A WhatsApp AI agent for appliance repair businesses: collect the brand, model and fault with a photo, quote the call-out and typical repair ranges, book the visit, and keep the technician repairing
Half of a repair technician's phone time is intake: what brand, which model, what exactly is it doing, when are you home. The other half is the same customer calling back to ask when you are coming. An agent does the intake completely and answers the when, so the technician's day is repairs.
Quick answer
Give a WhatsApp AI agent your appliance types and brands serviced, call-out fee and how it applies to repairs, typical repair price ranges, service area, time windows, warranty and guarantee terms, and a parts-availability note, and it collects brand, model (from a photo of the rating plate), fault and photos, quotes the call-out and ranges, books a visit into a window with a reminder, and answers status and parts questions. Diagnosis and the final quote stay with the technician. ReplyKit runs this from $29 a month.
The intake
- Appliance type and brand.
- Model number: the agent asks for a photo of the rating plate (and tells the customer where it usually is for that appliance), then reads it.
- The fault in the customer's words, plus any error code on the display.
- A short video or photo of the symptom if useful.
- Address, service-area check, and when someone is home.
- Call-out fee and typical range quoted from your list, with the line that the technician confirms the price on diagnosis; the quoting method is in handling quotation requests.
- Booking into a time window with a reminder the day before.
Parts and timelines
Keep a note of common parts and lead times ("Brand X drum bearings: in stock. Brand Y control boards: 5 to 7 days to order"). The agent sets expectations before the visit instead of after it. For repairs in progress, a daily status note ("Jobs awaiting parts: {names}; parts due {date}") lets the agent answer "any news on my oven" without interrupting the technician. The status-note approach is the same as in order tracking and status updates.
Warranty and guarantees
- Whether you handle manufacturer warranty work, and for which brands.
- Your own guarantee on repairs: period, what it covers.
- Repair-or-replace guidance in general terms ("for appliances over {n} years we will tell you honestly if replacement makes more sense"), which builds trust.
- After-sales handling as in after-sales and warranty claims.
What the technician keeps
What stays with a person:
- Diagnosis and the final quote.
- Safety issues (gas, electrical burning smells): the agent gives one line of safety guidance you wrote and hands over.
- Parts ordering decisions.
- Complaints and guarantee claims.
- Same-day schedule changes.
Everything else the agent handles, and when it is unsure it says so and offers a human rather than guessing; see why the agent says it is not sure.
One honest note before the setup. ReplyKit connects to your number by QR pairing, the same linked-device mechanism as WhatsApp Web. It is live in minutes and needs no Meta approval, but Meta does not sanction automation this way, so a number can be restricted. We enforce limits of 30 replies an hour and 200 a day per number with a warm-up ramp for new numbers, reply to inbound messages only, and recommend a dedicated number rather than your main line. The full picture is in our ban guide.
Starter at $29 a month covers one number, one agent, one website assistant and 1,000 AI replies; Growth at $49 adds two more numbers, five agents and follow-up nudges; the 7-day free trial needs no card. Only the agent's own messages count. Pricing is in USD and the service works wherever WhatsApp does. What it costs in practice.
Frequently asked questions
Can the agent read the model number from a photo?
Yes. It asks for a photo of the rating plate, tells the customer where to find it, and reads the model.
Does it quote the repair?
It quotes the call-out fee and typical ranges from your list; the technician confirms on diagnosis.
Can it book visits?
Yes, into time windows, with a reminder the day before.
Can it answer "when is my repair ready"?
From a status note you update, so the technician is not interrupted.
What about safety faults?
It gives one line of safety guidance you wrote (switch off, do not use) and hands over immediately.
Intake done before you pick up the phone
Model, fault and photos collected, visits booked, status questions answered. 7-day free trial, no card.
Sources and further reading
- Harvard Business Review, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads (Oldroyd, McElheran, Elkington, 2011) · firms that responded within an hour were about seven times more likely to qualify the lead
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy · opt-in, opt-out and prohibited-use rules every business must follow
- ReplyKit, Will WhatsApp ban my number for automation? · our own account of the risk and the limits we enforce
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for running a small business, not legal, financial or regulatory advice.