A WhatsApp AI agent for bicycle shops: is the size M in stock, how much is a full service, and can I collect on Saturday
A bike shop's WhatsApp mixes "do you have the Trek in M?" with "my gears are skipping, how much to fix?" and "is the Sunday ride on?". The mechanic is truing a wheel. An agent answers stock and prices from your list, books the service, and leaves the diagnosis to the person with the tools.
Quick answer
A bicycle shop's agent answers stock and price questions from a list you keep current, gives sizing guidance from your height-to-frame chart, books servicing with a turnaround estimate, answers parts and accessory questions, shares group ride and event details, and hands over mechanical diagnosis, warranty claims and trade-in valuations to the mechanic.
The split
| Let the agent handle | Keep with a person |
|---|---|
|
|
Keeping stock honest
Nothing loses a bike sale faster than "yes, in stock" followed by "sorry, sold yesterday". Keep a simple stock list in the knowledge base (model, size, colour, price, quantity) and update it when things sell. Instruct the agent to say "in stock as of [date the list was updated]" and to offer to reserve for 24 hours. For anything not on the list, it says it will check and hands over. The sold-out wording is in out-of-stock templates.
Sizing without a fitting
Give the agent your height-to-size chart per brand and instruct it to ask height and inseam, suggest a size, and recommend a test ride for anything between sizes. It should never promise a size fits; it should say the chart suggests M and the shop will confirm on the bike.
Setting it up
- Knowledge. Paste the website, upload the stock list and the service menu as one line per item, the sizing charts, and the ride calendar.
- Instructions. Role, tone, the stock-date rule, the sizing rule, the diagnosis handover, and the reserve offer.
- Booking. Set the services, durations and hours so the agent offers real slots and sends reminders the day before.
- Handover. Name the topics that go to a person, and the agent flags the chat in your inbox and stops replying until you hand it back.
- Test. Send it twenty real messages from your own phone before customers do; the checklist is in the pre-launch test.
ReplyKit connects your number through Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform. You sign in with your Facebook business account from the dashboard, pick or create the number, and it is live in a few minutes: no pairing, no phone that has to stay online, and no linked-device restriction risk. Replies to customers who message you carry no Meta fee inside the 24-hour service window; reminders and follow-ups sent outside it go as approved templates at Meta's per-message rate. Details in why ReplyKit runs on the official platform.
Servicing bookings
Set services with durations and a daily capacity (six services a day, say) and let the agent book drop-offs, quote the turnaround, and message when the bike is ready. "Gears skipping" gets a booking for a tune-up at the listed price and a note that the mechanic will confirm if anything else is needed, which is exactly what a good counter does. Templates for the ready-for-collection message are in workshop templates, which apply word for word.
Frequently asked questions
Can the agent tell customers what is in stock?
From a list you keep current, with the date it was updated, and an offer to reserve. Off-list items get a check by a person.
Can it size a customer for a bike?
It suggests a size from your chart and recommends a test ride. It never promises fit.
Can it diagnose a mechanical problem?
No. It books a service at the listed price and leaves diagnosis to the mechanic.
Does it handle service bookings?
Yes, with durations, daily capacity, turnaround estimates and a ready-for-collection message.
What about trade-ins?
Handed to a person. Valuations need eyes on the bike.
Stock, sizing and servicing answered
The mechanic keeps the tools; the agent keeps the phone. 7-day free trial.
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 Acceptable Use Policy · what we refuse to automate
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.