Zapier & AI Automation Specialist for Growing Catering Company

# Zapier & AI Automation Specialist for Growing Coffee Catering Company ## Overview Pretty Good Coffee Company is a premium mobile coffee catering company based in Raleigh, NC. We serve corporate events, employee appreciation events, universities, weddings, brand activations, and private events throughout North Carolina. We're looking for an experienced automation specialist to help us build practical systems using Zapier, AI tools, Gmail, and our existing software stack. Our goal is not simply to automate tasks. We want to create systems that improve client experience, increase sales conversion, reduce administrative workload, and help us scale operations without sacrificing hospitality. ## Primary Project: Quote Follow-Up Automation Our highest priority is building an automated quote follow-up system. Current workflow: * Lead submits inquiry * Quote is created and sent through booking platform * Follow-up is currently handled manually Desired workflow: * Detect when a quote is sent * Extract relevant quote details * Use AI (Google AI Studio/Gemini) to generate personalized follow-up emails * Create Gmail drafts (not auto-send) * Trigger additional follow-ups after specific time periods * Maintain a natural, human, hospitality-focused tone We have already begun building this workflow but need an expert to finish and optimize it. ## Future Automation Opportunities After the initial project, we'd like help building additional automations such as: ### Sales * Lead response automation * Quote follow-up sequences * Lead scoring and prioritization * Client re-engagement campaigns * CRM updates and pipeline tracking ### Operations * Automatic event briefs * Staff communication workflows * Event assignment notifications * Calendar and scheduling automations * Inventory forecasting ### Marketing * Review request automation * Testimonial collection * Client nurture campaigns * Social media/content workflows * Monthly reporting dashboards ### Executive Reporting * Weekly business summaries * Lead tracking * Conversion reporting * Revenue dashboards * Operational KPI reporting ## Current Tech Stack * Flashquotes * Zapier * Gmail / Google Workspace * Google AI Studio (Gemini) * Google Sheets * Google Drive Additional platform recommendations are welcome if they simplify operations. ## What We're Looking For * Strong Zapier experience * Experience with AI integrations (Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, etc.) * Experience troubleshooting API and webhook workflows * Ability to think through business processes, not just build automations * Clear communication and documentation * Ability to recommend simpler solutions when appropriate ## To Apply Please include: 1. Examples of similar automation projects you've built. 2. Your approach to quote follow-up and sales automation. 3. Your preferred hourly rate or fixed-price estimate for the initial project. 4. Any recommendations you would make based on the information above. We're looking for a long-term automation partner, not just a one-time freelancer.