Ekonomik went from personal WhatsApp numbers to AI-powered support without adding a single hire
Industry: Accounting, Tax & Immigration Advisory · Location: Podgorica, Montenegro · Founded: 2006
Ekonomik Accountants has spent twenty years building one of Montenegro's most trusted professional services firms. Part of the ETL Global network with over 1,300 offices across 60 countries, they serve international investors, expatriate families, local businesses, and global corporations with accounting, tax, payroll, immigration, and advisory services. Their client list includes names like Sotheby's International Realty, LIDL, Air Montenegro, and Telekom. Seven consecutive years among Montenegro's top 100 best-performing companies.
With a client base this international, communication never really stops. And for years, the team handled all of it by hand.
Three channels, zero automation, one overflowing inbox
Before Starko, Ekonomik's support infrastructure was exactly what you'd expect from a firm that built its reputation on personal relationships: email, phone, and the personal WhatsApp numbers of individual team members. When an expat family had a question about their residence permit application, they messaged someone directly. When an international investor needed clarity on Montenegro's tax obligations, they called or emailed and waited.
It worked until it didn't. As Ekonomik grew and their international client base expanded, the volume of incoming questions outpaced what any team could handle through personal channels alone. Questions about accounting law, immigration procedures, documentation requirements, service scope, and onboarding processes arrived continuously, across time zones, in multiple languages. Each one required a human to read it, understand it, find the right answer, and respond.
Wait times climbed to 45 minutes on average. For a firm whose entire value proposition is built on clarity, reliability, and responsiveness, that gap was becoming a problem.
One system. Two jobs.
Ekonomik didn't just need faster support. They needed a system that could serve two very different audiences at once: existing clients with complex, specific questions about their ongoing engagements, and prospective clients exploring whether Ekonomik was the right firm for their situation.
Those are fundamentally different conversations. Existing clients need accurate, context-aware answers about accounting, tax law, and immigration processes, the kind of answers that require a deep knowledge base and can't afford to be wrong. Prospective clients need to feel guided, not dropped into a generic FAQ. They need to understand what Ekonomik offers, whether it fits their situation, and what the next step looks like.
Starko handles both. The AI agent on Ekonomik's website and WhatsApp answers detailed questions about Montenegrin accounting law, tax obligations, immigration procedures, and service specifics, drawing from a knowledge base built around Ekonomik's actual expertise. When the conversation signals a prospective client, the system shifts: qualifying the lead, capturing their situation, and routing them into the sales process without any manual intervention required.
From personal numbers to professional infrastructure
The transition was immediate. Personal WhatsApp numbers gave way to a single, always-on AI support layer accessible directly on the website and through WhatsApp, the channel their international clients already use. No additional staff. No complex onboarding. No engineering project.
Average wait times dropped from 45 minutes to under one minute. Clients get accurate answers to detailed professional questions at any hour, in the flow of whatever channel they're already using. The team, freed from the constant pull of routine inquiries, stays focused on the complex, high-value work that actually requires them.
For a firm that has spent two decades competing on the quality of its client relationships, Starko didn't replace that quality. It made it scalable.
Results at a glance
- 98% reduction in customer wait times
- < 1 minute average response time
- Zero additional hires required
- Dual function — client support and lead qualification, in one system
Starko is the AI-powered support platform that unifies WhatsApp, Instagram, email, and every other channel into one workspace, so your team stops chasing messages and starts delivering exceptional support.