Choose an AI agent vendor by checking five things in order: channel coverage (WhatsApp, LINE, web chat), native integration with your existing CRM, a transparent pricing model with no hidden usage fees, clear data ownership terms in the contract, and a written support SLA with defined response times. Score at least three vendors against this checklist before you sign anything.
What should be on my AI agent vendor checklist?
A good checklist has ten items, and you should score each vendor 1 to 5 on every one before comparing totals. Print this list and use it on vendor calls:
- Which messaging channels does the agent run on natively — WhatsApp Business API, LINE, SMS, web chat?
- Does it connect directly to your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, or a custom system) without a middleware subscription?
- What is the exact pricing model: flat monthly fee, per-conversation, per-seat, or usage-based with overage charges?
- Who legally owns the conversation transcripts, contact data, and any custom prompts or scripts built for you?
- What is the written support SLA — first response time, resolution time, and escalation path?
- Can you export your data and conversation history if you switch vendors?
- Does the vendor handle both text and voice, or only one channel?
- What happens during outages — is there a published uptime number and credit policy?
- Is there a pilot or trial period before a long-term contract?
- Can you talk to an existing client in your industry or region?
Ongito’s own agents are built around this same checklist — see the AI agents overview for how channel, CRM, and pricing details are disclosed upfront.
Does the vendor need to support WhatsApp and LINE specifically?
Yes, if any real customers already message you on those apps — the agent should live where customers already type, not force them onto a new app.
WhatsApp dominates messaging in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and much of Europe. LINE is the default messaging app in Japan and Thailand. If your customer base touches any of those regions, a vendor that only offers a website widget is a poor fit. When Ongito built a WhatsApp inquiry agent for a Tokyo-based photographer, response time to new leads dropped from over 15 hours to under 30 seconds, because the agent answered on the exact channel clients were already using instead of routing them to email.
Ask each vendor for a live demo inside the actual app, not a screenshot. If they cannot demo WhatsApp or LINE directly, they are reselling a third-party API and adding a markup you cannot verify.
How should I compare AI agent pricing models?
Compare vendors on four numbers: setup fee, monthly fee, what is included in that fee, and the cost of overages.
| Model | How it works | Risk for a small business |
|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly | Fixed fee covers a set volume of conversations | Predictable, but can under-deliver on features |
| Per-conversation / usage | Price scales with volume | Costs spike in busy months without warning |
| Per-seat / per-agent | Priced per human agent seat, AI bundled in | Doesn’t reflect your actual channel needs |
As a reference point, Ongito prices flat: an AI Chatbot Agent runs $3,600 setup plus $950 per month, an AI Voice Agent is $4,800 setup plus $1,200 per month, a Review and Reputation system is $2,400 setup plus $700 per month, and a Custom CRM and Dashboard build is $7,100 setup plus $950 per month. Whatever vendor you choose, get the full fee schedule in writing, including what counts as an ‘extra conversation’ or ‘extra seat’ before you sign.
Who owns the conversation data and chatbot content?
You should own it — the contract must state, in writing, that conversation transcripts, contact records, and any custom scripts belong to your business, not the vendor’s platform.
Ask three direct questions: can you export raw conversation logs in a standard format like CSV or JSON at any time; does the vendor use your data to train models for other clients; and what happens to your data if you cancel. A vendor that cannot answer all three in one paragraph of the contract is a risk. This matters most for reputation and review data — Ongito’s review and reputation system keeps every collected review and customer record exportable and owned by the client, not locked into a proprietary dashboard.
What support SLA should a small business expect?
Expect a written SLA with a first response under 4 hours for anything that stops the agent from responding to customers, and under 24 hours for everything else.
| Severity | Example | Reasonable first response |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Agent offline or not responding to customers | 1 to 4 hours |
| High | Wrong answers, broken CRM sync | Same business day |
| Standard | Config change, minor wording fix | 1 to 2 business days |
Get the SLA into the contract, not just a sales page. If a vendor won’t commit to response times in writing, budget for slower fixes and plan a backup channel — a phone number or a human inbox — for the first few weeks after launch.
How do I test a vendor before signing a contract?
Run a paid or free pilot on one channel for 30 days before signing a multi-year deal.
Five practical steps: first, ask for a live demo on your actual channel, not a generic sandbox. Second, request three reference clients in a similar industry and actually call them. Third, confirm the CRM integration works with your specific plan or tier, not just the vendor’s own test account. Fourth, review the exit clause — what happens to your data and phone number if you leave. Fifth, start with the single highest-friction task, usually initial lead response or review requests, rather than a full agent rollout on day one. Ongito starts most engagements with a services scoping call built around exactly this kind of pilot, so you see channel behavior and CRM sync before committing to a full build.
If you want a second opinion on a vendor quote or your current setup, Ongito runs a free 30-minute automation audit — book one at ongito.com/audit and walk through your channel, CRM, and pricing questions with someone who builds these systems.