Northline Supplies: after-hours customer desk

The situation

Northline Supplies is a fictional shop selling workshop consumables, fasteners, packaging and PPE. The counter closes overnight, but customers still write in at 9pm: where is my order, when will it arrive, can this unopened item come back? Every reply waited until 8am, and the team opened to a pile of near-identical messages.

What we built

A customer desk that keeps working after closing. Ordinary questions are answered the same minute they arrive, using the real order: status, carrier and delivery estimate. Straightforward returns are booked in, with the 14-day window checked, and a confirmation goes to the contact on the order before morning. Anything that needs a person, such as a crushed carton, a refund or a change of address, is held for the team at 8am with the order number, product and the customer's own words already written down. Nothing is promised overnight.

Result and features

A 9pm question answered, booked and confirmed at 9:04 pm

Return collections booked while the counter is shut

The morning team sees only the two notes that need them

Clear rules on what waits for a person

Stack

Public sample repo with a written walkthrough and screenshots: github.com/CromServices/workflow-ai-pack-sample-v2

The n8n sample below is a smaller, separate piece: six FAQ answers with a handoff to a person. It does not look up orders or book returns.

Fictional business; not a paid engagement.