A WhatsApp AI agent for community centres, sports clubs and membership organisations: answer programme schedules, membership fees, facility hire, events and volunteering questions, and collect registrations
A club secretary's WhatsApp is a public utility: when is junior training, how much is family membership, can we hire the hall on Saturday, is the event still on, how do I volunteer. The secretary is a volunteer with a day job. Most of the answers never change; the agent can give them while the secretary sleeps.
Quick answer
Give a WhatsApp AI agent your programme timetable, membership tiers and fees, facility hire rates and rules, a booked-dates note for hire, event listings, volunteering and donation information, and your registration process, and it answers members and the public in seconds, collects registrations and hire requests with the details you need, and hands over membership approvals, safeguarding concerns and complaints to the committee. ReplyKit runs this from $29 a month; many clubs use the Starter plan.
What members and the public ask
- Timetable. Sessions by day, age group, level, coach, venue; term dates and holiday changes.
- Membership. Tiers (individual, family, junior, senior, social), fees, what is included, how to join, renewal dates.
- Facility hire. Hall, pitch, court, room; rates per hour, deposits, rules (alcohol, music, cleaning), availability from a booked-dates note.
- Events. Dates, tickets, what to bring, volunteers needed.
- Volunteering and donations. Roles, checks required, how to give.
- Practicalities. Address, parking, accessibility, lost property, contacts.
Registrations and hire requests
- Registration: the agent collects the member's name, the programme, age group, contact and any medical or consent note you require, and sends your form link or records it for the registrar.
- Hire: date, time, purpose, headcount, equipment; checks the booked-dates note; quotes the rate and deposit; records the request for confirmation.
- Events: answers details and directs ticket purchases to your link.
- Volunteering: collects interest and availability for the coordinator.
- The committee confirms by hand; nothing is promised by the agent. The pattern is in group bookings and corporate enquiries.
Safeguarding and sensitive matters
Clubs with junior members should put a one-line rule in the instructions: any message about a child's welfare, a concern about a coach or member, or an incident is handed to the designated safeguarding officer immediately and not discussed by the agent. The agent acknowledges, gives the officer's contact if you choose, and stops. The same applies to complaints and disputes between members. Escalation setup is in escalation rules.
What the committee keeps
What stays with a person:
- Membership approvals and fee waivers.
- Hire confirmations and deposit returns.
- Safeguarding and incidents.
- Complaints and disputes.
- Anything about a specific member's record.
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 handle membership sign-ups?
It explains tiers and fees, collects the details or sends your form link, and hands over for approval.
Can it book the hall?
It checks a booked-dates note, quotes rates and rules, and records the request. A person confirms.
Does it answer timetable questions?
Yes, from the timetable and term-dates note you keep.
What about safeguarding concerns?
Handed to your safeguarding officer immediately, with no discussion by the agent.
Is it affordable for a volunteer-run club?
The Starter plan at $29 a month covers one number and 1,000 replies, which suits most clubs.
Give the secretary their evenings back
Timetables, memberships, hire and events answered; approvals stay with the committee. 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.