One day at Fernway
A short film about a shop, a torn box and a $1,444 refund. Kokoro, one of the voice models the app runs, read the narration on one PC.
Diego Alvarez, Chat: Hi, where is my order #1276? I need the bike for my commute next week.
Orders & returns, 0.3 s:
- Found the order number "1276"
- Found order "1276": shipped, $1,455.07
- Checked "Shipped?": yes
Reply sent: Your order 1276 is on its way with USPS. Tracking number 9400246051024645566940.
Aiko Tanaka, Chat: I'd like to return order 1263, the fast charger is too bulky for my bag.
Orders & returns, 0.4 s:
- Found order "1263": delivered, $193.58
- Checked "Delivered within 30 days?": yes
- Approved "Refund $193.58" by your rules
Approved by your rules, no one had to step in: Done: $193.58 is on its way back to your original payment method.
Priya Raman, Chat: I want to return my Commuter C2, order 1258. It's too heavy to carry up to my flat.
Orders & returns, 0.7 s:
- Found order "1258": delivered, $1,444.20
- Checked "Delivered within 30 days?": yes
- Refunds over $300 need a person
Waiting for your approval: I've asked a member of our team to approve your refund. It usually takes a minute or two.
A support team that lives on your PC
Crewline runs six AI agents on your own computer. They answer customers by chat and phone, look up real orders, refund the small ones by your rules, and bring you the rest.
Speeding Speech, Bell System, 1950s
Most of your inbox is the same five questions
Each one means opening your store, finding the order, checking a policy and typing something you've typed a thousand times.
- Where's my order?Finds it and gives the carrier and tracking number
- It arrived damagedLooks at the customer's photo and ships a replacement
- Can I send this back?Checks the 30-day window, starts the return and refunds
- What does E-07 mean?Reads your manual and walks them through the fix
- Do you ship to Canada?Quotes your shipping policy and cites the line
Made for shops that answer their own messages
We tested it on an e-bike shop. The questions it handles are the ones most online stores get, whatever they sell.
You started this to make something
Nobody opens a shop because they love retyping tracking numbers at eleven at night.
The whole crew in one window
Every conversation is a line on the board
Green: an agent has it
Amber: it's waiting for you
If nothing is amber, you can go to bed
Chats, calls, flows, documents and approvals, on the same desk
Small pieces of the app, running
Each one replays something from the Fernway test day, and links to the page about that part.
A message finds its agent
A conversation moves from a channel to the Front desk, to the right agent, past the Reviewer and out as a reply. Anything that needs a person goes to your team.
- "Where is my order #1276?"
- Website chat, Front desk, Orders & returns, Reviewer, Reply sent
- Reply sent in 0.3 s
- "My Trail T1 shows E-07 halfway up long climbs"
- Website chat, Front desk, Tech support, Researcher, Reviewer, Reply sent
- Answered from the manual in 1.4 s
- "Please cancel my order 1281"
- Email, Front desk, Orders & returns, Reviewer, Reply sent
- Cancelled and refunded in 0.3 s
- "Can I switch my Fernway Flex plan from 6 to 12 months?"
- Website chat, Front desk, Billing, Reviewer, Reply sent
- Cited the financing terms in 1.3 s
- "I want to return my Commuter C2, order 1258"
- Website chat, Front desk, Orders & returns, Your team
- Over your limit: waits for you
A refund waits for you
Waiting for your approval
Orders & returns wants to refund Priya.
- Refund
- $1,444.20 for order 1258
- Why
- "I want to return my Commuter C2, order 1258. It's too heavy to carry up to my flat."
Refunds over $300 need a person
Approved by you. Refunded. Priya has been told
A photo gets read
A cardboard box on a porch with a torn top flap, a red fragile sticker and packing peanuts spilling out.
- Top flap torn
- FRAGILE label
- Packing spilled
Researcher, 4.5 s: The photo shows a brown cardboard box with a "FRAGILE" label on the side, placed on a stone porch step. The box has a small hole in the corner and some white styrofoam packing material is scattered around it.
Orders & returns, 1.9 s: We're sorry to hear your order arrived damaged. The photo shows a torn box with scattered styrofoam. We're shipping a free replacement of the items on order 1270 today.
An answer shows its score
Can I return my e-bike after 30 days?
- Returns and refunds, 1.00: You can return anything you bought from us within 30 days of delivery, for any reason.
- Warranty, 0.82: Every Fernway e-bike and accessory comes with our warranty, counted from the day it was delivered. You don't need to register.
- Damaged in transit, 0.24: ...Keep or recycle the damaged one; there is no need to send it back.
0.50 bar: nothing below is used
The day on one dial
A 24-hour dial. Your team works from nine to six. The agents answer around the clock.
- 00:24: Your team is asleep. Agents answer, and tell people you're back at 9
- 07:36: Your team is asleep. Agents answer, and tell people you're back at 9
- 11:12: Your team is in. Agents take the repeat questions
- 13:30: Your team is in. Agents take the repeat questions
- 16:06: Your team is in. Agents take the repeat questions
- 19:18: Your team is asleep. Agents answer, and tell people you're back at 9
- 22:40: Your team is asleep. Agents answer, and tell people you're back at 9
A shop moves in
- Returns and refunds.md: 2 passages
- Damaged in transit.md: 2 passages
- Shipping and delivery.md: 2 passages
- Warranty.md: 1 passage
- Payments and financing.md: 2 passages
- FAQ.md: 2 passages
- Commuter C2 owner's manual.pdf: 3 passages
14 passages your agents can quote
Six agents, each with one job
- Front deskGreets people, works out what they need and passes it on
- Orders & returnsFinds the order, starts the return, issues the refund
- Tech supportWorks through error codes from your manuals
- BillingPayments, invoices and financing plans
- ResearcherSearches your documents and looks at customers' photos
- ReviewerChecks every reply against its sources before it goes out
What customers tell you stays in the room
Orders, addresses, voices and photos are all processed on your machine. The models download once. After that, Crewline answers with the network cable out.
What stays on your machineSwitchboard staff, via Flickr Commons
From install to first solved ticket
Plan on an afternoon, and most of that is waiting for the models to download.
Install it
One Windows installer. It opens on Fernway, a sample e-bike shop with orders, customers and a month of conversations, so you can press every button before you commit to anything.
Clear the sample shop
When you're ready, open Store data and choose Start over. A checklist appears and ticks itself off as you go.
Let it pick the models
Crewline reads your graphics card and memory, then recommends a size. One click downloads everything it needs.
Tell it who you are
Store name, opening hours, tone of voice, sign-off and languages. Every reply uses them.
Bring your orders
Export products, customers and orders from Shopify or WooCommerce and drop in the CSV files. Any spreadsheet works too. Import again tomorrow and nothing doubles up.
Hand over your policies
Returns, shipping, warranty, manuals, your FAQ. Agents quote these and cite the passage. If the answer isn't there, they say so and hand over.
Write your rules
Start from five templates or a blank page. A flow is a list of steps: find the order, check the date, refund it, ask you first.
Try to break it
Test any flow on real orders without sending a message or changing a thing. Then chat with it and call it the way a customer would.
Run your day from one board
Clear whatever's amber. See what the agents couldn't answer. Write that answer once and it's there for everyone after.
Rules you could read out loud
Refund it by itself when the order is $300 or less
Anything bigger waits for you
A flow is a list of plain steps with the paths drawn between them. There's no code to write, and every step shows what it did and how long it took.
order.total <= 300
It can see what arrived
A customer sends a photo of a torn box. A vision model on your PC describes the damage, the flow checks the order against your limit, and the replacement goes out.
Watch it read the photoWe're sorry to hear your order arrived damaged. The photo shows a torn box with scattered styrofoam. We're shipping a free replacement of the items on order 1270 today.
Written by the Orders & returns agent in 1.9 seconds
You keep the last word
Anything over your limit stops and waits, with the order, the customer's words and the rule that stopped it on one card. Approve it, change the amount or decline. If you approve, Crewline records the refund and tells the customer.
See an approval happenReplies in the customer's language
List the languages your shop speaks. Agents answer in whichever one the customer used, flow messages included, and they leave order numbers and tracking numbers alone.
How it keeps numbers exactEvery answer shows its working
Click a citation and you get the sentence it came from. Open the trace and you see who did what, and how long it took. When the documents don't cover something, the agent says so and hands it to you.
How sources workSomeone will write at 11:40 tonight
After hours the agents keep tracking orders and starting returns. If something needs a person, the customer gets a straight answer about when you're back.
Four tools come with it
What happened on a test day
- finished without a person, 18 of 19
- 95%
- median first reply
- 0.5s
- of answers cited a document or the order system
- 91%
- customer messages sent to a cloud
- 0
Measured on Fernway, our sample shop: 25 products, 150 customers, 281 orders, 21 conversations with scripted customer messages. The models were real and ran on one RTX 5070. Your shop will get different numbers.
What it wrote back
We haven't got customer reviews, because nobody outside this project has used it yet. These are real exchanges from the test day: the customers were scripted and the replies are exactly what the models wrote.
Read all twentyDiego Alvarez, Chat, answered in 0.3 s
- Diego Alvarez
- Hi, where is my order #1276? I need the bike for my commute next week.
- Crewline
- Your order 1276 is on its way with USPS. Tracking number 9400246051024645566940.
Hannah Schulz, Email, answered in 0.3 s
- Hannah Schulz
- Please cancel my order 1281, I picked the wrong bike. Sorry!
- Crewline
- Done: order 1281 is cancelled and $1,183.20 goes back to your original payment method within 5 to 7 business days. You'll get an email confirming it.
Marcus Okafor, Chat, answered in 1.4 s
- Marcus Okafor
- My Trail T1 shows E-07 halfway up long climbs. Is something broken?
- Crewline
- The E-07 error on your Trail T1 indicates the motor is overheating, usually during long climbs or with heavy loads. Stop and let the motor cool for 10 minutes, then ride in Eco or Tour mode. If the error persists, book a motor check (free under warranty).
Elena Novak, Chat, answered in 1.4 s
- Elena Novak
- Does the Thule Yepp Maxi child seat fit the Commuter C2?
- Crewline
- The Thule Yepp Maxi child seat does not fit the Commuter C2. It is only approved for the Cargo X and City S1 rear racks.
Caleb Brooks, Chat, handed to a person
- Caleb Brooks
- Do you sell electric scooters too?
- Crewline
- Good question. I've asked a colleague who knows the product well to answer.
How it compares
A cloud chatbot is quick to set up. A helpdesk is familiar, and an agency gives you real people. None of them looks up the order and acts on it within your limits.
| Chatbot widget | Helpdesk with canned replies | Outsourced agents | Crewline | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knows the actual order | Rarely | A person looks it up | A person looks it up | Looks it up itself |
| Takes action | No | By hand | By hand, with access to your systems | Refunds, cancels and replaces inside your limits |
| When it doesn't know | Often improvises | Only as good as the macro | Depends on training | Says so, hands over and logs the question |
| Reads photos of damage | No | A person opens the attachment | A person opens the attachment | Yes, and the flow acts on it |
| Your languages | Varies | Whatever the macro was written in | Whoever you staff | The customer's, from your list |
| What you can see | A transcript | The ticket | A summary | Every step, source and timing |
| Where customer data goes | The vendor's cloud | The helpdesk's cloud | Shared with the contractor | Stays on your PC |
| What you pay for | Seats or resolutions | Seats | Hours | Your own computer and its power |
At $0.99 a resolution$2,970a month
Per conversation on Crewline$0on hardware you own
$0.99 is the rate widely reported for Intercom Fin. Gorgias is reported at $0.90 to $1.00 per AI interaction. These figures come from third-party pricing pages in November 2026, so check current prices before you rely on them.
It runs on a computer you can buy at a shop
- LightUnder 16 GB of memory, no graphics card. Qwen3 1.7B writes and Kokoro speaks.
- Balanced16 GB of memory or a 6 GB graphics card. Qwen3 4B writes.
- BestA 10 GB graphics card and 16 GB of memory. Qwen3 8B writes, a reranker sharpens search, LFM3-Audio speaks.
What it doesn't do yet
Can customers reach it from my website today?
Not yet. The chat and call widget runs inside the app, where you set up, test and train your agents. Connecting a live website, an inbox and a phone number is the next piece of work.
Is it connected live to Shopify?
No. You import CSV exports from Shopify, WooCommerce or a spreadsheet. Importing a newer file updates what's there, so tracking stays current if you do it daily.
When it refunds someone, does the money move?
Not yet. Crewline records the refund, cancellation or replacement and tells the customer. You still press the button in your store or payment provider.
Will it replace my team?
It takes the repeat questions. Complaints, unusual cases and anything over your limits still come to a person, with the work already done.
Does it work on a Mac?
Not today. There's a Windows installer. The models run on NVIDIA, AMD or the processor alone.
Does it need the internet?
Only to download the app and the models. After that, it answers customers on your machine.
Can it make mistakes?
Yes. Replies show their sources, a Reviewer checks each one first, and anything with real money behind it can wait for your click.
Dial a question
- Can customers reach it from my website today?
- Not yet. The chat and call widget runs inside the app, where you set up, test and train your agents. Connecting a live website, an inbox and a phone number is the next piece of work.
- Is it connected live to Shopify?
- No. You import CSV exports from Shopify, WooCommerce or a spreadsheet. Importing a newer file updates what's there, so tracking stays current if you do it daily.
- When it refunds someone, does the money move?
- Not yet. Crewline records the refund, cancellation or replacement and tells the customer. You still press the button in your store or payment provider.
- Does it need the internet?
- Only to download the app and the models. After that, it answers customers on your machine.
- What computer do I need?
- Any Windows 10 or 11 PC runs the Light set, slowly. A graphics card with 6 GB gets you Balanced and 10 GB gets you Best. Crewline reads your hardware and recommends one.
- How long does setting it up take?
- Plan on an afternoon, and most of that is waiting for the models to download.
- Can it make mistakes?
- Yes. Replies show their sources, a Reviewer checks each one first, and anything with real money behind it can wait for your click.
- What happens when it doesn't know?
- If no passage in your documents scores above 0.50, the agent says so and hands over. The question is logged, and when you write an answer it's used from the next conversation.
- Does it work on a Mac?
- Not today. There's a Windows installer. The models run on NVIDIA, AMD or the processor alone.
- Will it replace my team?
- It takes the repeat questions. Complaints, unusual cases and anything over your limits still come to a person, with the work already done.
Put someone on the board
In the 1950s machines took over routing the calls, and operators kept the ones that needed a person. Your shop can make the same trade this afternoon.
Download for Windows228 MB. Windows 10 or later, 64-bit.
Speeding Speech, Bell System, 1950s