In short
- Run it on a number that belongs to the firm, so it stays put when people move on.
- A full profile, an away message and saved replies take one afternoon.
- The Business Platform lets the office, the engineers and automated answering share one number.
The setup that matters
- A business number on a phone that stays with the firm.
- A full profile with the name on the van, one line on what you do and where, your real hours and your website.
- An away message that says when a person will reply, and asks for a photo and a postcode in the meantime.
- Quick replies for the questions you answer every week.
- Labels for each stage of a job: New, Survey booked, Quote sent, Won, Lost.
The app or the Business Platform
- The app is free to message from, and you can link up to four other devices, such as the office computer.
- The Platform is Meta’s route for shared inboxes and automated answering. It has charged per delivered message since 1 July 2025.
- Replies within 24 hours of a customer’s message: from 1 October 2026 the first 1,000 a month per number are free.
- Anything outside that window goes out on a pre-approved template, and each one is charged.
The rules
- Reply freely to anyone who messages you first.
- Message someone first, or send offers, only with their permission. When they say stop, stop.
- Automated answering has to offer a quick way to reach a person.
- Never ask for card or bank details over WhatsApp.
You run the jobs. We run this.
- Your number moved onto the Business Platform, set up and verified
- Every message answered within the minute, sounding like you, day or night
- One inbox for the office, with the thread and the photos on the engineer’s phone
- Permissions and stop requests handled to the letter
Written for electricians, heating engineers, plumbing firms, air conditioning firms and landscaping firms.