What this solves
The real business problem
E-commerce support teams waste agent time on Tier-1 queries, miss escalations, and have no audit trail. This project automates the entire first-response layer.
The problem
Manual support is slow, inconsistent, and expensive — especially after hours.
- Repetitive “where’s my order” queries consuming agent time
- Zero after-hours coverage without expensive overnight staffing
- No consistent escalation triage — things fall through the cracks
- Support conversations never logged to a central system
- Customers asking for a human left waiting without acknowledgment
The solution
Three automation layers — chat widget, Netlify proxy with escalation parser, and an n8n routing workflow.
- Claude handles Tier-1 queries 24/7 with a custom persona and knowledge base
- Structured JSON escalation signals parsed server-side — invisible to the customer
- n8n routes each signal to the right tool in under 5 seconds
- Every escalation logged to Google Sheets for audit and follow-up
- Reusable architecture — swap the knowledge base for any business
How it works
Three-layer architecture
Every layer has a single responsibility. The customer never sees the automation — only the clean reply from Nova.
Types a message → POST to Netlify with conversation history
→
Claude API
System prompt + knowledge base → reply + JSON signal
→
Clean reply → widget
escalate: true → n8n
→
Slack #support
Google Sheets
Gmail confirm
Escalation signal format — Claude appends this to its reply
// Customer-facing reply (what Nova says) I'm sorry to hear your order hasn't arrived. Let me help you sort this out... // Hidden signal — Netlify strips this before it reaches the widget { "escalate": true, "reason": "MISSING_ORDER", "summary": "Customer reports order #4821 not arrived after 8 days" }
Escalation routing
5 triggers, 3 tools, zero manual triage
Claude detects intent, appends a typed escalation signal, and n8n routes it to the right tool automatically.
| Customer says | Claude detects | n8n fires | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| “I want to speak to a human” | HUMAN_REQUEST | Slack #support — immediately | Support team pinged in real time with session ID |
| “This is unacceptable” / angry | COMPLAINT | Slack alert + Sheets log (parallel) | Team notified, conversation logged for follow-up |
| “I want a refund” | REFUND_REQUEST | Google Sheets ticket + Gmail confirm | Ticket created, customer acknowledged via email |
| “This arrived broken / damaged” | DAMAGED_ITEM | Google Sheets ticket + Gmail confirm | Damage claim logged, customer gets email receipt |
| “My order never arrived” | MISSING_ORDER | Google Sheets ticket + Gmail confirm | Missing order ticket created, customer acknowledged |
n8n workflow
NovaMart Support — Escalation Pipeline
7-node workflow. Webhook trigger → Switch routing → parallel execution → 200 OK response.
POST /novamart-support
→
Route on reason
→
Slack #support
Slack
Sheets log
Sheets log
Gmail
Sheets log
Gmail
Sheets log
Gmail
200 OK
* COMPLAINT branch fires Slack and Sheets in parallel — keeps execution under 5 seconds
Skills demonstrated
What this project proves
Two distinct high-value skills in one project — conversational AI integration and business process automation. The combination is what businesses actually pay for.
Prompt Engineering
Persona definition, knowledge base injection, structured output as an inline signal, and five named escalation conditions — all in a single system prompt.
n8n Workflow Automation
Webhook trigger, Switch routing across 5 branches, parallel execution, and three downstream integrations — all in one exportable workflow.
Serverless Architecture
Netlify function as a secure API proxy — CORS handling, API key protection, escalation signal parsing, and conditional n8n dispatch in one file.
Embeddable Widget
Self-contained vanilla JS widget deployable via a single script tag. Conversation history maintained across turns. Preset chips for immediate testing.
Full-Stack Integration
Frontend → Claude API → n8n → Slack/Sheets/Gmail. Each layer has one responsibility. The live demo panel proves it fires in real time.
Results
Measured against real success criteria.
Reusability
Built as a replicable template
Replace the NovaMart knowledge base with any business’s policies and products — the escalation signal format, n8n routing, and deployment pattern stay the same.
E-commerce stores
24/7 first-response without overnight staffing. Escalate refunds and complaints to the right channel automatically.
SaaS companies
Deflect Tier-1 tickets so engineers only see genuine escalations — billing issues and cancellation intent routed to CS.
Clinics & services
Answer appointment and pricing questions after hours. Escalate sensitive matters to the right team member.
HR & people ops
Answer policy and benefits questions. Route sensitive HR matters away from the general inbox automatically.
See the automation fire in real time
Open Nova in the demo, trigger an escalation, and watch the live panel update — Slack alert, Sheets log, and Gmail confirmation within 5 seconds.