, free guest book and raffle mechanics. You pay when it's working: $5 per 500 credits, $1/month for the phone line.
Can I control everything by chat?
Yes — Buddy, the console assistant, can enable/disable packs and membership, create and send campaigns, get your numbers, and start the phone signup, all in plain English.