Not Just a Tool – a Teammate: Mindbody’s AI Assistant Goes Beyond Support

More than a chatbot, this GPT-4-powered assistant deeply understands Mindbody’s software, instantly recommends solutions, and has the potential to evolve into a strategic co-pilot for growth

At 3 a.m. when a fitness studio owner is finalizing the next day’s schedule, or during the Sunday rush when a spa manager needs to troubleshoot booking issues, help has traditionally been out of reach.

Time is as precious as client satisfaction, and studio owners and wellness entrepreneurs face relentless demands — juggling software hiccups, onboarding hurdles and numerous bottlenecks in operations while also trying to grow their businesses.

Mindbody’s AI Assistant is now on the scene to change how fitness and wellness businesses face their daily challenges.

Athletech News interviewed Jay Kelly, Senior Director of Product at Mindbody, about the AI Assistant and how it is tackling pain points for studio owners, from endless wait times for support to underutilized platform features. Its 24/7 availability, conversational intelligence and deep integration with Mindbody’s ecosystem are reshaping the user experience — turning software from a tool into a proactive partner. Kelly unpacks the vision behind AI Assistant, its immediate impact on small business efficiency, and the future of AI as a “co-pilot.”

Athletech News (ATN): What were the biggest pain points you aimed to solve with this AI feature — and how does GPT-4 specifically help you address them?

Jay Kelly (JK): We offer a range of services and solutions for our Mindbody customers, so it’s natural that users will have questions as new features and tools roll out. Often, bots are only trained to answer the most basic questions, and their best solution is a link to a lengthy help article — leaving users to sift through the information themselves. Customer service calls involve long wait times, and email exchanges can take days to resolve. These can all be extremely disruptive for busy business owners who need faster answers to their questions.

Additionally, new Mindbody users face learning curves as they get onboarded, and even long-time customers may underutilize the platform simply because they’re unaware of all its features.

AI Assistant was created to provide Mindbody customers with reliable, round-the-clock support. Think of it as roadside assistance — but for software questions. Available 24/7, it’s designed to help users get the most out of the platform whenever they need it.

GPT-4 was a key part of making this possible due to its ability to understand nuanced, conversational questions (e.g., “How do I pause someone’s membership for the month?”). GPT-4’s advanced language capabilities enabled us to train the assistant on thousands of real support interactions, resulting in fast, accurate, and context-aware responses. With access to over 4,000 help articles, the assistant can handle everything from simple questions to complex troubleshooting — all at speed.

Not only does it answer user inquiries, the AI Assistant provides step-by-step guidance, links to relevant resources, and deeper explanations when needed. By embedding this intelligence across the entire Mindbody ecosystem, AI Assistant empowers users to get unstuck quickly, learn in the moment, and fully leverage Mindbody tools.

ATN: How do you envision the AI Assistant transforming the day-to-day lives of studio owners and operators — especially those wearing multiple hats?

JK: Managing schedules, handling client inquiries, overseeing staff, and marketing a business can be overwhelming, so the last thing a business owner wants is to spend time dealing with software issues. That’s where AI Assistant comes in. It essentially acts as an extra team member — one that’s always on, never takes a break, and is ready to help with anything from troubleshooting to navigating features.

AI Assistant offers instant, accurate answers to save valuable time and mental energy. It can respond to any software question, at any time of day, including:

• How can I void a sale?
• Where can I send a marketing text to a client?
• How can Mindbody help me grow my business?

The more a business uses AI Assistant, the smarter it gets — and all conversations are saved for future reference. And, when connecting with a human is necessary, there’s no need to repeat the issue: prefilled information is sent directly to our team.

For busy studio owners, AI Assistant is like having a pocket software expert, freeing up time spent on tedious questions so owners and operators can focus on what matters most—their clients.

ATN: In what ways does this 24/7 assistant shift the relationship between users and the Mindbody platform — from a tool to something more like a partner?

JK: With 24/7 support from AI Assistant, Mindbody customers receive instant, tailored responses to their unique questions. Instead of viewing the platform as just a tool they log into, users experience it as an always-available partner — one that understands their needs, answers questions in real time, and removes the usual friction of problem-solving.

By delivering immediate, personalized responses around the clock, the assistant becomes a reliable extension of their team. Users don’t have to pause their workflow or feel like they’re navigating the platform alone. Instead, they can move forward with confidence, resolve issues quickly, and uncover new tools that boost efficiency and revenue.

ATN: Could the AI Assistant change the pace or scale at which small businesses can grow, simply by removing so many everyday bottlenecks?

JK: It can certainly help. The AI Assistant acts as a 24/7 digital support expert for business owners and staff. Small businesses often get slowed down by learning curves, tech confusion, and long wait times when using platforms with many different features. AI Assistant helps reduce support issues and increase confidence in the Mindbody platform — saving time and helping businesses scale.

Dependence on live support is reduced, so a simple question won’t slow you down with hours on the phone or days of back-and-forth emails.

New hires can also be onboarded more quickly by asking the AI questions about the Mindbody software — saving time for small businesses that often lack the hours and resources to train employees.

When business owners spend less time stuck reading support articles or waiting for help, they free up valuable time and mental energy for their clients, marketing, retention, staff, and so much more.

Perhaps most important, though, is the knowledge AI Assistant can unlock for businesses. By asking just a few simple questions, users can discover the full value of their software and tap into features and tools they may not even know exist. For example, if a business owner asked how to re-engage clients who haven’t booked in a while, AI Assistant might recommend tools like automated texts and emails.

For a small business without IT staff or a tech-savvy ops manager, this kind of embedded, 24/7 AI support is a game changer.

ATN: If the AI Assistant is roadside service, what’s the next metaphor? Could we be heading toward full-on “co-pilots” for wellness businesses?

JK: I do see wellness businesses heading towards more of a co-pilot world. For AI Assistant specifically, in its current state, it helps you when you’re stuck. It’s reactive and provides directions when you’re lost in the sea of tools, but it’s still based on you identifying your issue first.

In a more co-pilot world, I see AI bots acting as growth partners, helping to identify issues and making strategic decisions before asking the bot.

For example, in an ideal world, if an owner noticed bookings were down by a certain percentage, AI might notify them and offer a solution on adjusting pricing or sending follow-ups.

In other words, an AI co-pilot would help steer the car, not just tell you how to turn the heat on.