AI Adoption Interviews

Q.What were the challenges before AI?

A.The website was far too old, social media wasn't bringing in customers, and phone handling was a hassle. The menu was handwritten, so every change took effort.

Q.Why PH AI Works?

A.First, I could consult entirely in Japanese. And the office is right near Little Tokyo in Makati — I was amazed to find an AI specialist with this track record in the neighborhood; someone you'd struggle to meet even in Japan. Given the cost of acquiring customers and of labor, AI was actually quite affordable.

Q.What exactly did you put in?

A.First a WordPress rebuild, then SEO/GEO aimed at small keywords — and we started ranking near the top. We use AI for Facebook-centered social marketing too: analytics, posts, and automation. We added an AI chatbot so it handles simple inquiries, and made the menu easy to update from a PC. Down the line I'd like to use AI to analyze rival shops and sharpen our own strategy.

Q.Timeline?

A.About a week of consultation, one to two months to build. We set a training period for staff and went into full operation about two weeks later.

Q.Results?

A.We've held a top 1–5 ranking on small keywords. Staff almost never handle simple inquiries now. SEO/GEO and social marketing worked, customers increased — we hired more (so labor cost rose), but sales rose more, so it's a net win. Honestly I was skeptical at first, but the return on investment has been excellent.

Q.Any difficulties, and a word for others?

A.Almost none — they took my direction and advice as-is. If anything, AI moves fast, so I hesitated over 'which one to adopt,' but deciding that with an expert was a big help. Businesses and shops that don't adopt AI will fall behind.

Q.Opening a salon in the Philippines is a big decision.

A.I spent about 20 years as a stylist in Japan. Seeing the energy of the Philippines on a trip, I decided to open here. I'd like to think this much experience is hard to find even in Japan.

Q.Why PH AI Works?

A.I'd been a customer of the operator before, so I went to them. We could talk in Japanese, and the AI track record was more than enough — no hesitation.

Q.What did you adopt?

A.A WordPress rebuild, with SEO/GEO left to AI. In particular, they automated the Google Analytics and Search Console analysis and improvement. We also added an AI chatbot, AI customer management, and AI marketing management.

Q.Results?

A.The biggest thing is that the labor for inquiries and bookings dropped to almost zero. Before, every time the phone rang mid-cut I'd keep the customer waiting to answer. Now I don't have to. If anything I keep marketing modest — push it and too many people come. The Philippines' population growth helps a lot, too.

Q.A word for those considering AI?

A.It's a world apart from Japan's declining beauty industry. Honestly, I can't imagine running a salon without AI anymore.

Q.What sparked the opening?

A.There was no personal gym in Manila where you could really communicate in Japanese. So we thought, we'll do it ourselves. When we learned the operator is a Nippon Sport Science University graduate, we hit it off completely.

Q.What did you adopt?

A.We built a WordPress site and use AI for SEO/GEO and Google Maps acquisition. Inquiries are handled by an AI chatbot, so the time we spend on them went to zero.

Q.Results?

A.People find us via Google Maps now, and inquiry handling is off our plate — so the trainers can focus on coaching.

Q.What's next?

A.We'd like to use AI to streamline our clients' training and meal plans.

Q.A word?

A.Even a small gym can make acquisition and operations this much easier with AI.

Q.What led to the request?

A.We'd already worked together on another business (video production), and it grew from there.

Q.What kind of system did you build?

A.A fairly large one in Next.js: email send/receive, schedule management, customer management, managing the site admin and multiple instructors, class schedules, evaluation management, instructor evaluations, marketing management, creating and managing teaching materials, linking materials to bookings, even semi-automated blog generation — essentially everything the school's operations need, in one.

Q.Budget and timeline?

A.Over ¥10 million, with development around 3–5 months. Given the scale, we took the time to do it right.

Q.Results?

A.It's a new launch, so there's no 'before vs after,' but customers are coming steadily. Having an efficient operating system from day one is huge.

Q.A word for those considering AI?

A.AI is essential technology for online English going forward. Schools that don't adopt it will, I think, decline.

Q.Tell us about the shop.

A.It's a small phone shop run by a Filipino owner — load (prepaid) sales, repairs, used handsets, accessories; several revenue streams. We're near Little Tokyo in Makati, so we occasionally need to serve Japanese customers who don't speak English.

Q.The challenge?

A.A lot of routine questions come in on Messenger — 'How much is this model?' 'In stock?' — and handling them was quietly draining.

Q.What did you adopt?

A.First, auto/semi-auto replies to routine Messenger inquiries, able to switch among Tagalog, English and Japanese, plus a recommendation feature that asks budget and use to suggest a handset. We also mass-produce Facebook posts — new arrivals, price drops, repair notices — with AI-generated copy and thumbnails.

Q.Results?

A.Inquiry handling got much easier, and we can keep posting on social without it stalling. We can serve Japanese customers without worrying about language.

Q.What's next?

A.Eventually I'd like to use AI smart glasses to smooth in-person service for Japanese customers, too.