A WhatsApp AI agent for locksmiths, emergency glaziers, drain and boiler engineers: triage the urgent from the routine, quote call-out fees, collect location and photos, and alert you within seconds
Emergency trades sell speed and trust. The customer locked out at midnight wants to know you are real, what it costs, and when you will be there, and they are messaging three locksmiths at once. The first clear answer wins, and a chatbot that asks them to "select an option" loses.
Quick answer
Give a WhatsApp AI agent your call-out fee by time of day, typical prices for common jobs, service area, response-time policy, ID verification rules for lockouts, and a list of what counts as an emergency, and it replies in seconds with the fee and ETA policy, collects the address, access details and a photo, confirms the customer is the occupier, and alerts you with everything for the call. Non-urgent work is booked into slots. ReplyKit runs this from $29 a month on your business number.
Emergency or not
List what is urgent for your trade: lockout, break-in damage, a broken window at night, a gas smell (direct to the gas emergency line first), flooding, no heating in winter with vulnerable occupants. For a match, the agent sends one reply with the night call-out fee, your response policy ("typically within 45 minutes in {area}"), and three questions: exact address, phone number, and a photo of the door or damage. Then it hands over with an alert so you can call. For everything else it quotes the day rate and books a slot. The rules are written as in escalation rules for your agent.
Proving you are real
- State your trading name, registration, insurance and any trade association in the knowledge base; the agent cites them when asked.
- Quote the fee structure before the job, in writing, in the chat; it is the strongest anti-scam signal a trade can give.
- For lockouts, state your ID verification rule ("we will ask for proof you are the occupier before opening"); it reassures honest customers and deters the rest.
- Give an ETA policy, not a promise; the agent should never state a specific arrival time, only your policy, and you confirm by call.
Routine work
- Lock changes, extra keys, boarding up, drain surveys, boiler services: the agent quotes typical prices or ranges from your list and books into a time window.
- It collects photos of the lock, window or appliance so you arrive with the right parts.
- Reminders the day before, with a request that someone is home.
- Quotes beyond the list are handed over with the photos attached, as in handling quotation requests.
What the tradesperson keeps
What stays with a person:
- Every emergency response and the phone call.
- Exact ETAs.
- Quotes beyond the price list.
- Decisions about forced entry and verification on site.
- Complaints and warranty.
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 dispatch me to an emergency?
It triages, collects the address and photo, quotes your fee and policy, and alerts you immediately. You call and dispatch yourself.
Will it promise an arrival time?
No. It states your response policy; you confirm the ETA by call.
How does it handle lockout verification?
It states your ID rule up front so the customer knows what to expect on site.
Can it book non-urgent jobs?
Yes, into time windows with a reminder, and it collects photos so you bring the right parts.
Does it work overnight?
Yes. It answers at any hour; whether you take the job is your call when the alert arrives.
The first clear answer at midnight
Triage, fees, address and photos collected, alert sent in seconds. 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.