Mendly FAQ: franchise and multi-location software, answered plainly

About Mendly, plans, and pilots

• Do I have to move everything to Mendly at once?

  No. Mendly is modular. Pick one product on Essentials, up to three on Growth, or all five on Complete. Mendly Agents can automate the systems you are keeping, so you can start there and migrate a workflow into Mendly later, if ever.

• Is Maggie a separate product I pay for?

  No. Maggie is the intelligence layer across the platform and is included with every plan. What changes by plan is how much context Maggie has (more products, richer answers) and how many AI credits are included each month.

• What is the difference between Maggie and Mendly Agents?

  Maggie explains: it answers what is happening and why, correlates data across products, forecasts, and recommends. Agents do: they execute reusable skills and workflows in Mendly and in outside systems, with logs, approvals, and spending limits. Both draw from the same AI credit pool; agent runs generally cost more than a question.

• How many locations does a plan cover?

  Five. Essentials, Growth, and Complete each include five locations. A single-store owner pays the same flat price, and a group with more than five adds locations for $10.99 per location per month. Larger groups can talk to us about volume pricing. There is no public enterprise tier.

• What happens when I use up my AI credits?

  You see it coming: usage is visible in the product with a warning before you run out. If you do, buy 1,000 credits for $20 and keep going, or move up a plan. Maggie's non-AI screens keep working either way.

• Does Mendly Workforce run payroll?

  Workforce tracks time and pay-relevant information such as clock-ins, timesheets, and rates. Full payroll processing (filing taxes, paying wages, benefits) is not something we claim today.

• Which systems does Mendly connect to?

  Mendly Management is designed to ingest POS and franchise data, with Net-Chef / CrunchTime as a key source. Customer Experience handles email complaints today, with Google Business Profile planned. For everything else, Mendly Agents can work through an API where one exists or through the browser where one does not. We will always tell you which connectors are live versus planned.

• Will a coffee franchisee see gas station or lottery features?

  No. Management is module-based. Fuel, convenience, lottery, and liquor workflows appear only for locations of that type.

• How long is the trial?

  Longer than the usual one or two weeks. Pilots are structured so you have time to configure locations, run schedules, and see results, with AI credits included and capped. Exact pilot terms are set with you when you start.

• Can applicants choose which location they apply to?

  Yes. Your careers site lets applicants pick the location and role they want, so every store's openings stay separate while you review all applications in one place.

• What happens after someone is hired?

  The hire becomes one employee record that flows straight into Mendly Workforce, ready to be scheduled, clock in, and receive daily tasks, with no second data entry.

• Does Mendly Careers handle onboarding paperwork?

  The new-hire portal is designed to support onboarding forms and I-9 / E-Verify workflows, so paperwork can be finished before the first shift. Mendly can also provision the new employee in franchise systems you configure, such as Net-Chef.

• Can Mendly draft a schedule for me?

  Yes. Build schedules by hand, or let Maggie draft one from employee availability, skills such as who can open the store, and your operating rules. When you use Mendly Management, drafts respect the store's labor budget.

• What are daily tasks in Mendly Workforce?

  Red Book-style checklists for cleaning, maintenance, and inspection readiness. Every completed task is recorded with who did it and when, which gives you an accountability trail across locations.

• Which systems can Mendly Management pull data from?

  Management is designed to ingest operating data from POS and franchise systems, with Net-Chef / CrunchTime as a key source, so managers do not type the same numbers twice.

• How does lottery management work in Mendly?

  Scan ticket books in, track opening and closing counts, and reconcile at the end of the day, in the same system that holds your store-closing values.

• Which channels does Mendly Customer Experience support?

  Email complaints are live today. Google Business Profile reviews are planned next, with other channels added through connectors. We will always tell you which connectors are live versus planned.

• Will replies sound like my business?

  Yes. Responses follow your playbook: scenario guidance, approved remedies such as a refund or gift card, words to use and avoid, and your tone of voice.

• Do replies send automatically?

  Only when you choose. Each response can be sent automatically or held as a draft for review, and a repeated issue can become a Workforce task at the store.

• Do Mendly Agents need an API to work?

  No. Agents use an API where one exists. If a system only has a login screen, a browser agent signs in and does the steps a person would, and every run is logged.

• How do I teach Mendly a new task?

  Do the task once in a browser Mendly is watching. It captures the steps that matter and turns them into a reusable skill that can handle a different date, store, or quantity next time. You can also start from the skills catalog.

• How do I keep AI agents under control?

  Every run is logged, errors are surfaced instead of failing silently, steps can require your approval, and spending limits and permissions keep each agent inside the boundaries you set.